Master of his heart (Brielle and Max)

Brielle couldn’t help but empathize with Dustin, as she was without family ties

“Mr. Lynch, why don’t you head back and keep your grandma company? The Lynch clan’s power plays are so convoluted, and you’ve talked about the resistance you’re up against. Finding what you’re looking for won’t happen overnight”

Dustin closed his eyes, fighting back the warmth welling up inside. “I know, which is why I won’t be coming back to Beaconsfield anytime soon. I’m going to stay by my grandma’s side.”

Brielle felt a twinge of emotion. He had made a special trip just to see her before he left. She also considered Dustin a friend.

“Oh, and when I met with Mark, he asked me to bring something for you” Dustin nodded towards the table.

Brielle spotted the wooden box and furrowed her brow in curiosity. What could Mark possibly have for her?

When she opened it in front of Dustin, her eyes flickered with surprise. She never expected to find a paternity test inside.

Just seeing the words “paternity test on the cover was enough for Brielle; she didn’t need to look any further. So Mark had been searching for her biological parents all this time, and at last, he had a successful match with one of them.

The confusion between her and Lillian’s information had clouded the truth, but with Lillian gone and no one else left, this test was likely legitimate.

Yet Brielle couldn’t muster any joy. Her face tightened, a forced smile struggling to appear

Dustin didn’t peek inside but sensed her mood darken and stepped closer out of curiosity. Brielle had already closed the box, the weight of it heavy in her heart.

“Bri, what’s wrong?”

She shook her head, the smile on her face belying her true feelings. “It’s nothing. Thank you for bringing this, Mr. Lynch. How about I treat you to dinner?” NôvelDrama.Org: text © owner.

Dustin’s gaze was soft and warm. There was something about being with Brielle that just felt right. He couldn’t resist ruffling her hair gently.

“My cars waiting downstairs, and I’m off to the airport. Bri, I count you as my friend here in Beaconsfield, better than anyone. If you ever find yourself in a bind, give me a call, okay? No matter what, I’ll come help you.”

His words might have sounded like a confession to some women. But to Dustin, Brielle was just genuinely likable–in looks, personality, and capability. In some ways, she reminded Dustin of his mother. His mother was a celebrated beauty in North American circles, a formidable businesswoman who’d stepped back from the limelight after her sister’s disappearance.

Had her sister not gone missing, his mother might have been one of the most influential women in the world two decades ago. But when her sister vanished, she lost interest in accolades, becoming reclusive and forlorn

That loss ended his mother’s career and left a scar in Dustin’s heart. As the eldest son, it was his duty to pick up the mantle. Now, Infinity Brilliance was more successful than ever, and with that success came more adversaries.

His promise to Brielle was sincere. From the moment he met her, he knew they clicked.

“Mr. Lynch, I remember that.”

Brielle was touched, she escorted him to his car and watched him drive away. Only after standing there for a moment did she realize how reluctant she was to see him go. Feeling a sense of loss, she returned upstairs and stared at the wooden box, massaging her temples.

Mark called at that moment. “Bri, did you get the thing Mr. Lynch brought you?”

“I did, thanks, Mark. I thought you’d given up looking.”

“How could I? If the Haywood family wasn’t your destiny, I had to try something else. I’m sorry for the trouble the Haywoods gave you and how they mistreated you. I did my best this time. The patemity test results just came in. I wanted to bring them myself but worried my visit might cause you problems”

Brielle didn’t respond, her mind eerily calm’in the face of the paternity test. She had always wanted to understand why she was left at an orphanage doorstep, why her parents had abandoned her. But after the ordeal with the Haywoods, she found a new sense of acceptance. What mattered most was living well in the present.

ΕΠ

I’ve included your father’s current address in the documents. Whether you decide to see him is up to you”

Brielle’s lips pressed into a thin line. She was still not ready to confront the paternity test report. She no longer needed it, letting each other be was perhaps for the best

She planned to drive to Premier Palace after wrapping up at the company, but the reception called with unexpected news–a TV crew from Beaconsfield’s “Life Focus” had shown up in force.

Just two hours earlier, the show had received a plea from a man claiming to have lost his daughter over twenty years ago. Now that she

was a public figure, a wealthy CEO, he was demanding a hundred million for support.