Master of his heart (Brielle and Max)

When Brielle and Aubree parted ways, dusk had already painted the sky in shades of fading gold.

Aubree had taken Brielle out to distract her mind, resulting in a haul of outfits and a trove of gleaming trinkets and baubles.

Aubree had always indulged her, so when Brielle returned to Pearl Estate, laden with bags from Hermès and Bulgari, she was too exhausted to utter a single word.

Still, the shadow Max cast lingered in her mind, an enigmatic silhouette spinning in her thoughts.

She splashed her face with water in the restroom, the events of the past few days throbbing in her head like needle pricks.

The identity of the person who had forged her past remained a mystery to her, a puzzle unsolved.

Without uncovering their identity, she felt an ominous plot was waiting for her just around the corner.

Aubree's presence during the day had kept her anxiety at bay, but with the arrival of night, sleep eluded her despite her weariness.

Rising from her bed, Brielle grabbed her car keys and drove straight to the old site of Sunflower Children's Home.

She had meant to visit after settling Mark's affairs, feeling certain secrets still lay hidden there.

In her dreams, the fire had seemed too random, as if it had been deliberately set with the intention of claiming her life.

of another child had

was

former orphanage. Though developers had bought the land, the building still stood untouched. She slipped in through a window and flicked on the lights. The past

deep breath, Brielle walked to the site of the old fire. It was still

to save costs. He

she began donating to the home, the old papers were stripped away and replaced by elegant wall coverings, leaving few aware of

to the new location, but Brielle had an inkling that something

rummaged through every cabinet until her gaze caught on a piece of peeling wallpaper, revealing an unfinished layer

she reached to smooth

uncovered a hidden door. Surprise flickered in her

at a time. She didn't have to

and in this cramped space of

from being frightened by such a sight in the dead of

corpses were old, a man and a woman,

handwriting belonged to the two, their final

dialed the authorities, then returned to scrutinize the wall scribbles. Time and moisture had blurred the words, and smoke blackened the walls, making them

in bold, clear strokes

"He stole my identity."

"I can't go on."

"I'm dying."