Master of his heart (Brielle and Max)

"King, if Max doesn't come back, I'll be heartbroken. And if you don't, it'll hurt just as much."

She reached out again, taking his hand firmly in hers.

"You might think you're nothing like him, but from where I'm standing, I can always spot something you both share."

Max's rebellious streak, King's solid reliability each seemed to carry a piece of the other within them.

Being with Max was a thrill, a rush from the very first glance.

And being with King? That was its own kind of joy. He was the one who picked up the pieces after the Haywood family left her shattered, warming her with his passion. But then, there was that wedge driven between them.

Frowning, she realized, yes, someone had stirred trouble, spreading rumors that the child had died.

King had even said it himself that the child was gone. But was it true?

Whose child was Isaac, really?novelbin

Her head pounded harder at the thought.

If King had truly loved her from the start, he wouldn't have fathered a child with another.

And his influence must have extended to Max, making it so easy to seduce him back in Beaconsfield. It had always puzzled her how swiftly she had succeeded. She massaged her temples, trying to focus on what mattered most.

Lying awake at night, Brielle couldn't find sleep. She stared at the ceiling until she was sure the person beside her was asleep, then whispered, "Max."

The man by her side opened his eyes instantly.

"Yeah?"

Max pulled her into an embrace.

"King won't talk about Isaac, but you wouldn't lie to me, right? Is Isaac... my child?"

Rising, Max switched on the lamp and indeed found moisture on the pillow.

Her memory was returning swiftly, and with Isaac's age as a clue, the pieces started falling into place.

He grabbed a tissue and gently dabbed her cheeks.

"Yes, he didn't tell you because he was worried it would be too much for you."

Brielle's tears fell even harder. She got up, intending to dash out, but Max caught her in time.

He knelt down, fetching her shoes and slowly slipping them on her feet.

"If you can't sleep, I'll walk with you. The kid needs us to be strong, and rushing over now would only scare him."

This cicada, she realized, was

actually pretty timid, especially

it

to matters of the

when

belongs to en. ont

Feeling defeated, Brielle sank back onto the bed.

Max had already put her shoes on and gently ruffled her hair.

"Let's get some fresh air, the flowers are blooming nicely."

Unable to sleep, Brielle took his hand and they descended the stairs together.

The garden lights were on, and she slowly walked hand in hand with him, feeling the warmth from his grasp.

Noir, waking up at some point, silently followed a few steps behind.

Max glanced at the Premier Palace

st

noticing a few more red lanternet

than last year. "This year is be lively," he thought.

Brielle, still a bit dazed, only found clarity in the warmth of his hand. "Brielle, are you cold?"

The early autumn nights were still brisk.

Shaking her head, her fingers interlaced with his.

"My head was hurting, but the cool air is helping."

Max smiled, squeezing her hand.

"Isaac must have accepted you deep down. Otherwise, he wouldn't have cried so bitterly when you were hurt."

His eyes had swollen from crying, asking several times a day when she would be discharged.

Brielle felt a warmth in her heart from his words, but her eyes welled up again.

"I've failed as a mother. I wasn't there to watch him grow, never changed his diapers, never fed him I've missed so much, and now he's already so big. It surprises me, and knowing he's as silent as youwere, it just breaks my heart."