Max had known the Stern family was a dangerous collective from the moment he first drew breath in this new body. Waking up from a near-death experience only to be immediately targeted by an assassin was a clear indicator that someone wanted the job finished.
However, Marsha Stern was a relative Max had barely interacted with. She wasn't like Karen, whose resentment was a loud, physical thing that manifested in insults and petty power plays at every opportunity. If anything, out of all the Sterns, Marsha had always seemed like the most mature and composed member of the family, but Max was beginning to realize that her maturity might simply be a mask for a more calculated brand of ruthlessness.
'Is everything Donto said true? Or is he just desperately trying to divert my attention away from his father?' Max mused. 'No, Donto has no idea what I'm actually capable of or what my true endgame is. He thinks this is a family squabble.'
