Master of his heart (Brielle and Max)

Brielle’s eyes were rimmed with redness as she slumped into a seat, eventually leaning back on the sofa and drifting off to sleep.

When she awoke, it was already the next day, and her head throbbed with pain. Limping, she managed to make herself some food and tried contacting Max again, only to be greeted by the mechanical voice on the other end.

She had been blocked.

Brielle felt like a needle had been jabbed into her heart. She forced a self–mocking smile. Was this what they called reaping what you sow? It seemed Max really wanted to end things.

Deflated, Brielle put down her phone and stared blankly at the ceiling.

She spent the next three days at home in a daze, unable to muster the courage to reach out to him again.

On the morning of the third day, Aubree called, insisting that Brielle shouldn’t wallow at home. After freshening up, Brielle hailed a cab to the diner.

Aubree, upon seeing her, furrowed her brows with concern. “You’ve lost a ton of weight. Haven’t you been eating these past few days?”

Brielle managed a weak grin as she took a seat. “I did eat, but I didn’t really have an appetite.”

“I’ll come stay with you for a while, to take care of you.”

“No need, I can manage on my own.”

Brielle feared that if the conversation with Aubree went on any longer, she wouldn’t be able to keep herself from spilling everything about Max.

He had decided to go back to his high and mighty world, and she had no right to drag him down from his pedestal. He was meant to be untouchable, perched high above the rest.

Brielle never dared to expect more. After all, Max had never shown his feelings.clearly. Perhaps he had felt a flicker of affection, but it was too faint, easily discarded.

Constantly tiptoeing to reach another person was exhausting for anyone. Being left behind like this, oddly enough, felt like a relief. Better to have never owned than to always be in fear of losing.

She had always been such a pessimist when it came to love.

The meals had just arrived when Brielle heard her name being called. Looking up, she was surprised to see Miranda. It felt like an eternity since they had last met. These three days had felt like a long year.

Seeing Miranda’s face, Brielle was momentarily stunned, as if suddenly dragged back into the real world.

Miranda had been too preoccupied with the Haywood family affairs to join the ladies for their afternoon teas, as they were busy dealing with Lillian’s mess, with the police refusing to budge. Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Miranda couldn’t avoid today’s luncheon and was surprised to find Brielle there. Her chest felt like it was burning with fury as she approached. “Brielle, is that really you? How dare you show your face around here!”

Brielle frowned, feeling as if fate was playing a cruel joke on her.

The other well–to–do ladies following Miranda had also heard of Brielle and began to gossip.

“Isn’t this the daughter you raised? Why doesn’t she even greet you when she sees you?”

“So heartless. You might as well have raised a pet.”

These were the wives of CEOs who had dealings with the Haywood family, banding together to ostracize Brielle, the unwanted upstart. In their eyes, Brielle was a pitiful woman, abandoned by

her former fiancé.

Brielle couldn’t believe she couldn’t even have a peaceful meal with Aubree without being disturbed. She frowned and said, “Miranda, is there something you need?”

Miranda’s chest heaved with rage. How dare Brielle ask her if she needed something?

“Did you have something to do with Lillian’s situation? Accusations of hiring a hitman, really? You’re quite the storyteller, Brielle. Anyway, you seem fine to me, so let’s settle this privately. I’ll give you some money, and you can drop the charges.”

Brielle found it laughable, so much so that she actually laughed out loud. “Miranda, if you really are that free, maybe you should spend more time teaching your own daughter how to be at decent human being.”

That comment seemed to strike a nerve for Miranda, her eyes flashing with malice. “It’s all your fault! If you hadn’t interfered back then, why would we have taken you in? And how would Lillian have ended up suffering out there? She missed out on a good education because of you! You have a big responsibility for the way Lillian turned out!”

As Miranda finished speaking, the other high–society ladies chimed in with. their consolations. “Miranda, let it be. Why lower yourself to argue with a country bumpkin? Genetics is important. you know.”

“Exactly, like mother, like daughter. If the parents are bad seeds, the child will be too. reasoning with her.”

There’s no

They all began to tear Brielle down, from her hair to her toes, as if they couldn’t disparage her enough.