Master of his heart (Brielle and Max)

Chapter 409

Tiffanie had her reasons for being so wary of Alivia, especially since she’d seen firsthand how Alivia tormented any woman who showed interest in Max.

Alivia was born with a silver spoon in her mouth, and her path as the darling of high society was set from the moment she drew her first breath. She was nothing like Tessa. The Rowland family hadn’t given Tessa much attention until recently, so she cherished her newfound influence all the more.

As for Alivia, she believed the world revolved around her, and Max was tailor–made to fit into her orbit. Still, her brand of arrogance was unlike most; at least to elders and peers, she lived up to the label “exceptional.”

Had Tiffanie not witnessed Alivia, in a fit of spite, crush the hand of a young, promising pianist with her stiletto heel, she might have been fooled into thinking Alivia was mild–mannered.

The pianist was touted as the next big thing, a veritable prodigy, but after that incident, her career was over, and she disappeared from the public eye. Everyone whispered about an accident, but Tiffanie knew it was sabotage.

Alivia was cold–hearted and a master of disguise, and Brielle was no match for her.

Despite Tiffanie’s warnings, it was too late. Alivia had already removed her rosary, a clear sign. she knew about the missing one from Max’s wrist. It was evident she’d come back to square things up with Brielle.

“Tiffanie, thank you,” Brielle said, her voice tinged with gratitude.

The corners of Tiffanie’s mouth turned up in a small smile. “Don’t mention it. Just remember,

I’ve always got your back.”

but probe. “How are things

There was

forced laugh. “You don’t seriously think we’re an item,

puzzled by her response. Weren’t they

Please, I’ll probably move on

to hide her affections; her crushes were as blatant as billboards. Now she spoke of non–commitment. leaving Brielle at a

Brielle’s confusion and sighed. “I tried, you know. But I

I can’t learn to love in the way most people do. I need something more… universal. Not the ‘you’re the only one for me‘ kind

1257

Chapter 409

to care for someone while equally capable of caring for others, just with a bit more passion for one person. But love, unlike

who had truly experienced love? None of them. The capacity to love

genuine, but her genuineness didn’t equate to faithfulness. In fact, it could be profoundly

couple–dining out, watching movies–yet emotionally hollow from Tiffanie’s perspective. Her

was a yearning for intimacy, but her verbal

1. it.

dating, she found a balance between longing and

this was not love; it was an imitation of it–a superficial intimacy crafted by Tiffanie to stave off loneliness and shield herself