"Where are you, Francis?"
Francisco's response was unexpected.
"I'm lying in bed."
Max was bewildered.
"In bed? Aren't you coming here?" He asked.
Francisco remained silent for a moment.
Then, in a voice that was unsettlingly calm, Francisco revealed his disturbing instructions. "Push him anti-seizure drugs before tossing him in front of his boss's house."
"I know what to do now," Max replied.
"But are you okay, or are you with Emily now?"
"Do you think I will allow her to stay in my room?"
He tried to smile, a feeble attempt to lighten the mood, and cast a sidelong glance at Diana.
"Okay, I get this. But what happened? Are you hurt or something?"
However, Francisco's line abruptly went dead, leaving Max exasperated.
"Push the drugs on him," Max muttered with a resigned sigh.
Turning to Bruce, who remained restrained, Max knelt down in front of him.
"You are lucky, buddy, that Francis isn't in the mood to come here," Max remarked.
"Now what? Kill me now?" He taunted, his voice heavy with defiance.
Max's response was chillingly sinister. "No... no. We won't kill you. We will give you a tiny dosage to help you relax." A wicked grin crossed his face.
Bruce's eyes widened in terror as he processed the malevolent intent in Max's actions. He cried out in desperation, "What exactly are you trying to do?"
With every fiber of his being, Bruce shouted, "Stop it!"
Diana was quick, pushing an injection into his trembling form. Bruce let out a brief, gut-wrenching scream before slowly succumbing to the effects of the sedative, slipping into a deep and dreamless sleep.
With an expressionless face, Diana declared, "It's done."
Max gave them a command that was both chilling and unsettling. "Now throw him into James's house."
The men nodded in compliance, scooping up the unconscious Bruce with practiced ease.
Then Max noticed Diana making her exit from the room. His hand shot out, firmly grasping her waist. Diana's expression remained calm but curious as she turned to face him.
"What are you doing, Max?"
"Diana, why are you messing with my thoughts? Who was that doctor?"
Diana's eyes narrowed as she retorted, "Am I messing with your thoughts? Furthermore, you have no right to meddle in my personal affairs, Max."
Max's anger flared. He pushed Diana against the wall, and he asked, "Is it interfering?"
"Do you think I don't have the right to ask?"
Diana's struggle to maintain her composure was evident, and she fought to release his hold on her.
Max's grip tightened as he pushed back, his anger unabated.
"No, you don't have any rights," Diana yelled.
Max's anger swelled in response to Diana's defiance.
"I have rights over you."
In an impulsive, forceful act, Max captured Diana's lips in a heated kiss, his dominance asserting itself in the most primal way. Diana initially attempted to resist, but Max's overpowering hold compelled her to part her lips in reluctant submission.
However, the moment of passion was quickly shattered when Diana, driven to her limit, bit down on Max's tongue. He halted abruptly, though he refused to release his grip on her.
Their gazes locked.
Max murmured softly as he touched her slightly swollen mouth.
"I can't imagine you dating anyone."
Diana turned her face away from Max. In a calm yet resolute tone, she spoke, "Max, you have blood all over you. Don't touch me."
Max slowly released his grip on her waist. Diana began to dress and fix her hair.
Max couldn't help but voice the question that had been gnawing at him. He asked, his voice quiet, "Why are you torturing me like this?"
"You know what I want. If you can do it, I will come back into your life."
He was well aware of what Diana sought, but the path to change was not a straightforward one.
"What if I can't change myself?" Max's voice trembled with vulnerability. "Or do you think that if I do change, this world will let me do that easily?"
Diana paused, her hand on the doorknob. She turned to look at him one last time.
"Just try to change yourself once," Diana implored, her voice soft and filled with earnestness. "But you can't expect to be really good, Max. The world contains both bad and good things. You can't expect only good."
"Then why can't you accept me? Why do you want me to be good?"
"Because I want a healthy life, Max. I can't keep fearing for our lives every night."
"I..." She seemed to have something more to say. She hesitated and then stopped herself. She knew Max well enough to understand that he was unlikely to change, despite her wishes. What was the point of revealing her love when the gap between their desires seemed insurmountable?
Max leaned in, genuinely curious about what Diana had been about to say. "You... what?"
Diana locked her gaze with his; she did not really want to answer him. "I must leave. It's too late now."
His eyes fell to the ground as he tried to make sense of the abrupt departure she was insisting on.
"Do you have a night shift tonight?"
Diana nodded. "Yes," she replied.
"Then let's go," he offered.
But Diana, true to her independent nature, declined his offer. She replied with a stern face, "I can go alone."
She didn't want to be a bother, even as she maintained a steadfast front.
He took a step toward the door, ready to escort her, and said, "I am not that heartless to let a female leave alone at this hour."
Diana couldn't help but offer a light, mocking smile. "Oh, you can't let a female go off by herself at this hour, but you can traffic women so easily."
Max took a deep breath but found no words to reply to Diana's pointed comment.
Max walked out of the room without further response.
Diana, too, remained silent, lost in her thoughts as she prepared to leave. When she emerged from the building, she was taken aback to find Max sitting in the car, waiting for her. She gasped softly and climbed into the car.
Max started the car and began to drive in silence, taking Diana to the hospital.