Love - As Seen on TV

♥ 4 ♥

Lucy and Max had just emerged from a tense meeting with their lawyers, the latest round in the battle over the Wellington Corporation's hostile takeover of Lucy's beloved bakery. The air was thick with unresolved tension as they'd negotiated, or rather, butted heads, over the fate of her family's business.

With no agreement reached, they'd parted ways, each determined to fight on. As they stepped into the elevator, Lucy couldn't help but feel like she was trapped - not just in the confined space, but also in this never-ending battle with the man who'd once captured her heart.

Lucy and Max stood side by side in the crowded elevator, their lawyers flanking them.

No man! That's not going to work! Remove the lawyers!

Lucy and Max stood side by side in the elevator, that was empty save for them. The tension was electrifying, even without the added pressure of the bakery takeover.

Hmmm... better...

Just as the elevator lurched to life, the lights flickered and died. The elevator jolted to a stop, trapping them inside.

"Of course," Lucy muttered, rolling her eyes. "Because this week wasn't already a cliché."

Max chuckled, his voice low and smooth. "Forced proximity, trapped in a small space... I think the universe is conspiring against us."

Lucy snorted. "Or for us, depending on how you look at it."

As they waited for rescue, the tension between them crackled like a live wire.

Lucy crossed her arms, her eyes flashing. "You're really going to ruin my shop, aren't you?"

Max shrugged, his expression impassive. "Just business, Lucy."

"Just business?" Lucy's voice rose. "You're destroying people's livelihoods."

Max snorted. "Dramatic much?"

Lucy's eyes narrowed. "You have no idea what it's like to pour your heart and soul into something."

"Oh, I think I do," Max countered, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I've spent years perfecting the art of soullessness."

Lucy's face twisted in disgust. "You're just like your father."

Max's eyes flashed, his jaw clenched. "That's enough, Lucy."

The air was thick with tension, their faces inches apart.

"I won't let you ruin my shop, Max," Lucy declared.

"I'm not trying to ruin anything, Lucy," Max countered. "I'm just protecting my family's legacy."

Suddenly, the darkness seemed to close in around them.

Max's thoughts drifted to his past, to the family secrets and tortured memories he'd rather forget.

His father's words echoed in his mind: "Protect the family name, no matter the cost."

But what cost?

Max's thoughts drifted back to his past, to the memories he'd rather forget.

Oh! This is fun, a flashback!

His thoughts... no. Let's shake things up. But how?

I got it.

Okay, okay, okay, let me tell you something. So, Max's dad, right? He's like the villain in a Bond movie.

Reginald Wellington, aka The King of Cold.

Guy's got ice in his veins, heart made of stone.

Alright, picture this: Young Max, 10 years old, standing in the Wellington mansion's grand foyer. It's the day of his grandmother's funeral. Max's eyes are red-rimmed, his face streaked with tears. Reginald's towering over him, looking like the ultimate rich dude villain.