Master of his heart (Brielle and Max)

On the other side of town, Brielle had just stepped out of the clinic when she spotted a man in a mask standing outside as the yawning doctor was about to lock up for the night. The sight startled her, and she almost screamed at the unexpected figure on a late evening. But before she could make a sound, a bundle of cash was tossed her way. "How is she?" he asked, his voice carrying a mix of concern and indifference.

The doctor took a step back, belatedly picking up the money off the floor. A quick count revealed a whopping five thousand dollars, making her eyes light up with greed. "That lady's pregnant," she said.

As soon as the words left her mouth, she felt a chilling surge of murderous intent that made her hands tremble, spilling the money back onto the floor.

The man wasn't looking to harm her, though; he just stood there silently.

"Pregnant?" he repeated.

"Yes, a little over a month. I told her to rest; she's not in the best of health."

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The doctor felt a tingling on her scalp, trembling and not daring to look at him. The air turned heavy, as if something were desperately holding back, ready to shatter the silence.

After a while, when the doctor looked up, the man was gone. If not for the scattered bills on the ground, she might have thought it was all just her imagination. She quickly gathered up the cash, stuffed it in her pocket, and couldn't lock the door fast enough.

Brielle's ride was moving at a snail's pace, so much so that dawn was breaking and they had yet to reach their destination.

Patrick had texted her, saying he'd found the village where Dustin was, but that Dustin had gone to the town to sell herbs. Brielle frowned. Selling herbs?

From Patrick's brief description, she learned that Dustin had been saved by a woman knowledgeable in medicine who made her living selling herbs. Dustin had been too injured to leave the house, but now able to move around, he had accompanied Emma to town to peddle their

wares. After all, it was Emma's sole source of income.

Knowing that Dustin was alive put Brielle's mind at ease.

But her reaction was too severe; with only a lunchbox to eat, she felt terribly sick. Addison and Aiden had slowed down as much as they could, but Brielle couldn't handle the

torture of the journey.

"Ms. Brielle, you can't go on like this. I need to find the nearest place where you can rest for a few days; your body won't hold up otherwise," Addison said.

Brielle yearned to see Dustin, but she

could feel her stomach fiercely protesting. She remembered the heartache and guilt she felt the last time she thought she'd lost a child. Even though it was Alivia's trickery, the pain had been real.

She didn't want to experience that agony again, so she had to protect this child at all costs.

The nearest town was just off the highway.

Without hesitation, Addison drove straight there.

Before passing out, Brielle managed to send a text to Max.

When she woke up, a stark white ceiling greeted her. Addison and Aiden were at her bedside, relieved to see her come around.

"Ms. Brielle, the boss called. He said he'll be here within two hours," Addison informed her.

Brielle instantly regretted it. With Max gone, no one knew what he was up to. What if he was in the middle of something important, and her message had interrupted him?

Brielle was rarely sentimental or indecisive. Perhaps it was the untimely arrival of this child that made her feel so unsettled. But now that Max was already on his way, any regret was too late.