Master of his heart (Max and Brielle)
Chapter 1027

When Brielle heard him mention it, her mind drifted back to that memory.

For her, that stick of candied apples was a cherished treat-the best thing she'd get to eat all year. But when she saw the dirty yet beautiful face crouching in the bushes, her heart melted. She handed over the candied apples, swallowing hard herself. But by then, Kenzo had already been living with the Barnes family, and candied apples didn't mean much to him. The Barnes' servants used to say those treats would rot your teeth, were made in unsanitary conditions, and were just junk food for the poor. Kenzo, being two years older than Brielle and unaware of how precious those candied apples were to her, thought she was mocking him. Without hesitation, he slapped the stick of candied apples out of her hand. "Don't look down on me!"

Even at a young age, he was full of pride, aware of his mysterious lineage, the heavy burdens on his shoulders, and a future that seemed endless and bleak. He was fragile and sensitive, constantly fearing that his true identity would be revealed. He couldn't be seen eating a poor person's food, lest his identity be questioned.

That was his line of thinking as he glared at the pretty little girl in front of him. Her cheeks were frostbitten, her clothes too thin for the cold, as she bent down to pick up the candied apples from the snow.

"I only get to eat candied apples once a year."

Kenzo was taken aback. How could someone only have such a treat once a year?

In the end, he took the stick of candied apples into his palm. She said nothing more and walked away.

This moment left a deep impression on Kenzo, like a glimmer of light in the darkness. He never ate those candied apples; instead, he kept them hidden away, still holding onto them to this day.

Later, when his father instructed him

to get close to Brielle, he outwardly remained calm but was secretly thrilled. He had been quietly keeping tabs on her over the years. She had grown stronger, and the vulnerability she showed in the snow had vanished. Only they knew of their early encounter, not even his father was aware.

His father's plan was for Kenzo to get close to her, lead her astray, much like Victoria. But Victoria's fate was her own doing, with no one else involved.

His father hoped Brielle, out of love

and desire, would lose her dignity, begging to stay by his side. Then, using Briette as leverage against the Lynch family would carry significant weight. If Seamus couldn't directly challenge Dustin, then threatening Dustin with Brielle would be their leverage over the Lynch family.

Kenzo inwardly smirked; his father overestimated his son's charm. In Brielle's eyes Kenzo was just like any other man. From the moment her engagement to the Dorsey family was announced, until any instability in that arrangement surfaced, she had eyes for no else. Even if her affections for Spencer were more pragmatic than passionate, as long as her bond with

Spencer remained, she set clear

boundaries with other men.

When Kenzo sensed her relationship with Spencer wavering, he planned his move, to win her over and fulfill his father's mission. But Brielle defied everyone's expectations and instead initiated advances towards Max.

They spent two days together in an apartment, and Kenzo had been looking for her all along, even being in the same bar where Max was drinking. Kenzo had thought of countless ways to casually win Brielle's heart, but never anticipated she would leave with Max, looking at him with eyes Kenzo couldn't stand to see.

If you counted their childhood, Kenzo had met Brielle before Max did. If you considered their university days, he had also known her before Max. But why did it seem like her feelings for Max were so different?

Kenzo didn't know what that difference was; after all, he had never seen Brielle look at someone the way she looked at Max. But later, when he finally saw it, he knew he had lost his chance.

Now, with Brielle in his arms, he didn't even need to look down to smell the fragrance of her hair.

"Thank you for that stick of candied apples," he said, his hands firmly holding her as they moved closer to the tall wall.