Master of his heart (Brielle and Max)

And after Brielle was hung up on, she called back to find that Max had turned off his phone. With a frown etched on her face and worry that she might not see Mason again if she left, she decided to call Patrick.

At that moment, Patrick stood by Max, expecting a call from a business associate. When his phone rang, he glanced at the screen and saw Brielle’s name flashing. His gut reaction was to steal a glance at Max. Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Max sensed the shift in Patrick’s attention, his grip on the pen tightening as if he was about to snap it in half. “Brielle?” he asked, a hint of tension in his voice.

Patrick swallowed hard, “It’s Ms. Brielle. Probably about the land deal.”

“Answer it. Put it on speaker,” Max commanded.

Patrick had never felt such pressure just from picking up a phone call. Worried that Brielle might say something out of line, he took the lead with a professional tone, “Ms. Brielle, like I mentioned before, the land deal was all Mr. Dorsey’s doing. If you have thanks to give, you‘ should really direct it to him in person.”

Brielle

wasn’t calling about the land, and she was anxious about coming off as too eager with Max. To avoid any misinterpretation of her intentions, she played along with Patrick’s prompt. “Patrick, I should thank you as well. How about I treat you to dinner sometime?”

Patrick’s body tensed, his keen eyes catching Max’s clenched jaw, the pen nearly at its breaking point.

Wiping sweat from his brow, Patrick stuttered, “That’s really not necessary. I barely did anything.”

“Patrick, you’ve worked hard. Besides, there’s something else I need your help with.”

Brielle was a very clear–headed person. Since she knew that Max saw her only as a fling, she didn’t rush to plead with him. Moreover, he had just hung up on her. If Max didn’t care for her, she had no reason to fret over him. Matters of the heart were reciprocal, and playing a solo act was utterly pointless. She had played that act before with Spencer; she knew better than to stumble over the same stone twice.

“I need you to dig into Mason’s troubles with Dorsey International,” Brielle requested.

The weight on Patrick grew heavier, a wry smile on his face. “That might be difficult for me to look into. Perhaps you should ask-”

He was cut off by Brielle, “If you can’t find out, could Kenzo do it? He’s in good standing with Mr.

Dorsey, must have heard some rumors, right? O

It wasn’t a threat from Brielle, just a genuine question. Patrick felt like his hair was standing on end. Should he let Ms. Brielle turn to another man for help?

14:2

He quickly backtracked, “Actually, I can look into it. It just might take some time.”

Relief spread across Brielle’s face with a smile, “Alright, let me know when you have something.” She hadn’t asked about Max, and she ended the call with a clean break.

Patrick, hearing the call disconnect, didn’t dare meet Max’s gaze.

Max set down the pen, his laugh cold. “You two seem pretty chummy.”

Patrick hastened to clarify. “It’s mostly about the land deal. I’ve told Ms. Brielle it’s all thanks to

you, sir.”

“Hmph, I’m not bothered by that.” Max replied dismissively, though his expression grew darker.

Patrick wiped away the sweat again, thinking, “If you didn’t care, you probably wouldn’t have me put it on speakerphone.”

So much for not digging his own grave.

Standing there, Patrick felt an immense pressure, as if a mountain loomed overhead.

Max, feeling a sense of irritation himself, picked up a document from the side, trying to get lost in its contents. To think, all his efforts for her seemed to be in vain, while a simple update from Patrick earned her dinner invitation.

Ungrateful.

Why should he care? There was no need to get angry.