Master of his heart (Brielle and Max)

Chapter 1178

Irene often found herself mesmerized by his face, but she never reached out to touch him. Jaired, too, kept his distance. Between them was the lingering ghost of the tragically lost 001.

He watched as Irene descended into madness, her actions growing more erratic until she finally entangled herself with Kenzo. Jaired knew, from the night he learned the truth, that the Irene he once knew was gone; she had become a mere puppet.

In Kenzo, Irene found a kindred spirit, someone else willing to abandon their soul and become a marionette. Together, in their isolation, they found a twisted companionship. Kenzo, with his keen insight, saw right through her facade. They weren't heartless; they had simply agreed to embrace destruction.

So, they indulged in their final moments of pleasure, unopposed. Irene might have hesitated once, on the night she considered removing the switchblade from her wrist, pondering whether to stop her descent into chaos. But the next day, the blade was back on her wrist. She chose destruction because she couldn't forget 001. Kenzo, too, chose destruction, still yearning for Brielle.

In their mutual abandonment, they found an unexpected harmony. They played games, testing each other. Irene was grateful for Kenzo's presence; he was skilled, attractive, and a long-time acquaintance of Jaired's, which gave her the added satisfaction of irking Jaired. Kenzo, on the other hand, appreciated Irene, who, even as he made a deal with the devil and lost himself, aligned with his every thought. She didn't expose him even when she realized he had cut a piece of his own flesh.

When he hastily returned the blood-stained blade to her, she knew he couldn't bring himself to do it. Irene cleaned the blade in the dark room, sterilizing it over and over. She thought herself crazier than Kenzo. Kenzo couldn't kill Brielle, but she had personally killed 001. A hundred times. For ten years.

001's memory tormented her, leaving her trapped between humanity and specter. But now, the place that birthed this demon was to be destroyed. She had planted explosives, indifferent to whether it would trigger a landslide, only wanting to draw the attention of several nations. The indiscriminate military assault from these nations would ensure nothing remained, landslide or not. She was tired, so she embraced madness one last time.

light a cigarette, to continue her habit as the storm raged around her, lightning illuminating her tears. "Jaired, it's been ten years, and I still remember. Is destroying this place

voice hoarse with sorrow,

it is now. I don't want to leave; I want to stay

the shelter they sought from the rain

cigarette again, he knocked her out. Irene hadn't anticipated it,

guilt-ridden eyes,

guilt made him incapable of refusing any of Irene's commands, even if it meant killing

base's location to Max.

He needed Max's power to ensure that, even in

Jaired carried Irene away,

Kenzo who

couldn't hypnotize Brielle into loving him, he'd rather they both die. But instinctively, he tried to protect her from falling debris, only to feel his heart shatter when Brielle pushed

he not understand love? Why was