Master of his heart (Max and Brielle)

Michael's lips curled into a cold, mocking smirk as he heard the words he'd been waiting for. "Really? Then let's see if she likes you enough."

Leaning on his cane, he made his way slowly out of the corridor. His eyes were a stormy sea of dark thoughts, as if he could already foresee the grim fate awaiting this pair. The human heart is a curious beast, spinning webs of deceit without a single spider in sight. Bathed in sunlight, it could shroud itself in a darkness of its own making.

He figured Max's heart was already caught in this web, spiraling into the shadows. Just a little longer, and Brielle's true, hideous nature would come to light.

After Michael left, Max remained seated alone, his face a mask of bone-deep indifference and weariness.

The doctor emerged from the ICU, removing his mask upon seeing Max. "Her stats are stable for now, but I'm afraid Ms. Martha has lost all sensation in her limbs. I'm terribly sorry." Max rubbed his temples, a gesture of fatigue more than concern.

"You haven't rested in days. Now that her vitals are stable, why don't you take a break?" The doctor's gaze shifted to a point just beyond Max, a smile playing on his lips. "Ms. Alivia, please take Max to rest. You should also ensure you're getting enough sleep. Ms. Martha will want to see you as soon as she wakes up."

For reasons unknown, Martha seemed eager to see Alivia, more so than even her son, Max. This worked in Alivia's favor. The more Martha favored her, the less suspicion she would face when Martha passed.

Suppressing her glee, Alivia approached Max. "Let's get some rest, Max. If you're uncomfortable here, you could head back to Premier Palace."

The doctor chimed in, "If anything changes, we'll notify you immediately."

Alivia joined in, "Let's go, Max."

Max didn't refuse. His presence here served no purpose. He headed to his car, only to notice Alivia's vehicle was nowhere in sight.

"Max, can you give me a ride? I told my driver I wouldn't need him since I wasn't planning to go back home today."

With the request laid out, Max barely frowned before opening the car door for her.

Once Alivia was buckled in the passenger seat, Max felt a twinge of discomfort. Patrick was off delivering food to Brielle, and now he found himself playing chauffeur.

As Max pressed the accelerator, the car drifted away from the hospital.

Meanwhile...

Brielle was at Pearl Estate, about to whip up something to eat, when the doorbell rang. She opened it to find Patrick, arms laden with takeout containers.

He also produced a bottle of antacids. "Mr. Max insisted I get these for you. He wants you to remember to eat and take care of yourself, Ms. Brielle."

Brielle was at a loss for words. Max

was so good to her, but she knew her upcoming actions would disappoint him. The mere thought of his dejected face sent sharp pains through her heart.

However, if she didn't save James, could she really stand by and watch an innocent man suffer for a crime he didn't commit?

After Patrick left, Brielle ate without

tasting a thing. She was about to clean up when her phone rang - it was Ricardo informing her that. Aubree had been injured, and he texted her the hospital location.

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Panicked, Brielle didn't ask for details and rushed to the hospital.

There, she found Aubree, getting her hand bandaged, and Andrew, trembling like a leaf outside in the corridor, his clothes stained with blood- a testament to his being the first to rush to Aubree's aid.