Master of his heart (Brielle and Max)

Murray's neck was bulging with veins, and his forehead was slick with sweat. Brielle was genuinely worried that if he kept up this level of distress, the wound in his throat might get even worse. "Look, I advise you to cool it, pal, or that second chance at life you just snagged might slip right through your fingers."

But Murray clearly didn't give a hoot about his own life; he was even trying to rip open the bandages around his neck with his bare hands, eager to tear at the wound. Brielle's pupils narrowed, and she swiftly chopped the back of his neck. Murray passed out, and Brielle immediately called for a doctor.

She'd never seen anyone this hell-bent on self-destruction. Was he trying to rip open his own scar and bleed out? He cared nothing for his own life. Or maybe, because his sweetheart wanted him dead, he was obediently ready to give up his life. Brielle's eyes darkened. This kind of extreme love surely left a trail. This guy probably saw his partner as his entire world.

She got up and left the hospital room to speak with the doctor.

"I want to know where his clothes are. Was there anything in them?"

It was either something given to him by that woman, or something he kept for her.

"Ms. Brielle, his clothes were sent for cleaning. There weren't any peculiar items, just a few pieces of candy. They were water-damaged, so we disposed of them."

Candy? Brielle frowned. Just a few pieces of candy didn't give her much to work with. And judging by the man's current state of mind, he probably wouldn't be willing to share any information.

As she left the hospital, she unexpectedly bumped into Michael, who was accompanied by his butler, entering the hospital. Brielle was on her way out, and there was Michael, on his way in. The doorway was only so wide, leading to an inevitable encounter. Michael's palm rested on a cane, and he seemed fairly robust, just a bit under the weather. Brielle didn't think he looked sick, more likely someone else was ill. And for Michael to personally visit, it must be the Barnes family patriarch. "Brielle."

Michael spoke up, while his butler, carrying a fruit basket, practiced discretion.

"Michael."This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

Michael gave a wry chuckle, sizing her up.

"Heard you turned Stellar Stage Entertainment into a wholly-owned subsidiary. Not a bad move. Hanging around Max, that's part of the plan, isn't it?" "Michael, got proof?"

With a single retort, Brielle left Michael speechless. After all, it was just speculation. The overseas account that bought the shares at a low price was anonymous.

"If it wasn't you, why would you care so much about Stellar Stage Entertainment? You've got everyone wrapped around your finger."

"That might just be because I'm capable."

"You!"

Michael almost coughed in frustration. His chest heaved, eyes seething with contempt.

"Stay away from Max, Brielle. If I find you sniffing around him, I'll make you regret it. Don't push me to play my trump card."

With that, Michael shot her a chilly glance and walked on. Brielle stood there, silent. She had suspected Michael still had an ace up his sleeve, she just didn't know what it was.

And she hadn't asked Max directly if he knew his real identity; after all this time, he hadn't said a word, so he must have his reasons. Asking might disrupt his plans.

After getting into her car, Brielle still made her way to Stellar Stage Entertainment. She hadn't shown for days, but the company was running smoothly. Only when

asked Donny did she finden sol ne

out

someone had informed them she

was recuperating.

Besides Max, who else would it be? A warmth spread through Brielle's heart as she settled into her office chair. Seeing her return, Donny lit up, eager to speak.

"Mr. Haywood, we can't delay the matter with that male lead any longer. The director called me this morning asking if we'd secured our lead man. I barely managed to smooth things over and have been waiting for your return."

Brielle raised a hand to her temple, rubbing away the tension. She'd meant to meet that actor last time but then Martha's incident happened while she was buying a cake, and it

had been hanging ever since