Master of his heart (Brielle and Max)

When she saw the number dialing out, she froze for a moment but didn't hang up.

She recalled the spat she'd had with Max, their communication severed by someone else's doing. The text message that came through from Aubree wasn't really Aubree. Then, it meant someone had hijacked Aubree's phone. It's the top-tier hacker Patrick had mentioned.

It seemed she had wrongfully accused Andrew last time. Maybe Andrew had indeed infected her phone with a virus, but he hadn't tried to control it.

Brielle heard a voice on the other end, but it wasn't Max's - just a jumble of noises.

She was about to speak when she felt her car falter once more. She was a long way from Pearl Estate and even farther from the bustling city center.

She and Aubree had managed to avoid being sandwiched by two cars last time, but now one of her tires had blown, making a strange noise. If the car behind kept up the chase, she would be forced to stop sooner or later. She had to save herself.

At least until Max arrived, she had to save herself.

She floored the gas pedal and glanced in the rearview mirror. Only one car was in pursuit.

With an almost robotic decisiveness, Brielle stopped the car, abandoned it, grabbed her phone, and dashed into the dense woods nearby.

The stretch of road was well-landscaped, connecting to the largest mountain in Beaconsfield. Now, under the cover of night, she could use the foliage for cover, buying herself time.

breath forming

the car because there was just one vehicle chasing her. Since the driver hadn't rammed her yet, she surmised they were confident she wouldn't get away tonight. The certainty of those chasing her

the smartest

and she tumbled down the hillside. Her phone fell to one side. She

if all sound had vanished. Sweat beaded on her forehead, and with bloodied fingertips, she reached for her phone. Her eyes quivered, seeing

"Max,"

slipped further down, tumbling into

could only watch the light of the screen fade, blinking as the

phone now. It had fallen into a deep ravine left over from an old road. construction project. Going down there with her injuries would mean

a deep breath and got to her feet, heading in a different direction. Though only superficially wounded, every movement made her face turn pale with pain. She stopped to catch her breath, sweat streaming

against her back,

the air, tinged with regret. "Ms. Brielle, you're quite clever, but alas,

wasn't just

Dozens more were searching above. Even if Brielle escaped his grasp, she wouldn't get away from the hands of the Barnes

didn't move, recognizing the voice of the man she had narrowly

she had managed to slip away from him once, his demeanor had always been one of relaxed superiority, like a cat toying with

gleaming blade of a dagger had already pierced her clothing and was a second away