Master of his heart (Brielle and Max)

Her brow furrowed, but fear wasn't what gripped her. It was surprise. Surprise that this man would appear inside Premier Palace.

With all those guards outside, how on earth did he get in?

And if he meant to kill her, would it really be that easy? "Ahem, ahem, ahem."

The man coughed a few times before looking up at her.

She seemed to have lost weight, her clothes hanging loosely on her frame as if they might slip off any moment. Standing there, she looked almost swamped by the fabric.

Her eyes appeared unusually large, and as she looked at him, there was no trace of emotion-as if he couldn't stir any feeling within her.

"Waiting for Max?"

The man's voice was hoarse and strained, and it took a few coughs before he managed to speak.

Brielle didn't reply. She chose silence and started to head upstairs.

If he could kill her that easily, why bother resisting? Death didn't seem to scare her much.

""Hold it right there."

His voice turned stormy.

"What's the point in fooling yourself? Don't you know Max is dead? He perished in that blaze, not even ashes left behind."

Brielle's body went rigid. She must have misheard.

She turned around, her eyes wide with disbelief.

King rose slowly, his tone bitter.

"Are you so lost in your little world that you can't stand being without him?"

"Are you out of your mind?"

Brielle's tone went ice-cold as she gripped her cardigan tightly.

Max couldn't be dead. This guy had to be lying.Original from NôvelDrama.Org.

King stepped closer, reaching out as if to touch her hair.

Brielle recoiled in disgust, keeping a wary eye on him.

King's hand froze in mid-air before he withdrew it, looking defeated.

"It's my fault."

The words tumbled out unexpectedly, and Brielle had no clue what he meant.

King seemed just as surprised by his own words, as if he'd never apologized to anyone before.

But Brielle was already taking the stairs two at a time. As she reached her door, she saw the mask again.

The same aura, the same height.

She stepped back. Wasn't he just downstairs? How did he get up here so fast?

Was it an illusion?

She didn't dare look at the figure. Instead, she quickly unlocked her bedroom door and locked it behind her.

Sleep evaded her that night. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw those flames spreading and heard the relentless explosions.

"If I can't be with you, I wish for your life to be safe and smooth."

Who had said those words? Why did the mere memory of them bring tears to her eyes?

Tears streaked down Brielle's

cheeks as she curled up in bed, pulling the blanket over her head, pretending not to hear the knocking at her door.

Anyone would feel vulnerable after enduring such upheaval.

She had lost the love of her life and the child she had longed for. Her entire world had crumbled.

Brielle was indeed more fragile than ever, though she didn't realize it. After crying for a while, she heard the knocking grow louder, persistent as if it wouldn't stop until she answered. en

She threw back the blanket and saw morning sunlight streaming in; she had hidden under the covers all night.

The knocking persisted, and she couldn't tell if the knocks she heard last night were real or just a dream.

And King's sudden appearance was it real or just her mind playing tricks?

Her thoughts were in a tangled mess.

Slowly, she opened the door to

Wesley standing there, concern

etched on his face. He scanned.ne

from head to toe and finally sighed in relief.

"Ms. Brielle, time for breakfast."

Brielle felt drained but worried that skipping a meal would be too much for her body.

Sitting down in the breakfast nook, she noticed Myles wasn't there; only Ramey was at the table.

Ramey frowned but then shrugged.

"My cousin's always so mysterious. I have no idea where he goes. Like a bat, he's active at night and nowhere to be seen during the day."

Brielle felt a pang of disappointment. She had hoped to learn some secrets from Myles, but he was as elusive as a shadow.

Why had he appeared by her side?

She really couldn't understand.