CHAPTER 228: THE SECRET BEHIND THE NAME

Joe had tagged along with the girls instead of heading to the gym for training. Everything still felt raw. Jay’s death lingered on his mind like a shadow that wouldn’t fade. And on top of that, his personal training with Stephen always started after the other students had already left.

Most of the time, Stephen was pretty lazy when it came to leading the class. He usually asked Joe to take over the session anyway, so Joe preferred to waste the first couple of hours elsewhere before getting into the real training with Stephen one-on-one.

"Hey, you haven’t said anything about your drink," Sheri said, tilting her head. "Don’t you like it?"

"Oh, it’s great!" Joe replied, flashing a smile. "Honestly, I’m always amazed how often you bring these things for the group. You must’ve spent a fortune by now."

"Right? That’s what I said," Cindy added. "She’s bought us so many milk teas since we’ve known her. She probably owns shares in the company at this point, right?"

Sheri laughed nervously. Unlike Max, she didn’t use a fake name. But still, no one would expect someone who went to a public high school like hers to actually run a milk tea business.

Although she had mentioned it once or twice when people asked, most just assumed she meant her parents owned one of the local franchise stores, not that she actually owned the whole company herself.

At the same time, unlike the Stern family, who were well-known thanks to their unimaginable wealth, even though people knew about the Bubble Tea chain, they wouldn’t recognize who the actual owners were just by hearing the name.

"Anyway," Cindy said, sipping her drink, "if you want to break away from us, it’s fine. We know hanging out with three girls probably isn’t your ideal way to spend the evening."

"Ah, it’s not that," Joe said, sounding nervous. "I actually like hanging out with girls more than guys. It’s just... I’ve got a lot on my mind, that’s all."

The girls didn’t press him further. They figured he was thinking about Jay, because they were too. But none of them realized the real reason Joe seemed so distracted. They had no idea about the secret he’d just uncovered moments before.

Eventually, after hanging out with the group for a little while, Joe decided it was time to leave.

"I’ve gotta head to my training. I’ll see you all at school tomorrow. Stay safe, and stay on guard!" he said, giving them a wave as he jogged off.

The three girls waved back, watching him go. When they’d first started hanging around Joe, they’d found him kind of annoying, loud, awkward, always joking around. But over time, they’d come to enjoy his presence. Just like everyone else had.

Still, today, they all noticed he was quieter than usual, but no one could guess why.

As Joe walked toward the gym, he found himself nervously biting at his thumb. Soon, his walking turned into running. He needed to move.

I couldn’t stand being around them anymore, Joe thought. How the heck was I supposed to stay quiet?! With all their gossiping, how was I meant to keep a secret like this buried inside?!

When Joe finally made it to Stephen’s gym, he tried to distract himself with training. He needed to get his mind off things.

But in the middle of pad work, Stephen began tapping him lightly on the head with the pads, once, twice, then several more times.

Eventually, Stephen stopped.

"I can tell you’re not into this at all, Joe," Stephen said, lowering the pads. "Something’s weighing on your mind. I know it’s hard losing someone. None of us expected what happened to Jay."

He exhaled slowly.

"There are two ways you can deal with that kind of pain," he continued. "You can drown in it, or you can use it to drive you forward. I honestly thought you’d be the second kind."

Joe shook his head, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead.

"I am upset about Jay," he said, voice low. "I can’t stop thinking about him. But honestly, there’s something else... something eating away at me."

He paused, clenching his jaw.

"There’s a big secret gnawing at the back of my mind, and I can’t tell anyone!"

Stephen let out a long sigh. He wasn’t sure whether to feel relieved or frustrated. Joe’s tone made it sound like the issue wasn’t even grief, it was something else entirely.

"A secret, huh? Is this about school?" Stephen asked, trying to lighten the mood. "It’s not one of those situations where a girl you hang out with secretly likes someone, is it?" He laughed. "I remember those days in school."

He grinned, lost for a moment in nostalgia.

"We used to keep it hidden when two people started dating, but the secret always got out eventually. Still, if you’re trying to be a good friend by keeping it quiet, you can always tell me."

Those words hit something deep inside Joe. It made him snap. He couldn’t keep it in anymore.

"Have you ever thought there’s something strange about Max’s identity?" Joe asked.

"Strange? Well... of course," Stephen replied casually. "He always has a bodyguard. Somehow, he pays us huge amounts of money. And don’t forget, he funded all the renovations in this gym."

He crossed his arms.

"He even bought out, like, every gym in Birnhurst recently."

Joe’s mouth hung open.

He had thought the gym connections were just a coincidence, never once imagining that Max was behind it all.

"Wait... you’re telling me Max did all of that?" Joe asked. "I was the only idiot who didn’t figure this out?"

"I think so," Stephen said with a chuckle. "Why do you think he was encouraging all the students to join the gym network? I figured you at least knew he owned the merch. That’s why everything’s connected."

Joe shook his head, trying to piece it together.

"Right, right... but then, doesn’t that seem weird to you? If Max is capable of all this, then shouldn’t he be someone everyone knows about? I mean... just how much money does Max have?"

Stephen couldn’t lie, he was curious too. He had tried searching Max’s name online before, even uploaded a photo once or twice, but he found nothing. No matches. It was like Max didn’t exist.

"I figured it out the other day," Joe said, voice serious now. "When Jay was in the hospital, with everything going on... Max told me something."

Stephen waited, sensing something big.

"He said... he’s a member of the Stern family."

Stephen blinked.

"The Stern family? The Sterns?"

Joe nodded. "Yeah. The richest family in the whole country."