Kings On The Horizon (Vol. 4-6) ✓

147 | The Tamer

♛

"OUR TOURISM RATE HAS reached a 20% increase right after the Christmas season ended, which is higher compared to the previous years. Our plans for the month of February can be found in the folders we submitted to you earlier. If you have any questions or suggestions, we'd love to hear them," the team leader of the strategy department stated as everyone at the long table started reading the contents of the folder handed to them.

     "Sir Maximilian, do you have anything to say about the presentation so far?" The team leader then asks.

     Max, who was staring at the folder without opening even it, didn't respond since his mind was completely occupied by something else. Everyone at the table looked at him. When Max still didn't respond, CEO Jean—Max's cousin—clears his throat and kicks Max's leg under the table, finally making Max look back at them.

     "My apologies," he says as he massages his temple. "I seem to be feeling under the weather lately."

     "Do you want to take a break?" Jean asks him. Max wanted to tell them that he was fine and they should continue, but judging by Jean's tone, it was obvious that he wasn't going to take no for an answer.

     "Alright, let's take a break," Max says before standing from his seat, the rest of the employees standing as well to bow to him.

     The young heir doesn't say anything anymore and walks out of the office and heads straight to the rooftop to get some fresh air. While walking towards the glade balustrade, he pulls out a cigarette pack and a lighter from his pocket. He then puts the cigarette inside his mouth and lights it up, the smoke cooling him down in an instant.

     Yesterday, Max wasn't able to get any sleep. He read the confession that Siren intended for him. At first, he didn't really understand it, but after a while, it sank in. That confession was talking about his mother, Luna. Max wasn't stupid, he realized it the moment he read the note but he just didn't want to admit it. The problem now was that he didn't entirely understand what it exactly meant.

     Max wanted to know more, but this feeling of curiosity was the very thing that Siren wanted. She knew that Sky was going to give that confession to Max, and she knew that Max was going to seek her out to get some answers.

    Max wanted to know what that confession meant, but was he willing to face Siren again just for a confession that might not even be true?

     "Max!" A voice calls out, instantly pulling Max out from his thoughts.

     Max exhales the smoke from his mouth and waited for the intruder to approach him. When a tall man stood beside him, Max exhales the smoke from his cigarette again before saying, "Are you here to scold me, Jean?"

     "Scold you? No, that's not really my style, and you'd probably just laugh at me anyway so no thank you," Jean says, finally making Max look at him.

     Max doesn't say anything and shows Jean the cigarette pack that he had in his pocket. Jean looks at it and instantly recognized the packaging. "Oh, you use the King's Tobacco too? I've been obsessing over that brand, especially the Joker's flavor. You think we could invest in their company? Maybe we can sell this in our hotels." Jean asks before taking a stick and putting it in his mouth.

      Max chuckles at the suggestion and lights Jean's cigarette for him. "I personally know the owner of that company. I don't think he'll take that investment very kindly," Max casually says, making Jean snort.

     "Oh yeah, I think you mentioned that before," he says as the smoke escapes his mouth. "Whoa, this flavor's much stronger. What's it called?"

     "Tamer's flavor."