the moment, it seemed, he wasn't suspicious of her gender.
"Silent as the night, he is." Cleo joked, winking up at Max. "Robert found him and suggested I take him under my wing. Oh, you know how I'm a sucker for a handsome face."
Max didn't acknowledge Cleo's joke in the least. "He won't last long." He remarked. "I don't know why you bother hiring more of them anyway. I only have one, and he's enough to get the job done."
Cleo's smile faded slowly. "Now, Max. What have I told you about talking like you own those who work for you?" She shifted in her seat, stiffening her back and lifting her chin in the air. "You also know that I've been short on workers of late. I imagine you can figure out whose fault that it as well."
Max grinned at her comment. His twisted smile was excruciatingly hard to watch.
"Cleo, if you don't like the rules, don't play the game."
"I'm sure you would enjoy that." Cleo's voice was controlled, but there was biting quality to it. "I apologize, but I am a very busy woman. Someone with as much leisure time as you wouldn't understand, would you?"
As Cleo stood to face Max, Robert entered the room. Sophie didn't turn to look at him, though she felt his gaze on her.
"I guess it's time to leave." Max seemed amused by Cleo's rudeness. He began walking towards the living room door, and both Rylan and Gwyn stood while they watched him. The two had been siting quietly on the couch, nervously looking between Max and Cleo. They'd been introduced before Sophie had entered the room, and she'd forgotten their presence.
"It was good seeing you again." Cleo said caustically.
"I enjoyed meeting your recruits." Max's gaze hovered over Gwyn, Rylan, and Sophie. "We'll see how well they do." He reached out his hand to Rylan, who shook it quickly. Max then moved to Gwyn, but as he turned towards Sophie he paused. "You look familiar." He mused, his eyes turning cold.
Sophie's breath caught in her throat. Fear crept into her chest as panic began to take control. He couldn't' find out who she was...but the look in his eyes made her think he already had. There was something about Max that made her realize she couldn't fool him.
She tried to think of some kind of response, but her mind was frozen. All she could think about was not moving, and her fear clenched any reply she could've made.
Max's eyes narrowed as he watched her, the corners of his lips moving into a smile. He was about to speak when he was interrupted.
"He must remind you of me when I was younger." Robert broke in, stepping in front of Sophie so that Max could not see her. "If I remember correctly, I was just as quiet, though probably more handsome." Robert smiled at Max, and offered out his hand to say goodbye.
Max took it reluctantly, a flicker of suspicion in his eyes.
"You sure you won't consider joining me?" Max asked after a moment, as he walked towards the front door. Robert and Cleo followed after him, leaving Sophie standing frozen in the living room.
"Really, Max. Trying to recruit my best worker right in front of me?" Cleo's voice had returned to being friendly.
"I could use a guy like him. He's wasted here."
"Sorry." Robert said in the fake polite voice he'd used on Sophie the first time they'd met. "Cleo would be distraught without me."
"Don't regret that decision."
Sophie's head snapped around. Max's comment seemed laced with a threat.
"I won't." Robert's reply was just as determined.
A few minutes of tense silence followed, until the front door closed, signaling an end to Sophie's first test.
Rylan let out a long breath, sinking back down on to the couch. "That was..." He couldn't find the words to continue.
"I don't like him." Gwyn commented, more to Rylan than to Sophie. "When he stared at me, it felt like he was looking through me."
"Well, at least it didn't seem like he found out about Sophie." Rylan flashed her a
"Silent as the night, he is." Cleo joked, winking up at Max. "Robert found him and suggested I take him under my wing. Oh, you know how I'm a sucker for a handsome face."
Max didn't acknowledge Cleo's joke in the least. "He won't last long." He remarked. "I don't know why you bother hiring more of them anyway. I only have one, and he's enough to get the job done."
Cleo's smile faded slowly. "Now, Max. What have I told you about talking like you own those who work for you?" She shifted in her seat, stiffening her back and lifting her chin in the air. "You also know that I've been short on workers of late. I imagine you can figure out whose fault that it as well."
Max grinned at her comment. His twisted smile was excruciatingly hard to watch.
"Cleo, if you don't like the rules, don't play the game."
"I'm sure you would enjoy that." Cleo's voice was controlled, but there was biting quality to it. "I apologize, but I am a very busy woman. Someone with as much leisure time as you wouldn't understand, would you?"
As Cleo stood to face Max, Robert entered the room. Sophie didn't turn to look at him, though she felt his gaze on her.
"I guess it's time to leave." Max seemed amused by Cleo's rudeness. He began walking towards the living room door, and both Rylan and Gwyn stood while they watched him. The two had been siting quietly on the couch, nervously looking between Max and Cleo. They'd been introduced before Sophie had entered the room, and she'd forgotten their presence.
"It was good seeing you again." Cleo said caustically.
"I enjoyed meeting your recruits." Max's gaze hovered over Gwyn, Rylan, and Sophie. "We'll see how well they do." He reached out his hand to Rylan, who shook it quickly. Max then moved to Gwyn, but as he turned towards Sophie he paused. "You look familiar." He mused, his eyes turning cold.
Sophie's breath caught in her throat. Fear crept into her chest as panic began to take control. He couldn't' find out who she was...but the look in his eyes made her think he already had. There was something about Max that made her realize she couldn't fool him.
She tried to think of some kind of response, but her mind was frozen. All she could think about was not moving, and her fear clenched any reply she could've made.
Max's eyes narrowed as he watched her, the corners of his lips moving into a smile. He was about to speak when he was interrupted.
"He must remind you of me when I was younger." Robert broke in, stepping in front of Sophie so that Max could not see her. "If I remember correctly, I was just as quiet, though probably more handsome." Robert smiled at Max, and offered out his hand to say goodbye.
Max took it reluctantly, a flicker of suspicion in his eyes.
"You sure you won't consider joining me?" Max asked after a moment, as he walked towards the front door. Robert and Cleo followed after him, leaving Sophie standing frozen in the living room.
"Really, Max. Trying to recruit my best worker right in front of me?" Cleo's voice had returned to being friendly.
"I could use a guy like him. He's wasted here."
"Sorry." Robert said in the fake polite voice he'd used on Sophie the first time they'd met. "Cleo would be distraught without me."
"Don't regret that decision."
Sophie's head snapped around. Max's comment seemed laced with a threat.
"I won't." Robert's reply was just as determined.
A few minutes of tense silence followed, until the front door closed, signaling an end to Sophie's first test.
Rylan let out a long breath, sinking back down on to the couch. "That was..." He couldn't find the words to continue.
"I don't like him." Gwyn commented, more to Rylan than to Sophie. "When he stared at me, it felt like he was looking through me."
"Well, at least it didn't seem like he found out about Sophie." Rylan flashed her a
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