The cafeteria on the thirtieth floor looks lively when they arrive. Many employees now enjoy their lunch.
Josh helps them secure a table in the corner. When Aurora and the others settle in, a man’s voice can be heard from behind, calling her.
"Aurora, may I join you and Josh...?"
Hearing Max speak to her again after their last encounter in the campus cafeteria surprised her.
She thought this man would despise her after she made a random conclusion about his relationship with Beatrix Adams.
"Of course, Max. Co, take a seat," Aurora replied with a smile. Suddenly, her thoughts drifted to Danny, his brother.
"Yeah, join us here, Max!" David also smiled at him and gestured for him to sit beside him.
"Thanks," Max replied shortly before sitting next to David. He ignored Josh’s piercing look from across the table. Still, sothing weighed on his mind before he began eating his pasta.
Max gradually shifted his focus to Josh. "You also secured an internship here?" he inquired.
It’s hard for Max to believe that he saw David this morning and that David ntioned he would also begin his internship here.
Max rembers that only two were accepted: himself and Aurora. Yet now, he also sees that Josh got an internship spot at this company, making him wonder whether this program is exclusive. Why did they accept more people this year? Four interns, where they usually take only two.
Josh smiled through his eyes at Max before answering, "Yeah, they called a week ago..." He nonchalantly continued to eat and ignored Max’s confused look.
David rolled his eyes while suppressing a smile at Josh’s answer. He certainly knew who Josh was; he had co here solely to be Aurora’s bodyguard.
"Why are they suddenly calling many people this year? Do they need a lot of new people?" Max asked in an unamused voice, his gaze fixed on Aurora.
"I don’t know either," she said, shaking her head. "Yeah, perhaps they require many new, talented individuals," she responded nonchalantly.
Looking, Max appeared still curious. Hurriedly, David chid in.
"Man, how about the Ga Division? Is it interesting?" he asked, changing the subject, worried that this brilliant Max could guess why he also managed to get into this company.
"It’s just okay. I only handle a few basic aspects of their new ga project," Max explained, his tone lacking enthusiasm and sparking a hint of curiosity in Aurora.
"Are you having trouble there?" she asked, concerned that the old staff might make an intern like Max uncomfortable.
"Nope. But, it seems I..." Max didn’t continue his sentence; he simply shrugged and returned to eat lunch.
Max’s unfinished sentence piqued Aurora’s curiosity even further. She longed to ask him about it, but his expression showed he was no longer willing to talk.
Aurora put aside her curiosity, waiting for the right mont to ask him.
Soon after David and Josh finally left for the restroom, Aurora voiced her thoughts.
"Max, please let know if you’re struggling with the Ga Division. I might be able to help you..." she suggested.
Max hesitated to answer Aurora. He shook his head slowly, but his eyes revealed his restlessness.
She tried to convince him, saying, "Well, I can help you talk to Mr. Patrick Wallace. He is my ntor here and is also the IT Director at Stardust Tech."
Max’s eyes now reflected anxiety, further convincing Aurora that sothing was wrong with him.
She didn’t want to pressure him. Moreover, she senses a lack of closeness between them and fears that he might believe she still has feelings for him.
"Aurora, let’s talk!" Max said as he stood up from his seat. He gestured for Aurora to follow him while walking to the outdoor garden.
...
The cold wind hit them imdiately when they ca out of the building.
Aurora sensed that winter had co to this place. She hugged her arms across her chest, attempting to warm her cold hands while trailing Max at the park’s edge, taking in the view below.
"I apologize, Aurora. Are you feeling cold? Put this on..." Max looked at her in surprise. He attempted to remove his coat, but Aurora stopped him.
"It’s not necessary! I’m okay..." She refuses to accept his coat. "Please share what happened, Max. I’m worried that the senior staff in the Ga Division are picking on you."
Max adjusted his coat again, even though he was still concerned about seeing her look cold. "You’re mistaken... I’m okay there," he replied calmly.
Aurora doubts his answer, knowing such incidents often occur in companies. She is aware that the Stardust Group has encountered similar cases before.
"But your gaze says otherwise, Max. If you’re afraid they’ll trouble you, I promise you, I can help. Trust !"
Max chuckled while looking at the scenery ahead, avoiding her gaze. "No one can bother in the Ga Division. They all appear friendly to ."
"But why do you look uninterested? You were previously very excited about this internship program," Aurora said, still not believing him.
Max took a deep breath before turning to face Aurora. Their eyes locked for a mont before he finally revealed what had caused his lack of enthusiasm on the first day he set foot in this company.
"My goal in joining the internship program here is only one. To et soone. But after learning that person is no longer here, I’ve lost my motivation to continue this program."
Aurora furrowed her brow at Max’s vague words. "Sorry, I didn’t understand, Max... what do you an?" she questioned.
"I intend to withdraw from this program!"
She gasped in disbelief.
"What the hell are you thinking, Max? I know you love coding and programming. You’ve told how you want to be a world-class Ga Programming expert! And you’ve always said this place will help you achieve that dream! Why do you want to..."
Suddenly, sothing crossed Aurora’s mind. She swallowed silently, feeling a lump in her throat. "Wait, wait... You said that person is no longer here? Who?"
Max answered softly, "My friend..."
Aurora could see his eyes tremble and appear red. She knew exactly who Max referred to as a friend: herself!
"You an Aurora Moon?"
Max’s somber look suddenly shifted to one of shock. "How do you know that na?" he asked, his voice shaking.
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