Master of his heart (Max and Brielle)
Chapter 1152

In their secret hideout, Irene soaked in the tub, her skin marked by their recent passionate encounter. Outside, the sound of people clinking glasses and playing drinking games filled the air-everyone was celebrating.

Her time with Kenzo had been brief, no more than two hours, as both of them were lost in their own thoughts. She knew Kenzo was waiting for her to reveal her trump card. Drying her fingers on the tub's edge, Irene grabbed a cigarette, lit it, and exhaled a perfect smoke ring into the damp air. The humidity quickly made the cigarette soggy, and the smoke mingled with the steam, giving the bathroom an ethereal feel.

Kenzo, dressed in pajamas, opened the door and saw her smoking. He walked over and took the cigarette from her fingers. "Smoking in the bath?"

Irene raised an eyebrow and smiled playfully. "Just got promoted, huh? So, feeling a bit more in charge now, darling?" she teased.

Kenzo cut straight to the point. "Is your ace that assassin?"

She sighed and stood up from the tub, wrapping herself in a towel as she moved closer to Kenzo. "Darling, can't we talk about this after our wedding night?" she pleaded, gently placing her palm on his cheek. Kenzo frowned. Her bare toes peeked out from under the towel, a soft pink against the white fabric. Bending down, Kenzo picked up a pair of slippers and held her ankle. "Put these on."

Irene laughed lightly. "Oh, darling, you're so good to me."

Kenzo stiffened slightly but carried her to the bed once she had slipped on the slippers. Irene had indulged in a few too many glasses of champagne, and the room seemed to sway before her eyes. Kenzo brought her a glass of ginger ale, a popular remedy for sobering up. "Drink this."

After a few sips, the room steadied, and Irene's lips curled into a smile at the ongoing celebration outside. "I can't believe I'm actually married," she said, her voice light and airy. She wrapped her arms around Kenzo's waist and looked up at him. Her beauty was undeniable, and there was an enticing satisfaction in her gaze. Kenzo stroked her cheek gently, causing Irene to purr contentedly.

"Darling, the North American royalty won't just stand by and watch us. Over the years, our organization has provided them with pharmaceuticals that could influence healthcare across the entire country. Without us, they'll have quite the headache, especially considering our control over certain drugs that helped the royal family eliminate political rivals." Irene's smile was brazen, almost reckless. "If the Lynch family has reinforcements, then our backup is the North American royal family. After all, my mother is a princess of the royal household."

In that moment, Kenzo felt a chill. It was like glimpsing the dirty secrets of royalty. To think they'd engage in such a marriage alliance with an organization, leveraging its power to eliminate rivals while bypassing international scrutiny. It was no wonder the organization had lasted this long; this was Irene's ace.

If the Lynch family was merely cannon fodder in this elaborate game, then the royal family stood to gain control over the diamond resources should they fall. Such an intricate web of strategy. It made sense now why Seamus had been sent to the Lynch family, serving as the royal family's inside man."

Kenzo managed a smile, though his eyes remained calm and undisturbed. "So, the royal family is the ultimate beneficiary."

As the saying goes, when the snipe

and the clam grapple, it's the

fisherman who reaps the rewards. Irene snuggled closer, her demeanor affectionate. "Indeed, the royal family has long coveted the diamond resources controlled by the Lynch family. In a nation ruled by wealth, those with riches dictate the terms. If the diamonds fall into royal hands, they'll no longer fear any other clan. From the moment you agreed to disrupt the status quo, the royal family has been watching from the sidelines, even pulling strings with Saudi interests. Their ambition is vast. Saudi might be powerful, but this is North America; once they cross that line, the royal family will deal with them, seizing the opportunity to strike at Saudi and claim its oil resources. This chess game we've orchestrated, darling, was all your doing."

Kenzo gently caressed her head, his touch tender. This world was never peace. Some people didn't live in peaceful times; they merely lived in peaceful countries. Many smaller nations were engulfed in turmoil. If Saudi gets involved, North America would indeed have a pretext to strike. Oil resources are coveted by all. Poor Max, facing a nation, an individual's power is minuscule. This organization always had surprises up its sleeve.