If looks could kill

Max hesitated a bit, before he pulled Steve a bit to the side and said in soft voice, "Actually Mr. Branson, I have been wanting to talk to you about that. As you might know, Damian is still in surgery as well but the bodyguard has managed to get out of this with a few minor injuries and was able to tell me a bit of what went down. Is there any way that you can join me to hear what he has to say and discuss the best course of action? I have a plan in mind, but I don't want to act rashly and Mr. Stephens is currently in no shape to be handling this by himself."

Steve's face was looking cold and stern as he listened to what Max had to say, before he replied in a matching tone of voice, "I understand. I'll be right back. I need to have a quick word with Noah and Maria before I can leave." Max nodded and waited for Steve to return. He watched as Steve whispered something to Maria, who had found her way to where Noah was sitting in the time that Max and Steve were speaking. He then placed a kiss on her forehead and squeezed Noah's shoulder as an expression of comfort, after saying a few short words to him as well. Max wasn't much of a lipreader, but he guessed it was something like, "Stay strong my friend. I'm sure she will be fine. She is a fighter and fighters don't give up without a fight." At least that is how Noah and Steve talked to each other in his mind. And although the actual words were slightly different, the overall message was pretty close to what Max had made up in his mind.

Steve then returned to where Max was waiting for him and together they headed to the wing where the bodyguard was resting. The man appeared to be startled by the cold look on Steve's face when he saw him, not expecting this and expecting it at the same time. He had a very different image of Steve from their few interactions up till this point, and didn't think Steve had this side to him as well. That he had this type of cold, if-looks-could-kill type of expression in him. The Steve right now gave off a very different vibe and didn't match his usual self at all. He knew that Steve wouldn't appear at the hospital with his everyday happy-go-lucky expression after something like this had happened, but this was so different, that if he didn't know any better, he would think that it was a completely different person.

Fortunately the remaining steps that Steve and Max had to take to get to his bed, were enough for the bodyguard to recover from his initial shock and after the hairs on the back of his neck had gone down to their original position, he was ready to repeat to Steve what he had told Max moments before. When he finished telling Steve what had happened, Max told him what he thought and what he wanted to do.

"I just know that one way or another, it is all related to either Harold or Olivia." Considering no retaliation had taken place after what had happened at the courthouse, he was leaning more towards the second one. Although he had no proof of that and had no idea how or when Olivia could have done this, he saw these matters as things he didn't have YET. But knowing in which direction to look, he was sure he would find something soon. Something that would connect one of them to what had happened to Mrs. Stephens. His suspicions would be enough for Noah, and Max knew that any other day or in any other situation Noah would want him to look into it further, but since Noah was in no shape to give the go ahead, he relied on Steve to make the same decision his friend would have.

Steve patiently listened to both men speak and didn't say a word until they had said everything they had wanted to say, while his face maintained the cold, stern expression he had from the moment Max implied there was more to the story than a simple accident. After hearing everything, Steve agreed with Max and the bodyguard that what had happened tonight wasn't just an accident.

The way the crash had happened on the evening of this important event for I.E., and thus an important day for all the people responsible for Olivia and Harold's current situations, appeared a bit too coincidental. Especially when you take into account that out of all days, there happened to be a road block today on the road they were supposed to take, a road block that didn't appear to be there the day before and hadn't been announced in advance. And it just so happened, that on that same day, on the road they were forced to take as an alternative road, there happened to be a car coming from the side at the same time. Going so fast that neither Damian nor the driver of that car had time to respond and avoid the collision. How could all of that just be a coincidence? It couldn't be.

That there appeared to be foul play was certain. But in order to confirm that it was indeed foul play and find out who was responsible, someone had to talk to the police and the first responders who provided first aid to Laila and Damian. Someone had to look into the other car and the other passenger involved in all of this. And the best person for the job appeared to be Max under the current circumstances. A conclusion Max fully agreed with and one he had reached himself as well, hence why he had a plan ready and waiting to discuss with Steve once all noses were pointed in the same direction. That moment he had been waiting for, had now arrived.