"How is that possible? I never heard anything about you." Janet said with a visible shock on her face.

Max smiled looking at her expression. How could she know about it when not even her father was aware of it. His grandpa was a thorough man.

"Wait! Are you the neighborhood kid whom Lilly called brother?" Janet suddenly remembered something. Apparently, there was a person whom Lilly called brother in her neighborhood when she lived with her parents away from the House.

"No! He is my Big brother!" Lilly suddenly raised her head and screamed with tearful eyes. She was angry that nobody believed her when she said she had a brother. Even her mother and father just smiled when she asked them to help her prove.

Seeing Lilly highly wrapping her arms around his neck, Max sighed. He could feel her agitation. She must be afraid that he would be taken away.

"Lilly…" Janet looked at her. She could confirm that it was the same person that she talked about.

'Why does it have to be him?' Janet couldn't believe such coincidences existed.

Max looked at her and didn't feel the need to explain anything. It would become self-explanatory within a few minutes.

"Lilly, why don't you come here? We still have the game left…." Janet said as she raised her hands and looked at Lilly with a complicated look in her eyes. She felt that it wasn't a good idea for her to be attached with Max. Especially after the emergence of the rumors about her uncle and aunt.

She knew that sometimes emotions could just sway people. She had experienced it herself, even though she knew that Max wasn't in the wrong, could she admit that she didn't hate him at all?

No...definitely not...

The same could happen to Lilly, with bad things being talked about her uncle and aunt, it would sure affect people's outlook towards Lilly. And now, if this guy came out as her brother, that would be like adding oil to the flames.

Lilly looked at Janet, she knew that they were playing the game and she was having fun too...but…

"No, I won't leave brother!" She wouldn't let go off of Max.

Janet almost groaned feeling a headache.

"Why don't you come and join us here? Lilly can they play as well…" Lisa said as she patted the empty space by her side.

The couch was pretty big so it had a lot of space. It was 'L' shaped with two individual units allocated together.

Lilly looked at Max on hearing Lisa.

Max smiled at the little girl and spoke, "Let's go then…''

Max ignored everyone else and sat beside Lisa before making Lilly sit in his lap.

"Why didn't you tell me you had a sister? Don't you trust me?" Lisa said as she pinched Max's waist.

"When did I say that? It's just that you never asked.." Max replied as casually as if he didn't even feel her pinch.

Elly looked at Aria but Aria was as clueless as her. Why were these two acting so close? Janet knew that the two were close friends, but still, she found it hard to believe. It was almost impossible with Lisa's personality.

"Brother, who is she?" Lilly asked looking at Max. Even though Janet introduced them, she still wanted to know from her brother. Besides, it seemed that they were good friends.

"She is my friend, call her Sister Lisa…" Max said as he looked at Lilly.

"Oh! What a dependent big brother? You sure are different from last night….where is the person who was saying all those stuff..." Lisa whispered into his ear with a smirk on his face.

Max's face turned dark as he looked at her, "You are planning to take it to your grave? Didn't I say it was a joke…"

"What are you whispering about?" Aria couldn't keep looking any longer.

"How do you know him, Lisa?" Elly asked as he looked at Max.

"Did you forget where we met him?" Lisa asked.

"Yeah, but didn't you beat him up?" Elly asked, remembering the scene.

Both Aria and Janet were surprised. Max was strong, they knew very well, but she beat him? How was that possible?

"Of course, I did. He pushed you down and even fondled…." Lisa looked at Lilly and didn't say the next words. But everyone other than the little girl understood. "What did he expect me to do?"

Lisa threw a glance at him.

"That was an accident...so don't look at me like that.I am not a beast..." Max said as he looked at Aria.

"Why don't you help me out?" He then looked at Elly.

"It was an accident. At least it seemed that way to me." Elly replied calmly.

'That last part was unnecessary…' Max said inwardly.

"He then helped back then during the shopping mall incident as well….remember?" Lisa asked.

Elly nodded. She felt a bit convinced why Lisa befriended him.

"What incident?" Aria asked.

Lisa explained to her. She didn't even give thought to her father's words who clearly had told her not to tell anyone about it.

As they were talking, Max's eyes suddenly turned calm.

"They are finally here…" Max suddenly muttered.

"Who?" Lisa asked in a low voice as she looked at him.

"A few pests..." Max replied before looking at Lilly.

"Is it dangerous?" Lisa asked with a frown. If someone dared to attack here, either the person was insanely strong or it was these people themselves. She knew the situation after Victor's death.

"Don't worry...it's fine…"

He then smiled as he tapped her forehead. The next instant, Lilly's eyes closed as a wave of drowsiness rushed over her. She hasn't been in the best condition these days. So she instantly fell asleep.

Max kissed her forehead before laying her down on the couch.

The people couldn't hear them but it was obvious they were whispering something. Suddenly they saw Max laying Lilly down. She had fallen asleep.

Janet was surprised. She knew how tough it was to put Lilly to sleep these few days.

After that Max rose from his seat. "I will be outside, just call me when you are ready…"

Since Lilly was asleep, his presence wasn't needed.

But at this moment, Lisa grabbed his arm.

"What?" Max looked at her.

Lisa could see the smile on his face but still, she didn't think it was time to smile. She just couldn't understand the reason for his confidence.

Max knew that his grandpa would interfere if the situation went wrong. Moreover, he didn't think he would be that helpless to escape. He had many things which could be used as an element of surprise. After all, there was no way that they would send someone at the level of Grand Master or Supreme to chase him down.

"I will go with you…" Finally, Lisa made her decision and stood up. She decided that if things got dangerous, she would reveal that he was her soon-to-be husband. At that time, she would just see who dares to touch him.

"Where are you going?" Aria asked as she looked at Lisa.

"I want to talk to him in private…dont worry I won't take him..." Lisa replied with a smirk.

Elly looked at the situation, she felt something was missing. She couldn't understand just what happens to make them so close. And from the looks of it, Lisa still was thinking that Aria and Max were…..it meant that she wasn't going after him…

As Max and Lisa left, Janet finally spoke, "Those two sure are close."

Aria looked at their backs not understanding why she felt a bit irritated….

…

"What are you going to do if they start suspecting something?" Max asked. He knew that acting friendly wouldn't do anything. Besides, Janet knew about it so there wasn't any reason to hide that they knew each other. But her following him like this might give them some different thoughts.

"What are you talking about? If you don't do something, it will be even worse after a year...when I appear in front of then with an invitation to an engagement." Lisa replied.

"Then you want me to play a lover to ease the situation? Because I can't guarantee that I will be able to solve it within a year…" Max replied as they calmly walked towards the exit.

"No...I will feel bad for Aria…'' Lisa replied as she shook her head.

"Why?" Max asked in surprise.

"Doesn't she like you?" Lisa replied with a straight face.

"She does?" Max looked at her. He was doubtful of her words.

"Obviously…" Lisa replied, she knew that the two of them did that. And earlier after seeing how she was reacting, Lisa felt confident that Aria did.

"I don't think so.." Max couldn't imagine the barbarian liking him.

"You think I am lying?" Lisa looked at him.

"Did she say it to your face?" Max asked. He knew how much of an idiot she could be. Someone would say something and she would understand something else.

Lisa didn't reply. Max had told her not to ask about that girl and now she had investigated about it. But she couldn't tell that to him. He would definitely be angry. Besides, after all that she said to him for being shameless...wasn't she the same for investigating it.

"Yes, she said it..." Lisa decided to lie since she couldn't say the truth. Anyway, it didn't matter as long as the end result was the same.