Page 92 of Saddle and Bound

Max doesn't return the greeting. Small talk isn't his thing. He looks at me with his penetrating eyes and simply says: "It's all taken care of."

His words completely throw me off guard. As always. I stare at him for a few seconds, trying to process the information.

"What... what do you mean by 'all taken care of'?" I finally ask, confusion evident in my voice.

Max slightly raises an eyebrow, as if surprised by my question. "The problem with Rosie's resignation," he responds flatly. "I made some calls. The company will accept her resignation without issues and without a notice period."

I feel my jaw drop. "But... how did you do it? I mean, thank you, but..."

Max waves his hand, as if to dismiss my questions. "It doesn't matter how. It's done."

I look at him, a mixture of gratitude and unease stirring inside me. Max has always had this effect on me: on one hand, I'm grateful for his help; on the other, his way of doing things, so efficient and mysterious, makes me uncomfortable.

"Thank you," I finally say, not knowing what else to add.

Max nods briefly, as if he had just performed the most mundane of actions.

I'm not surprised that he doesn't ask questions or make jokes about me being in love. His silence is simply his quiet approval. If he had had any problems with Rosie, he would have pointed them out without hesitation.

He turns to leave, but something compels me to stop him.

"Max," I call out. He stops, turning slightly toward me. "Will you stay until the wedding?"

As always, Max responds enigmatically. "Maybe," he says, his flat tone betraying no emotion.

Yet, despite his vague response, I already know how it will end. Maria will ask him to stay, and he won't be able to say no to her. He never has. There's always been something special about the bond between Max and Maria, something none of us has ever fully understood.

"Maria will want you to stay," I say, more as a statement than a question.

For a moment, I think I see a flash of... something in his eyes. Affection? Resignation? It's hard to tell with Max.

"Probably," he responds, and for an instant, his mask of indifference seems to crack slightly.

I nod, knowing this is the closest thing to confirmation I'll get from him.

?

Max has just left, leaving me with a strange mixture of gratitude and perplexity. I'm still trying to process everything that happened when I hear quick footsteps approaching. I turn to see Rosie running towards me, her face lit up with a radiant smile.

Before I can say anything, she throws herself into my arms, holding me tight. "Alex! Alex!" she exclaims, her voice vibrating with joy. "You won't believe it!"

I hold her back, savoring the warmth of her body against mine. "What is it, princess?" I ask, though I already have an idea of what it might be.

Rosie pulls back slightly, looking into my eyes with an expression of pure happiness. "My boss accepted my resignation!" she says, almost jumping with excitement. "They found a qualified replacement who can take my position immediately. They don't need any training, so... they simply accepted! I can leave right away!"

I try to look surprised, but I know I'm not a good actor. My smile is genuine - I'm truly happy for her - but my eyes probably betray the fact that this isn't entirely unexpected news for me.

"That's fantastic news, Rosie!" I say, hugging her again.

Rosie pauses for a moment, studying my face. "Alex," she says slowly, "you don't seem very surprised."

I sigh, knowing I can't hide the truth from her. "Well..." I begin, searching for the right words. "I asked Max for some help with the situation. He just stopped by and told me he had taken care of everything."

Rosie's eyes widen. "Max?"

I sigh, knowing I need to explain better. "Yes, I had asked him for advice on how to handle this situation. I didn't expect him to resolve everything himself..."

As I speak, I notice a change in Rosie's expression. Her radiant smile vanishes, replaced by a mixture of emotions I can't fully decipher. She seems angry, hurt, perhaps even disappointed.

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