Chapter 109: proxy 3

” Dinner? I was just here to see your apartment. ”

Josefina said it lightly as she settled into the chair with a relaxed posture, her eyes moving slowly around the space, observing with quiet interest, the layout simple, the furniture practical, nothing extravagant, and for someone who rode a nearly 200,000€ bike the contrast was noticeable, not disappointing, just unexpected.

” Are you judging me? ”

Max asked with a faint smile when he caught the direction of her gaze, his tone playful rather than defensive, completely at ease, because there was no insecurity in the way he lived, this apartment was chosen and he didn’t feel the need to dress his life up for anyone.

” Judging? No. It’s more like respect. Even though you’re this rich, you stay in this humble home. ”

Josefina answered honestly, her voice steady, no mockery behind it, just recognition, because wealth usually came with display, but Max carried his differently, spending on precision, on performance, not on surface.

” Why did you buy this huge bag? ”

Machina asked as she walked in holding the new leather bag Max had just purchased, placing it down where it could be seen clearly, the structure firm, the size big, not something someone bought casually for style, and the way it sat on the table made it obvious it had a purpose already assigned in his mind.

” We will fill it up with the cash. Go do it now and make it ready. Josefina, you can help her out too. ”

Max said it with a light smile, like he was assigning a normal household task, not preparing to move nearly a million euros in physical bills, and he leaned back slightly after saying it.

He didn’t usually flex or make scenes about money, but Josefina was already part of the family now, already observing his life, and hiding things at this point would only look artificial.

” Me? Alright. ”

Josefina paused for a fraction of a second, surprise flickering across her face before it turned into something warmer, almost proud, because being included in family chores wasn’t casual trust.

It was a deliberate move by Max, and the smile she gave after that was different from her usual teasing or confident one, it carried a sense of belonging, as if Max had quietly moved her from outsider to family participant.

Machina picked up the structured leather bag without comment, already understanding what needed to be done, her movements efficient, and both of them turned toward the bedroom where the cash was kept, the task heavy in value but simple in action.

” Oh wait! ”

Max stopped them just before they crossed the doorway, his voice cutting in calmly but with intent, and both girls turned back toward him.

” How did you know her? ”

Max asked Machina directly, his eyes narrowing slightly, because she was supposed to be his protector and there was no logical way she should already know about Josefina, he had never mentioned her name at home, never brought her up in conversation.

” Oh! She has seen your penis and I don’t think you would show your private parts to an unknown lady, hehe. ”

Machina replied without hesitation, smiling like she had just revealed an obvious fact, her tone playful, almost innocent despite the boldness of her words, then she let out a small chuckle and walked into the bedroom as if she hadn’t just dropped that statement casually into the room, leaving Josefina standing there slightly stunned, not embarrassed, just surprised at how directly Machina said it.

” Wait! What? ”

Max frowned at first, caught off guard by the blunt delivery, then a slow smile formed on his face as the meaning settled in, because Machina being this straightforward wasn’t new, she was mischievous by nature, bold without shame, and her teasing always came wrapped in logic that made it hard to argue with.

’So… Josefina described my penis to her? Wait, what?

The thought flickered through his mind, half amused, half confused, realizing that the connection between them might have formed in a way he hadn’t expected, and instead of being offended, he found himself more entertained by how naturally Machina had pieced it together.

Josefina saw the smile forming on Max’s face, then noticed him looking at her, and her own expression changed instantly, color rising to her cheeks as realization hit, and before he could open his mouth to ask anything, she turned quickly and followed Machina into the bedroom, almost escaping the moment rather than walking, her heart racing at the thought of him questioning how that conversation even happened.

She was afraid he would ask directly how she ended up describing something like this, because explaining it would only make it worse, and the boldness she showed with Machina earlier suddenly felt fragile under his calm gaze.

Max remained seated, the room settling into quiet again, his hectic day slowly transitioning into what was shaping up to be an even more demanding night, and as the laughter and soft movement from the bedroom continued faintly in the background.

He leaned back more and let his thoughts organize themselves, realizing that being the head of the family, even if he never officially called it that, came with weight he hadn’t fully acknowledged before.

Machina did not carry social ties, but Josefina had a public life, a career, connections, and Jennifer’s situation already exposed him to risk through association, meaning his decisions were no longer isolated to himself, every move had ripple effects, whether financial, legal, or social.

’Can’t just decide things on a whim.

The thought settled with clarity rather than regret, because he wasn’t second-guessing his actions, he was recalibrating them, understanding that impulse had to be balanced with structure.

He wasn’t regretting anything; if anything, he understood that a man sometimes needed to step back and clear his head, especially when his mind had been running constantly — studies, missions, the pressure of handling Bronte, the logistics of tonight’s dinner — everything stacking without pause.

’Now that I think about it, Bronte doesn’t deserve my attention at all.

In the broader direction his life was moving, stable progress, expanding influence, structured plans, Bronte was just a small obstacle, a criminal living in short-term cycles, and giving him too much mental space only inflated his importance artificially.

’I should deal with him as soon as possible, then focus on buying that building.

The priority aligned itself cleanly in his head, close the issue properly, legally, visibly, then redirect energy toward growth, because long-term assets mattered more than short-term conflicts, and tonight’s dinner was just one calculated step toward that outcome.

Max stood up and cracked his neck lightly, the sound small but sharp in the quiet room, then placed the empty glass back on the table, every drop of water finished, before walking toward the bedroom, his expression already reset from reflection to action.

” I was wrong, you’re not humble at all. ”

Josefina said it the moment she saw him at the door, her tone was half amused, as she continued tucking in bundle after bundle of 100€ notes into the structured leather bag, stacking them tightly so the shape stayed clean, because earlier she had called his lifestyle humble, but the amount of cash spread across the bed told a different story entirely, the scale quiet but undeniable.

” These are for something else. You’ll know when you attend tonight’s dinner. After packing this, you can go home and get ready, or borrow clothes from Machina. ”

Max replied with a small smile, not explaining further, just moving past them toward the closet where he grabbed a towel, his plan already organized — quick shower, short study session, then dinner party — because preparation wasn’t only financial, it was mental too.

” She’s too tall. I’ll go back and change my clothes. ”

Josefina glanced at Machina, who stood tall at six foot three, her frame noticeably larger, and although Josefina herself was taller than average at five foot nine, the difference was clear, borrowing wouldn’t work without compromise.

” Alright. Come back here. We’ll go together. ”

Max nodded once without overthinking it, the coordination simple, then stepped into the bathroom, closing the door behind him as the sound of running water soon followed, the apartment shifting into preparation mode for the night ahead.

…

Max studied while speaking with Linn on the phone, his laptop open in front of him, notes spread neatly, pen resting between his fingers as he balanced academics and dinner party conversations at the same time.

Linn confirmed the dinner at Dallmayr and mentioned that his wife would attend as well, not just out of courtesy, but out of concern, because once she understood the scale of money and the name involved, her attention shifted from social to professional, and Max could hear it clearly in Linn’s tone, she wasn’t just coming to meet Finn’s friend.

’So, she also wants proof to get this man?

The thought formed as Max listened carefully, because Linn explained that Bronte had been on her radar before, but he was careful, never leaving direct evidence strong enough for her department to move legally, which made this situation different, since a large documented cash repayment in the presence of credible witnesses could expose patterns, behavior, leverage — something actionable.

Linn made it clear that she wasn’t attending as an officer, but as someone observing, gathering understanding, which meant tonight had shifted from simple witness gathering into something larger, and Max understood the weight of that immediately.

’Enemy of my enemy is my friend… but she was supposed to do me a favor when I asked for a witness.

Now it felt reversed, or maybe aligned, because instead of asking someone to risk involvement for him, the situation had drawn interest naturally, and for once the timing worked in his favor rather than against him.

’It feels like fate is on my side.

Max leaned back slightly after ending the call, eyes narrowing in quiet thought, not trusting luck, but recognizing alignment when he saw it, because when pressure, opportunity, and preparation met at the same point, that wasn’t coincidence — it was positioning finally paying off.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep