Ever since Aron told Max he'd be attending this event, his biggest concern wasn't Sheri, his ex-fiancée, or whatever scheme her mother was plotting. No, the real problem had always been Chad.

Now that Max knew the truth, that Chad was the one behind everything that happened at the school, it changed everything. He still didn't know who was responsible for the attempted drowning of the real Max Stern… but this guy, Chad, had caused nothing but trouble for him in his new life.

"Why don't we move along," Aron said with a calm smile, gently guiding Max away.

They shifted toward a nearby table, picking up small plates and nibbling on the arranged hors d'oeuvres. Max was grateful for Aron's instinct. Even in this grand ballroom, packed with chandeliers and high-profile guests, there were still people with press badges walking around and cameras clicking in every direction.

Still, as Max picked through the appetizers, he couldn't help but glance back over his shoulder.

There he was.

Chad had arrived, sunglasses resting on the top of his head, his hair slicked back behind his ears, and a flashy yellow patterned suit that made him stand out like a neon sign in a black-and-white photo. You could spot him from anywhere in the room.

"Mrs. Curts, it's so lovely to see you," Chad said, bowing slightly as he lifted her hand and kissed it with practiced charm. Then, turning to Sheri, he added, "And you, you look more stunning every time I see you."

He took Sheri's hand and gave it a small kiss as well, smiling like he'd just stepped out of a romance novel.

"I'm afraid I've been really busy as of late," Chad said with a sigh. "Things are getting tough within the Stern family, so I haven't had time to get you a gift. But I promise, I'll bring you something special the next time we meet."

"Oh, don't be silly," Sanna giggled, gently slapping Chad across the chest like they were lifelong friends. "You don't have to get us anything. You being here is a gift enough."

Max nearly spat out his drink right then and there, coughing hard and drawing attention from several nearby guests. He clutched his chest as he tried to breathe, making quite a scene.

Both Chad and Sanna glared at him disapprovingly, while Sheri turned her head to the side, trying, and failing, to hide a small smile.

"Are you alright? Did someone poison your drink?!" Aron asked, gripping Max's shoulders and looking around in fake alarm.

"Calm down," Max wheezed, waving him off. "I just choked. I was shocked by the blatant double standard. These rich people… or the people sucking up to them, it's enough to drive someone mad."

Trying to cool his head, Max walked away, deliberately avoiding Chad. As he wandered through the ballroom, he noticed all the items up for auction. Famous paintings, rare artifacts, and one-of-a-kind memorabilia were displayed with soft lights and gold tags.

There were plenty of celebrities too, faces Max recognized from the media, but they didn't impress him much. Celebrities had never meant much to him.

What he was looking out for were underworld figures, just like the ones he'd spotted at the last Stern family gathering. But so far, no one like that had shown up.

Not yet, anyway.

"All of your family members have arrived, apart from Dennis Stern," Aron said, standing just behind Max's shoulder. "Your grandfather's a bit too high-profile to waste time on events like these."

"I agree," Max muttered. "Have you seen the crap they're selling in here? And the prices people are putting on it? Even ifI had the money, I wouldn't waste it on this garbage. Honestly, if I had the choice, I wouldn't have come either."

"Well, it's probably a good thing all your family members are ignoring you," Aron replied. "They seem way too busy trying to gain favor with the other guests."

Despite already having ridiculous wealth, each Stern was chasing after more, more power, more influence, more status. But the one thing Max couldn't keep his eyes off all night… was the performance being put on by Sanna, Sheri, and Chad.

It was infuriating.

"What are you doing just following me around everywhere?" Sanna hissed in a hushed voice. "You need to be with Chad, winning him over! Don't forget, everything we have is riding on this. I'll do my part for the family, so you do yours."

With that, she practically shoved Sheri in Chad's direction.

Chad was already talking to two other women, older, dressed in designer cocktail dresses, laughing and pouring him drinks. As Sheri stepped closer, the contrast between her and them was painfully obvious.

She was still a high school student.

They were adults. And Chad? A man in his mid-twenties, charming and polished. Something about the whole scene made her stomach twist.

Regardless of how she felt, Sheri reminded herself of her mother's words. She wasn't doing this just for her own sake.

It's for the family.

Taking a deep breath, she walked over to Chad, forcing a warm smile.

"Chad, you seem to be having a good time," she said sweetly. "Are there any items tonight that caught your eye?"

"Not really," Chad replied with a casual shrug. "There hasn't been anything I want to get, although I suppose there's been one thing… I guess you could say you."

The two women beside him giggled, leaning into his shoulders with flirty smiles. Sheri laughed softly too, joining the act. And just like that, she found herself spending the better part of the night by Chad's side.

Meanwhile, reporters Hag and Daz had made it inside the ballroom, their cameras hanging around their necks. For some reason, Daz found herself oddly drawn to a single individual.

"Looks like he hasn't bid on anything," she muttered. "You'd think all the Sterns would have some pocket money to throw around."

"I keep telling you, ignore him," Hag replied, not even looking up.

"Right… but out of all of them, only two haven't bid on anything: Chad, and Max Stern." Daz raised her camera and took another quick shot. There was something in Max's expression, focused, distant. He was clearly staring at someone. But who?

Max had spent most of the evening ignoring the festivities, instead observing how everything played out around him. He watched Sanna making her rounds, clearly trying to bring up investments for their struggling chain business.

Judging by the tight smile on her face and the subtle clenching of her jaw… she wasn't having much luck.

Which explained why Sanna kept glancing in a particular direction, right toward her daughter.

Over the past hour or so, Sheri's face had gone bright red. Chad had been pushing drinks on her nonstop, despite her being underage, and she clearly wasn't handling it well.

Her mother's just watching this… and she's fine with it? Max thought, his jaw tightening. Is it just me, or do these people have even fewer morals than the ones in the underworld?

By now, Sheri was slumped in her chair at the table. Chad walked over, grinning, and offered her yet another drink.

"I'm sorry," she muttered, waving a hand weakly. "I don't think I can take any more. My head is starting to spin… I think I'm gonna throw up."

"Come on, you like me, right?" Chad said, sliding into the seat beside her. "We're just trying to have a good time. And for me? This is a good time. If you really like me… then you'll drink it."

Sheri stared at the champagne glass. Just looking at it made her nauseous.

As she glanced around the ballroom, her eyes met her mother's. Sanna was watching. Intently. Silently.

I… I have to do this. It's just one more drink. For the family. That's all it is, right?

Her hand began to reach for the glass, trembling. Chad leaned in closer, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, as if to "help" her. But it wasn't comforting, it felt suffocating.

"Come on, bottoms up," Chad said smoothly. "After this, I'll take you somewhere nice… and we can cement our relationship."

Sheri, still holding the glass, slowly raised it toward her lips, until a hand reached out and stopped her.

"You shouldn't force yourself," the voice said gently, yet firm. "While your body's still young, it's important you take care of it. Especially for a pretty woman like you."

Sheri's vision was slightly blurred, her head light, but she looked up, trying to make out the person who had intervened.

"Max…" she murmured.

Immediately, Chad stood up, his chair scraping sharply against the floor. His jaw was tight, teeth clenched.

"What do you think you're doing?" he demanded.