Master of his heart (Max and Brielle)
Chapter 1056

Brielle didn't want anything anymore.

She used to have a clear goal: ace her exams, outshine everyone, and get into Dorsey International. But now, everything was in shambles. With her life turned upside down and an engagement looming over her, what would the Dorsey family think if they found out? And

what about the Haywoods? She couldn't even bring herself to imagine the fallout.

Back when she was struggling to make ends meet, all she wanted was a full stomach and warm clothes. Once she was taken back to the Haywood family, her desires became simpler still: to make her parents proud. "What's on your mind?"

A hand grasped her chin, forcing her to turn her head. Her earlobe felt the soft pressure of a kiss.

"Thinking about how to leave?"

The temperature in the room seemed to drop with those words. Terrified, Brielle couldn't move. "No, I swear," she protested hastily.

But he didn't believe her. He pulled her into his arms and pinned her down on the couch. That night, she was nearly driven to fainting from his torment.

He seemed genuinely worried she might try to escape, so in the days that followed, he made her witness the gruesome fate of traitors. Having lived a sheltered life, Brielle had never seen such brutality-worse than anything on TV. Life seemed as cheap as paper. After several days of these horror shows, she lost her appetite and became significantly thinner. He even brought in a doctor, who diagnosed her with malnutrition. His face turned red with embarrassment.

It was shameful for him. He'd taken great care of her, yet she was malnourished. He stayed in the mansion, making sure she ate three meals a day. After eating, he would insist on "aiding digestion" by engaging her in other activities.

But Brielle couldn't get past her internal struggle. She loathed the control he had over her life, and her mental state deteriorated daily. That's when Myles appeared, hired to be her hypnotherapist.

He was the only outsider she had seen, and she saw in him a glimmer of hope for escape.

Fast forward to the present, in the dark room with just the two of them. King snapped out of his thoughts, curious about her next move. She was clutching his sleeve, indecisive.

A flicker of sadness crossed his eyes, a momentary pain that seemed to tug at his heart. Why couldn't it be him? Why wasn't he enough?

He needed to replace a way to completely eliminate Max, to take full control so that Brielle would lose all hope of Max's return. Since Max was still somewhere within him, weak as he might be, he needed a plan to ensure Max would never awaken. For instance, by sleeping with his woman-could Max's fragile spirit handle that blow?

King smirked coldly, but before he could react, his lips were captured in a kiss. His pupils dilated slightly, his hands freezing in the air as Brielle wrapped her arms around his neck, her eyes tightly shut. Every pore in her body repelled what she was doing, but she knew she had to do this.

The kiss deepened from a peck to something more intense. She wasn't very skilled at it, quickly dominated by him. King wrapped his arms around her waist, securing her rin his embrace. Hadn't he scared her into learning this many times? Yet her

u

technique remained clumsy.

He felt a perverse satisfaction, thinking perhaps he could let Max live a moment longer. Let Max see how the woman he loved was trying to please him.

Brielle only managed a minute before pulling away. Her gaze fell on his face. His reaction wasn't overly dramatic, but the storm in his eyes was undeniable. He felt something for her, just like Max.

Brielle felt a tinge of guilt, wanting to use his feelings to bring Max back. Love is selfish; she couldn't blame herself. It was his fault for not being Max. She suppressed her inner conflict, not just with King, but with herself too.

Had it been any other time, she

would never have considered using someone's feelings-it was too despicable. But no one else was in her shoes, unable to fully empathize with her plight. She just didn't want totese Max. She was haunted by the fire, by the child she lost

Was it so wrong to want Max back?

If Max was still within him, seeing her kiss another should provoke some reaction, right?