and OB. Max and Clare get engaged. OB tries to make Max see Clare's true self, however is unsuccessful. At their wedding, OB bursts in begging Max to rethink his engagement. Max hits him and vows never to speak to him again. After the wedding, Max tells her he wants to start a family. Clare fakes being pregnant and also a miscarriage and tells Max she cannot have children. After finding Clare and Warren Fox taking cocaine, Max decides to join them and takes some as well. This causes a heart attack which leads to Max having to go on medication. Clare begins to tamper with this medication in order to bring on a second heart attack. During a Christmas break at an isolated cottage, Max finds the tampered medication and realises the truth. On seeing Tom supposedly in an icy lake, Max jumps in after him, however Clare has tricked him and refuses to help. OB arrives, punches Clare, saves Max and struggles to revive him. Luckily, he does. Max apologises to OB over not believing him. After Clare threatens him, Max signs The Loft over to Clare. With their friendship back on track, Max and OB open a new business, a juice bar called MOBS. Clare is pushed over the balcony of The Loft and Max becomes one of five named suspects for her attempted murder. Tony and Dom give Max their alibi for the night. Clare returns from hospital and tells social services Max is hurting Tom. Max breaks into Clare's flat and threatens to kill her if she does not tell them she made everything up, which she does. Clare signs The Loft over to Warren Fox and is forced out of Hollyoaks. She also discovers Justin Burton pushed her over The Loft balcony. In revenge, Clare kidnaps Katy Fox. Warren, Justin and Max set off to find her. After a dangerous car chase, Clare's car goes over a quarry into water below. Warren and Justin jump in after Katy while Max attempts to save Clare. Clare is dragged underwater by a current and apparently drowns, however is revealed to have survived. Max tells Steph Dean of his guilt over letting Clare die and have a heart to heart, in which they appear to grow close. Steph begins helping Max look after Tom. The pair begin to fall for each other. After several failed attempts, Max