Master of his heart (Brielle and Max)

Chapter 981

Dustin sat beside Brielle, his heart pounding as her eyes fluttered open, staring blankly at the ceiling. A spark of hope lit up his face. "Brielle! You're awake?!"

Brielle didn't respond, her gaze still fixed above, distant and unseeing. Worried, Dustin quickly called the doctor back for a thorough check-up.

Brielle lay there, like a doll devoid of spirit, letting the doctor do his work.

"Ms. Brielle seems to have regained consciousness. There doesn't appear to be any serious issues, but she might experience some eye discomfort, maybe a bit of stinging. She should avoid straining her eyes too much; they need rest," the doctor advised. Dustin nodded, his mind weighed down with concern as he saw the doctor out and then returned to the room.

Brielle sat propped up in bed, a pillow supporting her back. In front of her, the garden was in full bloom, each flower competing for attention, painting a scene as beautiful as any artwork.

But the flowers' shadows left no mark in her eyes; her vision was a blank, as if she saw nothing at all.

After a long pause, her eyelashes fluttered.

Dustin, sensing her distress, quickly took her hand.

"Are you hungry? Want something to eat? You've been asleep for a month."

Brielle didn't say a word, but she didn't pull her hand away either. It took a while for her mind to start working again, and when it did, her face went ghostly pale as she touched her flat belly. The life that had been growing there was gone. The fire had been real.

smoke, choking her, making her gasp for breath as she clutched at her collar

steadied her, gently patting her

It's okay, it's all in the

lost? Her heart ached, as if

subsided, her trembling fingers clutched a piece of Dustin's

"Max? Where is he?"

struggling with the truth. But there was

make it

contracted sharply. She forced a

was the first time she had called Dustin 'bro' to his face, but her hope was met with nothing but harsh

who once thought he could do anything, realized in the face of death just how powerless he was. If he could, he

laughter turned to silent tears, her world crumbling around her. Her child and Max,

indescribable; she couldn't tell which loss hurt more. The two

pain. She wanted to tear out her aching heart. Her body felt like it was no longer

back, he found himself at a loss for words. No one else was Brielle; no

Empty platitudes were useless.

child was now with Max. Tears streamed down her face, her lips bitten until they bled. Dustin, feeling her pain, quietly

next three

visit Brielle, but she remained curled up in bed, silent, refusing to eat anything. Even when Aubree tried