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

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

smartest move. It bought her

Her phone fell to one side. She

prevailed as if all sound had vanished. Sweat beaded on her forehead, and with bloodied fingertips, she reached for her

"Max,"

next instant, the phone slipped further down, tumbling into

screen fade, blinking as

deep ravine left over from an old road. construction project. Going down there with her injuries would mean

breath and got to her feet, heading in a different direction. Though only superficially wounded, every movement

something sharp pressed against her back, and she

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

wasn't just Anniey

were searching above. Even if Brielle escaped

of the man she had narrowly escaped from

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

her