Chapter 455


    “I just don’t know what she’s thinking sometimes.” Max spoke with a casual detachment. “Brielle tends


    to keep a lot bottled up.”


    A slight smile tugged at Alivia’s lips as she heard this. Alivia knew that even if it were someone else in


    Brielle’s shoes, they wouldn’t spill the beans to this man either.


    From Brielle’s perspective, the child was gone, and that was a fact no one could change. If Max found


    out, he wouldn’t just sh with Martha, but maybe Michael would get involved too, and before you


    know it, the whole Dorsey n would be up in arms. And as the heir to the Dorsey estate. Max would


    undoubtedly bear the brunt of the chaos.


    The more Brielle cared for Max, the tighter she would hold onto this secret. But the more she kept it to


    herself, the more she suffered alone. Sooner orter, her emotions were bound to copse.


    Moreover, Alivia had made up her mind. Tormenting Brielle was just the beginning. She would slowly


    make Brielle realize the consequences of taking what belonged to someone else.


    “Aunt Martha mentioned Ms. Brielle today. It seems like she’s caught on to your rtionship.” Alivia


    added.


    Max nced at her, his gaze unintentional yet probing..


    This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Alivia rushed to rify. “I never mentioned anything to Aunt Martha, but you know how perceptive she


    can be when she’s lucid.”


    Max was initially suspicious of Alivia, but over the years, she’d always maintained a respectful distance,


    never too close forfort, so there was no reason for her to stir trouble. “I know,” he acknowledged.


    Alivia breathed a sigh of relief, a trace of resignation appearing on her face on cue.


    “We’ve known each other for years, Max. You should know the kind of person I am. If I really wanted to


    force you into marriage, ying the damsel in distress would be the most direct approach.”


    Indeed, if Alivia were determined to marry Max, that tactic would certainly pressure both sets of parents


    to lean on Max. But that would mean losing his heart forever. What good was a title without love? She


    had always been clear about her goal: she wanted Max’s heart.


    “Max, if you’re feeling down, my brother organized a barbecue. Not sure if you got the invite, but are


    you going?”


    She probed about the barbecue guest list. Kenzo had asked if she wanted to attend, but being tight–


    lipped as ever, he didn’t reveal the guest list. Alivia had found out that some of the people she knew


    weren’t invited.


    Max was surely on the list, but it was uncertain whether he’d attend. If he brought Brielle along. it would


    be quite the spectacle, with Brielle bing an awkward presence there.


    11:50


    Chapter 455


    “I’m going, and I’m taking Brielle for a breath of fresh air.”


    With the answer in hand, Alivia’s lips curled slightly, pretending to nce at the time. “It’s gettingte,


    and even if there’s a misunderstanding between you two, it’s best to clear the air soon. Let’s head out


    together.”


    Max nodded, but his mind was elsewhere. As they reached the nursing home’s entrance, Alivia bid him


    farewell and hopped into her car first.


    Max stood in the chill of the night air for a moment, the cold breeze sharpening his senses. Just as he


    was about to head to his own vehicle, Alivia emerged from hers. “Max, can you give me a lift? I’m out of


    gas, and I can’t even make it to the nearest station.”


    She had put it so inly. Given that she was here to see Martha and that they had known each other


    for years, Max couldn’t just leave her to hail a cab.


    “Sure.”


    Alivia finally got her wish to ride in Max’s car.


    The moment she saw Max at the nursing home, she had someone discreetly drain her car’s fuel. Max


    might’ve not been fond of her, but he wouldn’t let a friend take a cab home.


    Settling into the car, Alivia’s lips curved up again. Following his gaze, she could only see his stern


    profile.


    Around them, journalists who had been lying in wait snapped photos of them leaving the nursing home


    together and getting into the car. They quickly posted them online.


    Alivia’s return to the country had already drawn attention, especially within the circles of the elite.


    Almost everyone was tracking her movements.


    Though a union between the Barnes and Dorsey families was seemingly destined, Max himself had


    never publicly acknowledged it. The media had always spected, eager to know the truth. Fortunately


    for them, someone tipped off the reporters about their whereabouts that night, and they got their big


    scoop.


    The moment the photos hit the inte, they were sted by suggesting the two were having ate–


    night rendezvous.


    overy major news outlet.


    One particrly well–angled shot made it seem as though they were kissing under the cover of night,


    even though they were still a distance apart. The photo captured an intimate moment that wasn’t,


    sparking a frenzy of spection and gossip.