Master of his heart (Brielle and Max)

Daisy's heart pounded so fiercely she could hardly believe how quickly her life had spiraled out of control. Even Alivia, whom she had vowed to protect, was left exposed because of her failure. Damn it!

She couldn't wrap her head around how Max could be so heartless. Even if he didn't have feelings for Alivia, after all these years, the least he could do was show some decency. Now, with all the vile comments online, how was Alivia supposed to face the world? Was she to become a recluse?

Daisy's lips trembled as she rasped, "I need to talk to him! If he keeps up this ruthless campaign against Alivia, I swear I'll spill that secret!"

A flicker of murderous intent crossed the man's eyes as he stepped closer. "Mrs. Winston, I think you're missing something. Max has no desire to compete with the Beaconsfields or any other family. He sees them as beneath him. The wealth he amassed on Wall Street has long surpassed the Dorsey family's legacy. Do you really think he fears losing his position as heir?"

Daisy was frozen in place, speechless. No one knew exactly how much wealth Max had accumulated during his Wall Street days. At sixteen, he orchestrated the largest acquisition the world had ever seen, and while everyone focused on his genius, few delved into his actual fortune.

Maybe it wasn't that no one tried to dig deeper, but rather that they found nothing. Was Max, at only sixteen or seventeen, already that formidable?

making her feel icy cold. She

She had

an exceptional girl like Alivia. Instead, he wasted

aside, her husband was pushing for a divorce - was it her fault she couldn't bear a child?

surely remember the years of care she had provided. Without her, Kenzo would have starved to death. They had warned her when they handed Kenzo off- the child would

and eyes full of resentment, she thought of Martha, who would never know the ironic twist her sacrifices had

was too much for her to bear She couldn't, she wouldn't look at it. Just a short while ago, she was confidently fielding interviews with the media, and now she

lip, silent in her anguish. Since her return, her phone hadn't stopped ringing; it seemed the whole industry was waiting to mock her downfall, with the media eager for a juicy story. Her eyes reddened with frustration, her chest trembling. Her lips bled from biting, her palms stained with blood. That morning, she had thought she'd marry Max as she had wished, only to be met with a cruel twist of fate.

had thought