Master of his heart (Brielle and Max)

Chapter 311

“Max, how about we hit the town tonight to celebrate, eh? Alivia’s coming back soon, and since you’ve had your fill of Brielle, maybe it’s time to put a ring on Alivia? She’s been waiting for you for years.”

Engagement? The thought had never seriously crossed Max’s mind.

“If she’s getting engaged, it sure as heck won’t be to me.”

Andrew had been mid–sip of his water when Max dropped this bombshell. Andrew nearly choked on it. Everyone in Beaconsfield knew Alivia was holding out for Max, but now the man himself was saying she shouldn’t wait for him.

“Max, you’re not pulling my leg, are you? Don’t tell me you’re oblivious to Alivia’s crush on you.”

“I’ve made it clear before, I’m not into her.”

His tone was so firm it sent a chill through Andrew’s spine. If Alivia wasn’t in Max’s sights, who was?

The women who had circled Max in recent years, those under thirty at least, were pretty much Brielle and Alivia. Any other guy in Beaconsfield would be a fool to pass up Alivia for Brielle.

were

thoughts drifting back to the image of Max beneath the blaze of a high–rise inferno. His gaze was dark and inscrutable. “The Dorsey family and the Barnes clan are all looking forward to this merger of a marriage. If you turn it down, you could be messing with

couldn’t believe Max hadn’t considered this.

lift of his eyebrows, Max replied. “I’ve made my stance crystal clear to Alivia

love truly be? Max had never really fallen for Alivia, so he couldn’t fathom the depth of her

his opinions to himself, yet he couldn’t help but think he could smooth

Alivia a text. [Max

always been blunt with others, especially when it came to anything involving Max.

came swiftly. Her devotion to the subject was clear. [Wait till I’m back in town.

to probe further into the situation with Brielle, like whether there was anything truly going on between her and Max. But Alivia had already put herself

friends would

brother. If her brother said there was nothing to it,

destined to marry

shared these details to Alivia, just to keep Max from getting stuck with Brielle, but he also knew his boundaries. It wasn’t his place to spill Max’s secrets to Alivia.

in the