Chapter 227: 2 Broke Girls  

520 Apartment. 

"Please, please, please…" 

Rachel clung to Adam, begging persistently. 

For a moment, Adam felt like he was looking at Sheldon and thought, What a shame. 

If Rachel were a guy, he could use some outrageous tactics—like making them parade around in drag—to scare them off. 

But unfortunately, she was a girl. Adam had plenty of ideas, but he could only keep them to himself. 

Otherwise, it wouldn't just be a prank; it would be straight-up harassment. 

Regardless, there was no way he was taking Rachel with him. 

After all, they were talking about Caroline Channing—the future best friend of Max

The two of them… 

Max had stared into the abyss and never feared hell. 

Caroline had fallen straight into hell and never lost sight of who she was. 

If 2 Broke Girls had ended the way it should have, they would've walked down the aisle together… 

Since meeting teenage Max, Adam had already decided to lead her down a completely different path. 

That way, Max would suffer far less and have a bright future. But this also meant her destined encounter with Caroline had been completely disrupted. 

Chandler once joked that his most daring experience was taking a walk around Brooklyn at night and making it back alive. 

That joke existed because Brooklyn, as a neighborhood with a high concentration of Black communities, was notoriously chaotic and dangerous. Getting mugged at night there was practically a standard procedure. 

Carrying a few bucks in cash in your wallet could sometimes save your life—because if you got robbed and had nothing on you, a frustrated mugger might just shoot you out of spite. 

Even the righteous Captain America was born in Brooklyn, and before enlisting, he was beaten up and robbed so often that he coined the classic line: 

"I can do this all day!" 

When Caroline Channing hit rock bottom in the future, she chose Brooklyn precisely because it was a place that Upper East Side elites would never set foot in. 

She didn't want her former friends, acquaintances, and socialites to witness her downfall. 

So, even knowing how dangerous it was, she still went there without hesitation. 

Thankfully, she knew better than to sleep on the streets. Otherwise, she wouldn't just get mugged—she'd disappear altogether. 

Smart as she was, she carried a taser and kept herself alert, sleeping on the subway where there was constant foot traffic—until Max took her in. 

If she had stayed out a few more days, even a taser wouldn't have been enough to fend off the criminals eyeing her. 

A tall, blonde bombshell dressed in designer brands? A walking jackpot. 

Now that everything had been thrown off track, if Adam didn't guide things carefully, Caroline and Max might never meet. 

That's why he wanted to make up for it—by creating an opportunity for them to cross paths. 

Right now, Caroline was still a princess. With an $800 million trust fund, she was more of a princess than any of those broke European royals. 

Without hardship, she probably wouldn't even spare Max a glance. 

But at least this would be a start. 

Knowing someone is always better than never meeting at all. 

As for whether they would truly become close? That was a different matter. 

Just because they were meant to be best friends didn't mean Max had to go through the same struggles, scraping by in Brooklyn. 

As long as they met and had some interactions, then one day, when Caroline lost everything, she might just knock on Max's door. 

She had already tried six places—six former best friends, boyfriends, and close acquaintances. 

Not a single one of them let her in. 

That was truly tragic. 

Adam was convinced that even if Max and Caroline didn't become best friends, if Max saw Caroline in that state, she wouldn't pretend not to hear the knocking, like the others did. 

And knowing how smart Caroline was, in desperate times, she might just remember Max—the kind-hearted, lovable girl who had shown her kindness. 

That's why, no matter how much Rachel begged, Adam wasn't going to agree. 

Even though he didn't want to admit that Rachel and Monica were right, the truth was, given Caroline's current status, she was indeed out of his reach. 

This opportunity was pure luck. 

If he missed it, finding another chance would be difficult. 

"Ahem!" 

Ross walked in and, upon seeing the scene, his eyes turned green with jealousy. 

He coughed awkwardly and forced a smile. "What's going on here?" 

"Perfect timing." 

Adam shoved Rachel toward Ross. "Here, take your girlfriend. Hold on to her." 

"Rachel!" 

Ross saw Rachel trying to pounce on Adam again and immediately grabbed her tightly. 

"What are you doing?!" he demanded. 

"I'm trying to go to Caroline Channing's debutante ball!" 

Rachel, unable to break free, turned to Ross with a pitiful look. 

"Help me convince Adam, please?" 

"It's just a debutante ball, is it really that big of a deal?" 

Ross was baffled. 

This was where the difference between men and women became obvious. 

Even though he understood the Channing name represented immense wealth, he couldn't care less about attending some coming-of-age party. 

"This is a real heiress's ball!" 

Rachel's eyes sparkled with longing. 

"It's the kind of event I've dreamed about my whole life! 

I've never had the chance to experience it—or even witness it. 

And now, when such a golden opportunity presents itself, Adam won't take me?!" 

"I'm taking Max." 

Adam reminded her, "She's my date." 

"I could be your date too!" 

Rachel protested. 

Adam frowned. 

She had a point. 

Given Max's insecurities, getting her to attend was already a challenge. 

If Rachel kept pushing, Max would probably just give in and refuse to go. 

That wasn't the outcome Adam wanted. 

"One Chanel bag." 

"What?" 

Everyone froze. 

"I really want to take Max." 

Adam smiled. 

"But if you help me convince her, I'll let you pick any Chanel bag you want. My treat." 

Given his relationship with Leonard, he technically should be taking Rachel. 

Leonard had helped him a lot, and this was the first time Rachel had ever asked for something so passionately. 

But Adam still wanted Max to go. 

Whether it was as compensation for Rachel or as a way to keep her from messing things up, if he could settle this with a designer bag, it was a price worth paying. 

At this moment, Adam finally understood why rich guys casually gifted women luxury handbags. 

Spending a few grand on a handbag? 

Adam had blown that much on a single fancy dinner before. 

It was basically skipping one meal. 

"A Chanel bag…" 

Rachel hesitated. 

One was a fantasy experience—an unforgettable, extravagant night. 

The other was long-term satisfaction—owning a piece of luxury. 

It was truly a tough choice. 

"Take the bag." 

Ross whispered. 

"Otherwise, you'll get nothing." 

As an outsider, he could tell Adam had made up his mind. 

There was no way he was taking Rachel. 

"Deal!" 

Rachel quickly accepted this unexpected gift. 

"Here's my credit card." 

Adam handed his card to her. 

"Max is your responsibility now. And as for the bag? Pick whatever you want and put it on my tab." 

"No problem!" 

Rachel took the card and kissed it. 

"Baby, did you miss Mommy?" 

Ross twitched. 

"Ahem! Rachel, don't you think that's a bit much?" 

"This is your fault!" 

Rachel glared at him. 

"If you hadn't egged me on three years ago and made me cut up all my cards, do you think I'd have gone three whole years without a proper shopping spree?!" 

Ross looked guilty. 

Back then, he had cheered the loudest—for very selfish reasons. 

Adam ignored them. 

Instead, he was already thinking about how Max and Caroline's first meeting would go… and how he should step in.