Max caught the momentary crack in Luca’s mask, his gaze narrowing slightly.But he didn’t press.Luca would talk when he was ready—or not at all.That was the unspoken rule between them.
Dimitri, however, let his eyes linger on Luca a beat longer, unreadable.But when Luca leaned forward and shifted the conversation, Dimitri allowed the subject to drop.
“Speaking of rats,” Luca said, the light tone not fooling Max for a second.“What’s this I hear about the Yakuza nosing around?You’re our first line of defense against the Japanese gangs.What’s the plan?”
Max filed away Luca’s earlier slip for later.“They’re testing boundaries.Small incursions, checking for weak spots.Nothing direct yet—but they’re building up to something.”
Dimitri growled low.“We don’t need their poison spilling over here.They can barely manage their own streets.”
“Agreed,” Max said, his voice hard.“I’ve already sent a message they won’t misinterpret.If they push further, we’ll make an example out of them.”
Luca’s easy charm gave way to cold calculation.“Good.Keep us updated.If they even twitch in the wrong direction, I’ll send reinforcements.We’ve worked too damn hard to let them upset the balance.”
Silence settled over the room for a moment, the weight of the threat hanging between them.Max’s mind drifted briefly—not to the Yakuza, but to that fleeting look of pain on Luca’s face.He’d circle back to it.Eventually.
For the next three hours, they discussed strategy, hammered out contingencies, and ate a meal prepared by Max’s housekeeper—phenomenal, as always.Still, Max kept thinking of the last time he’d shared dinner with Lexie, how relaxed and beautiful she’d been that night.
Where was she now?Was she grading more papers at her tiny home?Maybe with a blanket over her legs and that god-awful herbal tea she loved so much?
As the meeting wrapped, Max turned to Luca.“You mentioned hiring a great marketing person recently.”
Luca nodded.“Brilliant woman.Every product she’s touched has jumped in revenue by at least twenty-five percent.”
“If I flew her out to Seattle, think she’d talk to some students?”
Luca’s brow lifted.“Like a career day thing?”
Max hadn’t thought of it that way, but it was perfect.“Yeah.Exactly.”
Luca shrugged.“I’ll ask.She’s busy, but she likes kids.”
Max’s lips curved faintly, a plan taking shape.“Good.”He clapped Luca on the arm.“If you think of anyone else—experts in any field—let me know.”
Chapter 36
“Wait,we’redoing…what?”Lexie asked, blinking in disbelief.Had she heard correctly?Everyone was sitting in the Monday morning staff meeting, which was usually a tedious event.Not today!
Her principal was practically bouncing on her toes, her excitement infectious.“A career day!A real career day with some amazing speakers.Just today, I got calls from several professionals willing to come and talk to the kids.We’ll have an accountant who can explain tax law, a marketing expert to show them how to turn their art into money, an investment broker to teach them about smart financial strategies, and more!”She rattled off a list of professions, her voice gaining momentum with every word.
Lexie tried to keep up, her surprise growing.“That’s incredible!”she managed, overwhelmed by the breadth of opportunities being planned.“We’ve never had a career day before because people are too intimidated by this neighborhood!”
“I know!”her principal replied, clapping her hands together, her grin impossibly wide.She glanced around the staff room, beaming at the other teachers.“And that’s not all.I just got off the phone about this: our school is getting a scholarship endowment.Any student who graduates with a 3.0 GPA or higher will have their college tuition fully paid for a state school!”
The room fell into amazed silence.Lexie’s heart stopped for a moment before it started racing again.She looked around at the other teachers, who were staring, wide eyed, at their principal.
“A scholarship endowment?”one of them whispered.“For every student with a 3.0 or higher?”
Lexie’s principal beamed enthusiastically.“That’s right!Fully paid tuition.The endowment is solid—our district lawyers have already reviewed the contract.It’s all legitimate.”She practically vibrated with excitement, her giddy energy filling the room.
Lexie’s throat tightened, her mind whirling.“Who… who’s the sponsor?”she asked, her voice catching on the words.
“It was set up by a private, anonymous donor,” the principal replied, clearly unconcerned by the mystery.“But whoever they are, this will change lives!Just think—college opportunities for kids who thought they’d never have a chance!”
The staff room erupted into excited whispers, the teachers exchanging wide-eyed glances as they tried to process the windfall.
Lexie, however, remained quiet.Her lips pressed together to hold back a laugh as the realization hit her.The clothes she’d left behind in Max’s closet probably cost more than a year of tuition at a state school.The career day lineup?She’d bet her meager savings that Max had arranged for his staff to volunteer.
“Who would do this?”someone asked, their voice tinged with awe.“Why here?Why not at one of the bigger, wealthier schools?”
