Master of his heart (Brielle and Max)

There was a smug satisfaction on the woman's face as she spoke about the Dorsey family.

Brielle finally took a good look at her. The woman's outfit screamed nouveau riche, and her husband was also decked out in designer gear from head to toe.

Brielle figured this so-called distant relative must be connected by a series of convoluted ties after all, the Dorsey family was in hot water these days. Anyone with a real claim to the Dorsey legacy would be busy tending to the old man, not wasting their breath in a small- town spat. But as tempers flared and it seemed like fists might fly, a new voice echoed from outside the hospital room.

"Stop it, what on earth are you doing?"

A middle-aged man in a suit approached, his scalp tingling with irritation when he recognized the troublemakers as his own kin.

Brielle's eyes welled with tears upon seeing the figure behind the man.

The middle-aged man turned, his face etched with respect.

"Mr. Dorsey, welcome to our hospital. Who might you be looking for?"

Before he could finish, Max strode confidently toward Brielle.

He placed his hands on Brielle's shoulders, checking her over to ensure she wasn't injured, and finally breathed a sigh of relief. Then, his piercing gaze darted toward the instigators.

The couple that had been sitting on the hospital bed stood up, cowed by his presence and too frightened to speak.

Max opened a bag on the table and set out some soup.

"Eat something first."

attention no longer on

to Brielle, heard Max's stern command,

remark was directed at everyone

knew a disaster when he saw one and quickly ordered the hospital staff to change all the sheets to freshly sanitized ones before he dared

the soup, wanting to ask Max what he'd been up to these past

his lips slightly pale, and patted her head soothingly before

was said on the other end

to his temple, his eyes resting

them off, I'll be there once I've sorted things

he faced Brielle, who couldn't bring herself to

she asked, looking up

"Just a scratch."

coughed again, continuing to rub at

speak, the

belly for a moment, a

had sent him a message that brought him rushing: she was

into unconsciousness,

a series of