Chapter 33

In the cold night air, Carmela was huddled on a park bench, staring at her phone.

 She had been rejected by dozens of companies that day, all of them citing some mysterious "conflict of interest" as their reason for turning her away. 

She knew it was Mr. Atom's doing, but she didn't know how to prove it. 

She felt like a prisoner in her own city, unable to move forward with her life because of the man who had hurt her so deeply. 

She wondered if she would ever be able to escape from his shadow.

As she sat there, lost in her thoughts, she noticed a figure approaching in the distance. As the person got closer, she realized it was Max. 

Her heart jumped into her throat, and she felt her pulse quicken. She wasn't sure if she was happy or scared to see him. 

He sat down on the bench next to her, and she turned to face him. 

"Hey," he said, his voice soft and hesitant.

She didn't know what to say, so she jus