Master of his heart (Brielle and Max)

Brielle and Max slid back into the car, taking a moment to soak in the scenery outside before Brielle broke the silence. "Max, you had a bunch of professors back in the day, but this one seems to be off the grid. Do you have a picture of him?" Max pulled out his phone and scrolled through his gallery, finally finding an old photo from their graduation years ago. "Which one is the professor?" Brielle asked.

Max pointed to a man with a rugged beard and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose.

Brielle pursed her lips, pulling the phone closer to scrutinize the image. After a moment, her expression turned icy, and her fist clenched by her side. "It's Mark."

Take away the slightly curly hair, the glasses, the beard, and there you had Mark from Beaconsfield.

A storm raged inside Brielle. Her lips pressed tightly together, her nails digging into her palm. Max stayed silent, trusting Brielle's recognition.

So, the person from her childhood in Beaconsfield was both the professor and Mark.

No wonder he didn't want to see her. Seeing her would blow his cover.

Brielle had never seen the professor's face, so she never linked the poor Mark to the renowned professor abroad.

Her face darkened, and an urge to confront him surged within her, but she knew she wouldn't get any answers, just like the past twenty-some years of her life. No one was accountable for her life; they were all pulling the strings. Max dimmed his phone's screen and pulled her into his arms.

After discovering Mark's fake death, Brielle knew he must still be alive, just under a different identity. Far away, yet so close. How ironic.

From the moment the professor made excuses not to meet, she had her doubts, but the truth was more shocking than she had imagined.

She lowered her lashes, feeling a wave of fatigue. Max ruffled her hair gently and hit the gas, his voice casual.

"My people found traces of Dustin."

That single sentence reignited Brielle's fighting spirit, her eyes lighting up.

"Is he alive? Is he okay? How's his health?"

Seeing her spirits lift, Max's lips curled into a subtle smile.

"He's alive. There are signs he fought to survive on that road."

He pulled the car over and playfully flicked her nose.

"I promised I'd bring him back, so focus on what you need to do."

Brielle felt a rush of emotion at the news of Dustin's survival, torn between tears and laughter.

The car started up again and eventually stopped in front of a quaint florist's shop. Max got out and returned with a bouquet, handing it to Brielle. It was almost comical; they'd been together on and off, but never had a proper date.

"If you're not sure what to do, let's have a date," Max suggested, tucking a pink rose behind Brielle's ear. "How about we go ring shopping?"

He was seeking her approval. Brielle

had been abroad for two days and had done what she needed to do. Now, with the truth weighing on her mind, Max's suggestion seemed appealing. So, when he took her hand and led her into a luxury store, she didn't resist.

Before heading in, Brielle left the bouquet on a chair, keeping only the rose behind her ear. With her distinctly Eastern features, the flower didn't overshadow her at all;

her pale skin and dark hair gave her

a delicate appearance.This content belongs to Nô/velDra/ma.Org .

Max led her to a display of diamond rings.

When Brielle saw him eyeing the largest diamond, her lips twitched. The diamond was enormous; wearing it, she felt she wouldn't even see her fingers.

After some persuasion, Max settled on a five-carat pink diamond ring instead. Brielle couldn't help but recall Dustin giving her a similar extravagant gesture. Indeed, to men, it seemed the bigger the diamond, the better.

She found it amusing, listening to the blonde clerk praise the rarity of the stone. The price was an astronomical 11.8 million dollars. Ridiculously expensive.

Just as Max was about to pay, the clerk's eyes widened, staring past him with a respectful, "Mr. Lynch."

Brielle sensed someone behind her but didn't expect it to be Raymond. Her spine stiffened, and she couldn't bring herself to turn around.