Chapter 536


    The threat was more direct than any spoken suppression could ever be


    Brielle sat silently in the car the tension palpable, while Tiffanie refrained from further


    conversation


    The car came to a halt outside the Premier Pce, and Brielle was the first to exit. She turned back,


    bending slightly to address Tiffanie still inside, “I’m going in then


    “You sure Maxie’s in the mood to see you now?”


    A bref pause flickered across Brielle’s face. “I have to exin things to him.


    Tiffanie pondered for a moment, then fished out a lollipop from the glovepartment and


    tossed it out


    Catching it deftly. Brielle heard her say, “Alright, go exin.”


    Brielle stood still for a moment, slipping the lollipop into her bag. Only when the sound of the car driving


    away faded did she slowly make her way inside the Premier Pce.


    The festive lights were still hanging, the cheerful banners were still stered on the walls, and even the


    tacky, colorful fairy lights were twinkling as ever. But inside, it was eerily quiet.


    She rang the doorbell, and Wesley came to open the door. A nce around the hall revealed only


    Wesley. “Max hasn’te back yet?”


    Wesley shook his head, exhaling a weary sigh, “He usually wouldn’te back for the holidays… I


    thought, with you here, he might-” He trailed off, the words left hanging.


    Brielle swapped her shoes at the entrance, heading towards the sofa while dialing Max’s number. She


    was wearing the matching slippers they’d bought together: hers white, his ck.


    The mechanical voicemail greeted her from the other end, no answer. She dialed again. It was as if


    she’d keep calling until he picked up.


    Max stared at his continuously ringing phone, rubbing his temples. Hisputer was still on. and the


    executives were waiting for him to speak on an international conference call. All they heard was the


    incessant ring of his phone, and the CEO, staring at the device, silent.


    No one dared to interrupt; they waited in quiet anticipation. Finally, Max faced the screen. “Let’s


    postpone the meeting until after the New Year. Spend some quality time with your families.”


    The international executives couldn’t help but feel that their CEO sounded forlorn when he said those


    words, but no one argued, quietly packing up their documents as Max shut down theputer.


    If he paused, his father’s words echoed in his mind. “That just proves you don’t love her enough.”


    ner: 526


    Brielle’s retort inevitably followed in his head. “Max isn’t a calcted choice for me, but a defiant act of


    certainty despite knowing better.”


    He touched the coffee next to him, now cold Drinking it now would certainly keep him awaketer, but


    perhaps the bitterness could stifle the tang of despair on his tongue.


    Did Brielle love him? Of course, he never doubted that.


    How much? That he wasn’t sure of. How shallow was her love, that she agreed without hesitation to his


    father’s proposition?


    Even though it was for them to be together, was she that confident in herself? What if she failed?


    It seemed she never considered the possibility or maybe didn’t care about it. That was a blow to him.


    Watching her agree so readily, he was incredulous and shocked. His heart felt pierced.


    Love, it turned out, could wound so effortlessly, more than any physical injury he had endured.


    Brielle had opened the door to him loving someone, and he intended to walk that path with her to the


    bitter end. But now, he was uncertain. Brielle seemed to love him, but not to the point of being


    indispensable. It seemed her affection could easily shift to someone else, not necessarily Max, but any


    man.


    For Max, it was different. From the moment she appeared, he had this subtle premonition that she was


    the reason to turn everyone else away.


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org.


    Max coughed, reaching for his coffee to drink, when the sound of a key in the lock halted his hand. In


    the dim light, he saw the figure at the door.


    The hope in his eyes slowly crumbled to ashes. It was Spencer.


    Spencer turned on the brightest light in the room, and there they were, one standing and one sitting,


    silently facing each other.


    This was Pearl Estate, where Brielle lived. Max didn’t want to go to a hotel or any other residence, so


    when he left in a huff, he thought of her ce, infused with her presence. But now, another man had


    intruded on this space.


    Max’s grip on his cup tightened instantly, while Spencer met his gaze without flinching. “Just here to


    pick up a few things,” Spencer said.


    He hadn’t expected to find Max here and was momentarily caught off guard. Then he regained


    composure, walked over to a drawer, and retrieved the watch he’d intentionally left behind thest time


    he was there the same time he’d helped Sydney whisk Brielle away. He had made a copy of Brielle’s


    keys and left his watch as a deliberate token.


    He knew he would need it eventually. And now, the moment hade, and he was discovered by Max.