Master of his heart (Brielle and Max)

Brielle stepped into the elevator. She couldn't feel any physical pain, only a sharp, unbearable agony radiating from her heart.

She even considered bending over to ease the pain clutching at her chest, but no matter what she did, she felt utterly powerless.

Her mind was a mess, and her legs felt as if they were filled with lead, each step a monumental effort.

She walked out numbly, and it wasn't until she reached the lobby that she pulled out her smartphone to call Patrick.

Patrick was in the midst of reaching out to Mark's relatives when he saw Brielle's incoming call. He hesitated to answer, knowing Max had said to keep this matter from Ms. Brielle for the time being.

Mark's ex-wife, the one who had left him a long time ago, was unreachable. No one knew where she had gone. So, Mark's body had been cremated in the meantime, but now there was no one to claim the ashes, leaving them temporarily stored at the hospital. When Patrick didn't answer, Brielle sent him a text message instead. [Mark has no other relatives. I'll take care of his funeral arrangements.]

Patrick's heart skipped a beat. Did Ms. Brielle find out?

He quickly called Max.

Max stood silently in the nursing home hallway upon hearing the news. After a long pause, his voice hoarse, he said, "Let her do it."

Patrick sent Brielle the address of where Mark's ashes

staff at West Hill Cemetery, intending to purchase a gravesite

plot for a child from the orphanage who perished in a fire. He wanted his resting place to be next to the little one's, perhaps to continue looking after

say something, but it was as if

cemetery for

had no close family,

place where Mark's ashes were stored and took the urn to West

stood numbly by until her gaze landed on the small smiling face on the nearby headstone. It was like

look at that smile because she was the reason the Fox family had all been sent to prison. The

to continue suffering in prison, she would probably start having nightmares from

right. Everyone who

and

to be coming to life, yet her heart felt as barren as winter, riddled

the Dorsey family, or even