Master of his heart (Brielle and Max)

In this world, two people have left the deepest marks on King.

One is his mother, Simone, who shaped his understanding of the world and always reminded him to keep going, no matter what. The other is Brielle, who softened his once hard edges and taught him what it really means to respect someone.

Now, he's doing his best to heal Brielle, to offer her a greater sense of security, never imagining the scoundrel who once hurt his mother lurking in the shadows, waiting for the right moment.

Brielle returned to Premier Palace a couple of hours later, with Ricardo trailing behind. Ricardo, casually flicking a switchblade between his fingers, mentioned that the professor had been in touch and had even suggested taking Ms. Brielle to an orphanage today. He'd planned to follow through but had a change of heart midway. Going through with it would've meant there was no turning back.

Brielle had finally given him another option.

Avoiding Brielle's gaze, Ricardo walked in silence. Brielle, for her part, didn't say a word the entire way. When they entered Premier Palace, she quietly made her way to King's side, intertwining her fingers with his.

King got up, gripped her hand firmly, and led her outside. In Brielle's memory, Max's mother was Martha. Wasn't Martha supposed to be dead? Wasn't she in a convalescent home abroad?

But the information she was faced with now was overwhelmingly contradictory. Thinking too hard about it only gave her a headache, so she chose silence, staying by King's side. Sensing his bad mood, she silently held his hand, their fingers intertwined.

They walked to a cemetery in Beaconsfield, a place known for its expensive plots. By the time King arrived, someone was already waiting at the most costly grave, looking to him for directions.

a long pause, King blinked away the sting in his eyes. "Dig,"

to work, opening the grave. As the coffin lid was lifted, King remembered how he had secretly arranged this plot when he was too young to have much of the Dorsey family's resources. He didn't dare use their influence, so he quietly buried the person here

Max had

with the coffin opened,

feeling a surge of disgust. His sister's body had been taken right after the burial, something he hadn't known until now. The last photo the professor sent showed his sister as if she were merely sleeping, but the unmistakable pallor of death on her

former king of Saudi had later found out, perhaps all that was taken was a skeleton. What would

fingers trembled

men to cover the

then turned to embrace. Brielle. "I need to go to Saudi; you stay here at Premier Palace and wait

skipped a beat, and she hastily grabbed him. "I'm coming

help but realize how blind he'd been to her love for him. It was so evident, her emotions so raw during this period, that she could barely hide them, resorting to a cold facade as her

who was intimidated, because his care for her

signaling for everyone to leave them be. He then took off his

this, quickly

though he hadn't spoken a word, she didn't ask. She knew the person buried here wasn't Martha there must have

he loved her, he wouldn't lie to