Master of his heart (Max and Brielle)

Alivia felt a pang of defiance but knew she had to back down.

Antonio had booked her a flight for tonight, setting her up to leave the country. Once she was safely abroad, she'd reveal Max's secret lineage. The Dorsey family might be powerful, but they wouldn't dare to snatch someone from Desiree's rehab center, would they? With a sneer, Alivia accepted Antonio's plan.

Inside the rehab center, Desiree, who should have been bedridden, was showing remarkable improvement over the last few days. Foods that once made her grimace were now being eagerly consumed as she cooperated with her doctors, much to everyone's relief. Burdened by her granddaughter's troubles, Desiree seemed to have had an epiphany, a newfound light twinkling in her eyes. Gone was her perpetual frown, replaced by a lively spirit as if she had taken some sort of miracle elixir.

After a thorough check-up, the doctors concluded that Desiree's illness was rooted in emotional distress, and now that her burdens seemed to be lifting, her health naturally improved. Stubbornly tight-lipped, she told everyone who asked that her granddaughter had appeared to her in a dream.

Desiree didn't rush back to the Lynch household; instead, she reached out to Dustin. As expected, his phone was off. Her eyes narrowed. In her dreams these past few nights, she kept hearing a young girl's voice saying, "So many people are trying to stop me from seeing you, I don't even know who they are."

Despite her advanced age and frail health, which should have made her susceptible to such shocks, those words filled her with an urgent desire to rise from her bed. She longed to bring her granddaughter home herself, but she knew she had to wait.

And wait she did, until a new nurse arrived at the rehab center, claiming to be assigned to Desiree's personal care. She was indeed lovely to look at and took meticulous care of Desiree.

Alivia had just one day to make an impression, as Antonio had made it clear that any new staff had to be personally approved by Desiree. Ife she failed to please, she'd be out before the day was up. Failing to secure her position would mean losing the Lynch family as a pillar of support, and her dreams of a triumphant return to confront Brielle would shatter.

Drawing on her past experience caring for Martha, Alivia pulled out all the stops to charm Desiree into laughter and smiles. As expected, she secured her place and even became a favored companion to Desiree.

But Alivia was young and naïve,

unaware that Desiree was skillfully extracting information with every casual chat. Where she came from. How

né

becom Suddenly decided to heard of the Lynch family bever

a nurse here. Had

Each question was posed with such warmth and friendliness that Alivia answered with perfect decorum, as if she had rehearsed a script.

Desiree, with a keen eye, latched onto a keyword-Beaconsfield. Her mouth curved into a smile, the wrinkles on her face bunching up with delight. "I knew I liked you the moment I saw you. Once I'm feeling better, we must take a trip to Beaconsfield together."

A flicker of disbelief crossed Alivia's eyes, quickly replaced by jubilation. Desiree had accepted her so readily! Did that mean she was about to become the little princess of the Lynch family? A cold smile passed through her eyes, but her face beamed with even more warmth.

"Desiree, it is my fortune to have your favor."

Leaving the rehab center, Alivia

hurriedly called Antonio, then took to

her social media back home to

reveal Max's secret heritage. Beaconsfield's social circles

momentarily fell silent, noboel

daring to be the first to openly gossip. After all, the story seemed far-fetched.

(Apologies for the delay; my family and I have been battling illness, and I'm still running a fever. I've fallen behind on updates but will catch up as soon as I'm well.)