Chapter 493
The buzz ofst night’s festivities had faded, and now the stark light of reality was shining through the
blinds. Brielle was pulled from her reverie by the jingle of a phone. It was Max’s phone.
Michael had seemed tight–lippedst night, deftly steering the conversation away from the elephant in
the room, but Brielle knew that his silence didn’t mean approval of their rtionship.
What Michael would do next was anyone’s guess.
The phone lit up, and Max pressed the answer button, calling out, “What’s up, Kenzo?”
Surprisingly, it wasn’t Michael on the other end of the line, but Kenzo.
Brielle couldn’t help but marvel at how the old fox was still full of tricks. Michael was ying the long
game. After the mess ofst night, it was unsettling how Michael had yet to call and confront them. The
calmer the sea, the more Brielle feared the storm lurking beneath.
Kenzo’s call was obviously about the previous night’s drama. He had used drunkenness as an excuse
to keep the situation from boiling over, but everyone who was there knew that Alivia wasn’t drunk, and
Max had t–out rejected her.
Kenzo’s tone carried no hint of me, remaining as soothing as ever. “Max, are you still with Brielle?”
This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.
“Yeah.”
“My grandpa’s bound to hear about this soon. He’s always hoped for a union between our families. I’ll
try to talk to him. Is this your final decision, Max?”
“Kenzo, could you handle things with the Barnes family? Thanks.”
No more words were needed. Kenzo understood Max’s choice. A deep shadow passed through his
eyes, followed by a light smile. “Sure.”
After hanging up, Kenzo surveyed the chaos in the room.
Alivia was buried under the covers, not a single strand of her hair in sight. The room was a
battleground of shattered objects, with traces of blood amidst the wreckage. Shards of mirror were
scattered across the floor, and even the plush slippers were spattered with drops of red.
“Alivia,e on out and have something to eat,” Kenzo coaxed as he nudged her.
She didn’t respond. This was the first time in her life that she felt so out of control, wishing she could
destroy everything. Every memory ofst night’s events made her heart ache until she could hardly
breathe. Her body felt crushed, her soul trembling.
She had thought she was watching Brielle’s downfall, only to be the butt of the joke herself. Was
she still held in any esteem in Max’s eyes?
1/2
Chapter 493
Her eyshes fluttered fiercely, her voice hoarse. “Kenzo, I’m not hungry.”
“You’re just going to lie there? You heard the call. Max has chosen Brielle and ns to stick with her.
Do you think he’ll care about you if you keep degrading yourself like this?”
Alivia’s body began to tremble again, her eyes swollen from crying. The Alivia everyone knew was
always the center of attention, never this disheveled.
She bit her lip so hard, tasting blood. “What should I do?”
How could she turn the tables? How could she tear those two apart?
Panic was setting in. Thinking of all she had done since Max regained his rity, all her so–called
clever moves were now her greatest embarrassment. If he had never forgotten, her actions must’ve
seemed so foolish and so insincere in his eyes.
Kenzo sat down beside her bed. “Alivia, you’ve had an easy ride all your life. Is this little setback really
going to beat you? I’ve always told you Brielle isn’t ordinary.”
“I don’t understand,” Alivia said, emerging from the covers. Her hair was a tangled mess, and her eyes
were swollen nearly shut. Her cheeks were flushed from ack of air.
“I don’t get how an orphan from the foster system, unwanted by all, is anything but ordinary. I thought I
could crush her with a flick of my finger, and yet she’s given me the biggest humiliation of my life. I can’t
ept it! I may not need to get back at her, but I want her to regret stepping into that loungest night!”