Master of his heart (Brielle and Max)

But now, someone had fished her out of those lonely times, brushed the dust from her heart and lit the lamp of this world. Max had no idea that sixteen-year-old Brielle's dream was to shine as brightly as he did at nineteen.

And she didn't plan on letting him know.

That fleeting heartbeat could remain in that summer that echoed with the cries of cranes and could never be returned to. Back at the Premier Palace, they had sex again.

Brielle was more excited than ever, taking initiative. With Max, she was devoured to the bone.

Exhausted, she couldn't curl a single fingertip, her voice hoarse as she pushed him away. "I have work tomorrow." "One last time."

"Mmm."

Brielle couldn't refuse him. She looked up and caught the intense meaning in his eyes, scorching hot, and she melted away.

So when she woke up the next day, it was already noon, and she felt as disassembled as a scarecrow after harvest, every bone sore.

She turned over, feeling as if her body was no longer hers to command.

Propping herself up to get out of bed, she couldn't help but reflect on whether she should continue to indulge Max like this.

After freshening up and heading downstairs, she felt weak even as she ate.

Max had already gone to work. He was always the earliest to leave.

Brielle finished eating, she saw Patrick walk in, handing her a phone. "Ms. Brielle, this is your new phone. Your old one had been compromised with spyware, likely hacked." Brielle thought she had heard

Hacked?

sake, you might want to think about who gave you that phone." Brielle took the new phone, which looked

curled on Patrick's face. "As long as you weren't intentionally dodging the CEO's calls, we're

"Not yet."

"Okay."

hurried off to Dorsey

was a gift from Aubree, but Aubree

someone

was another scene with Aubree and Ricardo. Outside, she spotted a car

as she entered the alley, she saw Andrew, standing like a guardian deity not far off. His post

from

sneered, "Mr. Clements, what brings you

her voice, Andrew stiffened, then slowly relaxed, "None of

a knife twist in his heart, his face paled, and he turned to glare at Brielle. Unphased, Brielle

hard, leaning against the wall, his lashes

Brielle entered,

these days? How do you have the

already moved

houses in the