The answer had finally been revealed to Max, they had been keeping his money hostage.
With the threat to someone he cared about looming over his head, depending on how much the original Max truly cared for this person, it was no wonder he never touched the money.
After all, this was a kid who had no one, who had already lost his entire family. Maximus knew exactly what that felt like, he had gone through the same thing.
The White Tiger Gang and the people around him had been the light he built for himself. Maybe, for the original Max, this Abby girl had been his light.
And more than that, Max knew the answer to Sheri's question better than she might have known herself.
"How easy is it to get rid of someone with the kind of wealth the Stern family has?" The answer: very easy.
The White Tiger Gang never took hit jobs. Sure, they handled intimidation, broken bones, or did what needed to be done when necessary. But assassinations, killing someone just because a client asked, was a messy business that brought too much heat. Still, Max knew of special groups out there, ones who would take that kind of job without a second thought.
And with the kind of wealth the Stern family possessed, eliminating someone wouldn't even register as a noticeable expense.
"From what you told me," Sheri continued, "they were the ones who forced you to come to this school. Apparently, you knew Abby from some online game the two of you used to play.
"They found out, and they wanted you to witness firsthand the kind of mess this school was. To see what could happen to her if you ever tried to use the money. You were forced to live this life because of that threat."
There was now a clear question at the forefront of Max's mind, one he needed an answer to.
"Who was it?" Max asked. "Who told me not to use the money? It's obvious it was one of the others… one of my family members."
"They're the only ones who know I have access to those funds. And they're the only ones who wouldn't want me to use them, because using that money would take me out of this ridiculous race. So which one of them was it?"
But there were still more questions swirling around in Max's mind. Why did they see him as a threat? Maybe it wasn't even personal, maybe someone simply wanted to increase their odds. In a competition like this, taking out just one person could shift the balance. And this? This was the quickest way to do it.
But they had even gone as far as making sure he ended up in the hospital, possibly even wanting him dead.
"I don't know…" Sheri answered, her head lowered. "You would never tell me, no matter how many times I asked. But it's clear… it's someone else from your family."
This damned kid! Max thought angrily. He's not making it easy to figure out who I should avoid and who I shouldn't, but thanks to Sheri, I'm getting a clearer picture.
Max had been unable to use the money because the threat was coming from his own family, a member who had access to the same resources and power he did.
If he had hired security or personnel to protect Abby, they could have just hired someone else to attack her. Even with the trick he had pulled with the principal, it was something another family member could have easily done too.
Alone in that situation, it would have been far too much for any kid to shoulder. That's likely why the real Max had decided it was better not to use the money at all.
Dipter… he's the one everything is funneling toward. If I can get to him, I'll finally get my answers.
Because of the way I've used the money, I doubt the family even knows I've touched it, which is good… but confirming that someone from my own family is after my life, that's not exactly a comforting thought.
"Thank you for telling me everything," Max said as he headed toward the door. "It's been bothering me for a long time, and I think I've finally cleared my head."
"Wait, Max!" Sheri called out, grabbing hold of his forearm. "What are you going to do? After what you did today… I'm scared. They might not even care that you've used the money."
Max smiled.
"Then the answer is simple, isn't it? The threat in this school is Dipter. So, I get rid of him. If he's gone, the problem's gone. And as long as I do it with my own hands, it shouldn't attract too much attention."
Sheri's grip tightened as she heard Max's answer. She had seen how he fought, but Dipter and his gang of delinquents were too much for any one person to handle. And there was still another looming concern.
"And what about Abby?" she asked. "Even if you manage to take them down… what if they use her against you, to make you stop?"
Max then shook his arm, forcing Sheri to let go of him. It was a rough motion, enough to make her step back in surprise.
"Abby is not someone I know," Max said coldly. "She's not my problem to deal with."
"WHAT?!" Sheri shouted, stunned. "We're talking about Abby! You constantly talked about her! She was the reason why I... the reason why I called off our engagement!"
Her voice trembled as she went on. "I knew you had feelings for her. The way you endured everything, never once touching the money, it was the one trait I actually admired about you.
"I know you care about that girl. I know you'd do anything for her."
Max turned back toward her as he placed his hand on the door handle. He opened it slowly, pausing just enough to glance back at her over his shoulder.
"That... wasn't me who cared about her."
****
Inside the principal's office, a private meeting was taking place. Seated comfortably in the principal's chair with his legs propped up on the desk was none other than Dipter.
Standing nervously off to the side, sweating and tense, was the actual principal himself.
"Are you stupid, old man?" Dipter said, his voice sharp with irritation. "You decided to sweep all of this under the rug? For the sake of your job? Pretend none of it happened?"
"Do you even understand the situation you're in?" Dipter said, his tone sharp and mocking. "It's not just about the money I've been bringing you, or your job. Principal, you're now a hardened criminal."
"You can't just take bribes from a student and turn a blind eye to everything that happens here. If anyone finds out what you've done, you're not just getting fired, you're going to prison. And trust me, I'm sure I could dig up plenty of other things on you too."
Without hesitation, Dipter pressed the end of his cigarette right onto the principal's polished desk, leaving a blackened burn mark.
"But don't worry," Dipter said casually. "It seems I was wrong about what they really wanted for him."
He leaned back with a grin. "Turns out, the best move is to keep him in this school. That way, we can monitor him... control him."
"I actually came here to give you that update. If we can't get him sent to juvie, then don't expel him. Let him stay."
Just then, Dipter's phone buzzed in his pocket. He took it out and glanced at the screen.
"Oh, look at that, our client's calling," he said with a smirk, answering the phone.