Master of his heart (Max and Brielle)
Chapter 1074

Suddenly, a flash of realization hit him like a bolt from the blue, echoing Brielle's words from the night before. "Your work totally sucks."

He stiffened, an awkward flush spreading across his face. Right on cue, his phone rang. It was Dustin.

""King, it's Dustin."

Dustin had caught wind of something and, unable to reach Brielle, dialed King's number.

"Is Brielle with you?"

Any flicker of emotion on King's face vanished, replaced by a calm, unreadable expression. "Yes."

"I tried calling her but got no answer."

"That's because she's here with me. And don't bother reaching out to her again."

His tone was casual, eyes narrowing with a hint of menace. "As far as the Lynch family is concerned, consider her no longer your daughter." Dustin chuckled lightly on the other end. "What are you on about?"

"It means I want to keep her by my side."

"And does Brielle agree to this?"

"Why should she need to agree?"

He had the means to make it happen.

""King, let's meet."

After a moment's thought, King proposed a time.

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Once the call ended, Dustin's face darkened. He tried Brielle's number again, only to be met with the same result-her phone was off. He chuckled again, undeterred. No matter how powerful this oil tycoon thought he was, if he dared to harm Brielle, Dustin would make sure he wouldn't leave North America alive.

They agreed to meet at a quaint coffee shop, an unlikely place for either of them, indicating mutual distrust. By choosing such a location, it left no room for any premeditated setups. They arrived almost simultaneously. The coffee shop was deserted. Without a word, Dustin took a seat at the center table. "I don't want Brielle to come to any harm. Just state your terms, and let's not waste each other's time."

King placed his hands on the table, his people strategically positioned within a mile's radius, ensuring Ronald wouldn't detect his meeting with Dustin. Dustin's men were also scattered around, ready to engage if things went south.

Dustin was unclear about the

specifics of the deal between this

man and the butler but had already marked King as an enemy. Naturally, there was no room for pleasantries. He had warned Brielle before: just because King wasn't a threat-now didn't mean he wouldn't become one. Yet, he hadn't expected trouble to arise so soon. He couldn't allow Brielle to interact with such dangerous individuals again.

"I've already stated my terms."

For the first time, King looked directly at Dustin, noticing a resemblance between him and Brielle. But due to Annie's constant presence around the Lynch family, sending mixed signals, the family was no longer taken aback by Brielle's appearance. Dustin frowned. "What terms?"

"To act as if the Lynch family never had this daughter. I want her to stay by my side."

Dustin couldn't help but laugh. "And what does staying by your side entail?"

King was at a loss for words, his only desire was for Brielle to see no one but him.

"How many diamond resources will it take for you to let her go? I've received messages; isn't that what you're after?"

Plundering resources, cutting off smaller nations' wealth to reign supreme was their game. With oil in the mix and now diamonds, these people could do anything they wanted. King remained silent for a minute before finally saying, "I want her to marry me."

Dustin was prepared for anything.

Even if King demanded all the

diamond resources, he was ready to

comply, then take his family somewhere peaceful to spend their days. Everyone was tired of the constant scheming. Even if it meant. living a modest life in some remote area, Dustin was okay with that. At the thought, he almost convinced himself he had lived such a life. He frowned, questioning the feasibility of such a memory lapse.

Dustin snapped back to reality as King's proposal of marriage echoed in his ears. He thought he was hallucinating, but looking at the man seated before him, it was clear no joke was intended.

"I want Brielle to marry me. I'm willing to overlook everything else."

Dustin narrowed his eyes, noticing the clear marks of fingernails around King's neck, even beneath his mask. A sharp look crossed his eyes.

"What have you done to Brielle?"