Saving the Villain

"Hey!"

Maxen held his breath as soon as he raised his head after getting pulled into the car. The second he did, Luke already raised his chin arrogantly as he settled in his seat while the car sped away.

"What do you think you're doing?" Maxen inquired in disbelief as he processed what had just happened now.

"What I'm doing?" Luke scoffed and tapped his temple with his index mildly. "This young master here is being smart. That's what I am doing."

"What?"

"I need to make sure you will not go back to their house!" Luke exclaimed while looking at him in dismay. "Who knows what you will do? You can just change your mind and walk back to their house and asked them if you can stay over! I can't let that happen!"

Maxen's mouth opened and closed, but he was too flabbergasted at how his mind worked. He could only pinch the bridge of his nose before looking back at this spoiled brat.

"Are you always like this?" he asked in disbelief. "If you are so afraid of me going back there, why didn't stay then? It's not like staying is a problem with you."

"I don't want to annoy her too much."

"You don't want to annoy her, so you're bothering me?"

"I'm not bothering you! I am making sure you will not bother her!"

"You --" Maxen ground his teeth as his head throbbed. Would he even win against such a stubborn person? Clearly, Luke didn't know him, nor did he know his distant relationship with Cosette. It was not like Maxen wanted Luke to even know, but this person just do whatever he wanted.

Another deep exhale slipped past Maxen's lips and just nodded. "Stop." He peeked at the window and they were already far from the Blac's residence.

"You can drop me here. I will go home."

"No." Maxen balled his hand into a fist as he glared at Luke. The latter simply arched a brow, arms crossed.

"I need to make sure you will not go back there and bother her," Luke repeated with a nonchalant shrug. "I will take you home."

"No need."

"Well, if you don't want that, you can always jump because this car isn't stopping anytime soon."

"You..." Maxen felt his blood shoot up to his head before he exhaled sharply. Seeing Luke's indifferent expression, he knew this guy had already decided. This car won't stop even if he asked the driver to stop.

"Whatever!" he huffed and tossed his back against the leather seat, setting his eyes on the window. "Are all rich kids like this? Once they decided, that's it?"

"Huh?"

Maxen glanced at him and shook his head mildly. "Nevermind."

"Hey, I'm doing this for my peace of mind and I'm not denying that. But how can you act as if I am extorting you? If you think about it, I am helping you save a few pennies by giving you a ride home." Luke clicked his tongue as he glared at the person sitting on the other side while he was on the other. "Goodness. This guy... I don't understand why Cozie likes you so much."

As soon as Maxen heard Luke's last remarks, the vein on his temple protruded in anger as he set his piercing eyes back on him.

"I should be the one asking that. Why does she like a brat like you so much?" he retorted, making Luke's blood boil.

"What did you just say?" Luke scoffed. "Did you just call me a brat?!"

"Yes. A spoiled brat like you."

"And what do you think you are after calling me that? A poor brat?!"

"What?!"

"You're poor and a brat! What's there to like about you?!"

"You..."

Invisible fire blazed in the back passenger seat of the car as the two glared daggers at each other. Meanwhile, the poor driver in the front kept glancing at the rear mirror. He swallowed a mouthful of saliva before he discreetly pulled up the partition to give the 'lovers' some privacy.

"Spoiled brat." Maxen spat out before he looked away since he didn't want to resort to violence.

Luke clicked his tongue as he also looked away. "Cheap brat."

The two were smoldering in anger yet, they kept it to themselves. In Maxen's head, he didn't want to raise his fist and beat this guy to teach him a lesson. That would upset Cosette. Worse, it would put a strain on their friendship.

'This is probably his tactic,' he thought. 'Anger me until all I can see is red, so that girl will pity him.'

Meanwhile, Luke was grinding his teeth in anger but held it in. He kept telling himself this person was Cosette's dear friend.

'If we fight now, I'm certain his fat won't even save him. But Cozie will surely pity him and think I'm the one who initiates it. Damn it!' he grumbled internally, glaring daggers at the speeding cars on the highway. 'Did he think I enjoy spending another second with him? If only Cozie doesn't like him, I won't even bat him an eye. It's annoying!'

The two boys both kept their sentiments and traveled in silence. Since Luke didn't know Maxen's address, he simply dropped him off at the bus stop where he would usually get off. They didn't even speak a word to each other until they parted, but instead, glared daggers as the parting greeting.

*****

[ Blac Residence ]

"Papa, did you hear Luke transferred to my school?" Cosette broke the silence while she and Conrad were having snacks in the garden while she was doing her homework.

Conrad, who was sitting opposite the round table across from her, snapped his eyes from a document. Since Cosette was doing her homework, he thought he would also read a few documents he needed to review tonight.

"Yes," he answered after a few seconds as he set his eyes on her. "Maynard called me."

His expression turned sour as he remembered the abrupt call he received while he was working. He could still remember Maynard Quinn's evil laughter as he called him co-parent-in-law. Whenever Conrad remembers it, his blood still boils as he had the urge to mess with the Quinns.

How dare they seduce his daughter?!

"Oh..." Cosette rocked her head, unaware of the evil plan her father wanted to devise in his head.

"Why? Is he bothering you?" asked Conrad.

"No!" she shook her head almost immediately. "I'm just a bit surprised, but it's not like Luke is bothering me. Actually, I think it's a good thing he transferred."

Conrad arched a brow as he placed his hand that was holding the document on his lap. "It's a good thing?"

"Mhm. I mean, Luke and his big brother, Asher, always get compared. Since the people around them are the same circle of people, their comments are more harmful than what they actually thought," she explained as a matter of fact and then shrugged. "I'm not saying there wouldn't be any bad opinion about this transfer, but at the very least, Luke gets to breathe and have a time off from the pressure."

"Also, I think Luke will get along with our classmates well," she added and smiled, thinking Luke was actually very social and the crowd's favorite. "Their opinions will not matter if Luke gets a circle of friends who will like him for who he was and what he can do instead of pressuring him to be just as excellent as someone else. I hope this decision will make him happy since that is more important."

Conrad's eyes softened as he looked at her sweet smile. His anger towards the father and son was slowly quenched — or rather, it all shifted to Maynard since he was the one raising Luke.

"You make me proud, Cozie." Conrad sprawled his arm over the table and bent over to pat her head. He even flinched at his action slightly, but her smile made him relax as he ruffled her silky hair.

"Although, I'm concerned," she spoke while Conrad retracted his hand from her.

"Of?"

"Maxen and Luke," she answered almost immediately. "Max doesn't trust easily, and he gets easily annoyed — I blame all those people who wronged him. Meanwhile, Luke can be a little arrogant and insensitive. The two of them had already shown clear dislike towards each other and..."

"Cozie," called Conrad, stopping her sentiments. Her brows rose while he let out a shallow breath. "I know you mean well, and you want the two of them to get along. However, a bridge doesn't move just so people can cross it and reach the other end. The bridge is only there, and it's the people's choice whether to cross it or stay where they are."

"You're only the bridge. Hand them the decision if they will meet halfway or stay where they are," he added and smiled subtly. "Because at the end of the day, you cannot change or help anyone if they didn't want to change or help themselves."

Cosette pursed her lips as she looked at him in awe. She cupped her cheek and blinked twice.

"Papa, why haven't you dated yet?" she blurted out as she couldn't believe no woman had ever seduced this man who was almost the epitome of perfection. Her question, however, made him cough, as that was abrupt and unexpected.

Conrad looked away while clearing his throat. "I'm busy raising my daughter."

"Papa..." she chuckled as she studied his side profile. Although his answer made her happy, there was this inexplicable part of her that was afraid he would marry someone else. It was as if she wasn't ready yet and Cosette couldn't even understand this sentiment in her heart.

"Don't worry, I will take care of you in the future," she reassured with a smile while Conrad looked back at her and also smiled subtly.

"Don't get married for the next fifty years and you can do that."

"Hehe..."