Kings On The Horizon (Vol. 4-6) ✓

124 | Eve

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C H R I S T M A S  S P E C I A L  I

"THE MAN WHO TOLD me to enroll you in J.S High. Viktor..." Marcus reveals, leaving Max's eyes wide from shock. Never in a million years did he expect to hear something like that, but for some reason, despite the idea never crossing his mind, he felt like he understood.

      "Viktor..." Max repeats, the name lingering in his mouth as he said it. "Why?" He then asks, and Marcus couldn't really continue, which was something that Max wasn't going to force since it wasn't a direct question towards him anyway.

     "I should have known," Max says instead before taking a sip of water that was already on their table. "When uncle Janus tried to persuade me to enroll in J.S High, he mentioned Crème de la crème. I should have suspected that this would happen."

     Marcus stares at his brother as he waits for him to compose himself. He was expecting Max to start asking him questions, and for the first time, Marcus was determined to answer and explain as best as he could if Max wanted him to, but to his surprise, Max remained silent until a waiter finally arrived to serve their food.

     "Thank you," Max tells the waiter before looking back at Marcus. "Let's eat," he then says, and Marcus sighs and smiles at him before nodding his head.

     The two started eating while the waiter served them wine. He then asked if they needed anything else, and when Marcus told him that they were fine, the waiter left.

     When the two of them were finally alone together, Max looks back at Marcus and tells him, "I only have one question, and the only answer I want to hear from you is yes or no."

     Marcus swallows the food in his mouth before nodding his head to agree to his little brother's term. Max then takes a quick sip of his wine before finally asking, "When Viktor asked you to enroll me in J.S High...did he know that you guys have erased my memories?"

     The room falls silent as Marcus drops his fork in complete shock. He couldn't believe what he just heard, but when he realized that Max was waiting for his response, all Marcus could do was gulp and obediently answer, "No." And even though Max told him that he only needed to answer yes or no, Marcus explained further anyway, "Viktor never knew, but I am certain that he realized it eventually."

     "Well it would be strange if he didn't," Max says as he casually starts eating again like he didn't just ask something so shocking.

     "Max..." Marcus calls out with a worried tone. "When did you realize?" he asks him.

      Without even looking back at his brother, Max answers, "When did I realize that I was being drugged? Well, the real question here is how were they stupid enough to think that I'd never realized this?" Max manages to joke, but when he saw the serious expression on his brother's face, Max smirks and takes a bite of his steak first before asking, "Did my question frighten you, big brother?"

     "It terrified me," Marcus answers with no hesitation, and his honesty made Max take another sip of his wine. "I am terrified by the fact that you'd be angry at me for what I have done."

     "I am not angry at you if that is what you're worried about. Disappointed, yes, but never angry," Max says as he looks at Marcus straight in the eyes. "I'm disappointed because you let the Sinclaire's make you do the dirty work for them. So who asked you to do it? Did father ask you? No, I don't think so. The mastermind has to be someone crueler. Perhaps an older woman like our—"

     "Max, please stop..." Marcus immediately says, making Max stop talking in an instant.

     When the atmosphere around them suddenly felt tense, Max takes a deep breath and puts down his knife and fork. "I only intended to eat dinner with you and enjoy Christmas Eve," he says with a sigh. "It seems like I can't even enjoy something simple as this."