Master of his heart (Brielle and Max)

Aubree noticed Brielle deep in thought and couldn't help but break the silence.

"Did you even let Mr. Dorsey know you were leaving? Did you just sneak out of the hospital?"

Brielle's eyelashes flickered, her lips pressed into a tight line, and she took a sip of water to mask her discomfort.

After all, she couldn't go against her feelings again, couldn't say something that would hurt him. That would be more painful than a knife to her own heart. Better to be a coward, at least for now.

In less than two minutes, she had pieced together all the clues. Max, to avoid any entanglement with the Barnes family, had orchestrated the release of two bombshell pieces of news. This meant Max had been aware of Alivia and Kenzo's true identities all along and almost certainly knew that he wasn't a Dorsey by blood. But the years of care from Martha were undeniable. Besides, Victoria had mentioned that there had been a time when Martha had doctors visiting Max repeatedly, so whatever Max had endured during that period remained a mystery. It was understandable that, in recognition of those years of companionship, Max had arranged for Martha to be looked after in a nursing home as a form of repayment.

Brielle's fingers tightened. Did Max know his true identity? Or did Michael know Max's real lineage? If he did, why would he let Max assume the position of heir to the Dorsey family? If not, what would Max face when the truth came out?

Too many puzzles. Brielle pulled out her phone and first dialed Kenzo's number. Among Max's circle, Kenzo seemed the most approachable. Maybe he knew something. Kenzo's phone was off. Brielle frowned. Senior Jin must have holed up somewhere to focus on his scriptwriting, oblivious to the brewing storm. She set the phone down, and Aubree, having ordered her some takeout, reminded her they had a scene to shoot later before she left.

the headache making it impossible to think. She opened a drawer and swallowed a painkiller. She had intended to drive to the casino, but halfway there, Dustin's call came through. With Alivia, the youngest Mark, in trouble and Infinity Brilliance as an investor

hesitated because of his grandmother's predicament. Now

the address by five in the evening. She found the private booth and pushed the door open.

Brie, come

"Mr. Lynch."

but the scent of spirits clung to him-he'd clearly just come from some social obligation. He rubbed his temples. "I've barely been

heard the institute poured a lot of

buttons for comfort. "Losing money is the least of my worries. It's just that I don't have

your grandmother? Is it

eyes as he