Master of his heart (Brielle and Max)

In the cozy, dimly lit booth, Brielle rubbed her temples, trying to clear her head. Dustin Lynch, after finishing his chat with the manager, closed the door behind him.

"Little Brie, if you're still into Max, why'd you break it off with him?" he asked, leaning casually against the polished mahogany bar.

Brielle sank into the plush sofa and recounted the whole saga involving the Fox family. Dustin's eyes narrowed as he listened, his voice taking on a more serious tone.

"So, you're saying you're neither a Haywood nor a Fox, and someone's been messing with your DNA tests?" he asked.

"Yeah. In my memories, a girl with the last name Monty died in a fire because of me. I owe her my life, so I can't let James get into trouble," Brielle explained.

Dustin reached out, gently tousling her hair and secretly winding a strand around his finger. "Little Brie, being cautious is smart, but to keep James safe, maybe you should think about sending them out of the country."

Brielle lowered her lashes. "It's not just about James. It could be Aubree or anyone from Stellar Stage Entertainment."

The more people she cared about, the more vulnerabilities she had. Was she supposed to break up every time she felt threatened? At the root of it all, she felt too weak.

Dustin's phone buzzed with a message, prompting a slight smirk. "I get it. Michael hates you so much that he'd use any leverage over you to hurt Max if he sees you two getting close."

has an ace up his sleeve

and Michael had watched the Barnes family empire fall without uttering a word. No one knew what he was plotting, and with Max's true identity being a mystery, Brielle's head was spinning with where to even begin the search. The

file could be swapped out? Completely erasing one person's data

does happen, both in North America and back home. Underground casinos deal in it, but the bosses rarely do such favors. It's called

family suspect something?" Brielle

be someone with no kin. No one to call them

someone close to you has switched identities, think about whether they're all alone in the world. Even if they're

swapped in childhood."

offering her a reassuring smile. "I've got some urgent stuff to

her mind racing

the weight of realization. Parentless, friendless,

she turned the corridor, a hand suddenly grasped her wrist

in Premier

behind her, her back against the cold wall, legs trembling. "Stop, Max," her voice broke, her mind foggy