Master of his heart (Max and Brielle)
Chapter 1172

Myles wanted to burst into laughter, but the pain wracking his body snuffed out any trace of humor.

"Kenzo, have you lost your mind? Where's that calm and collected facade now?"

Ah, but that was a mistake to say. Hadn't Kenzo been mad the moment he stepped into this mess?

A dangerous glint passed through Kenzo's eyes as he gripped Myles' throat. "I'm not in the mood for chitchat. Hypnotize her, and I'll let you go."

Myles paled, days of torture having brought him back to harsh reality. He realized he wasn't the King; he was just Myles, a hypnotist. No matter how closely he mimicked, it was all just a poor imitation. He wasn't the King, not the oil baron with power over storms, just a shadow, easily overlooked.

And his obsession with Brielle? Was it just to mimic more convincingly, knowing the King's obsession with her, or had he hypnotized himself into this fixation?

As a top-tier hypnotist, this was a testament to his skill but also his folly. A grave misstep. That's why many in this line of work ended up in asylums.

"Make her love me, now!" Kenzo's voice was hoarse as he threw Myles to the ground. Myles landed awkwardly, one leg scraped to the bone from the torture. He was lucid now, wanting only to survive. The situation was dire; any further delay, and they might not make it out alive.

Brielle, tied up, winced from the pain in her stomach, her face deathly pale. "Kenzo, how could you become this?" she asked.

Kenzo looked down at her, his gaze dark and stormy. Who else to blame but her for his transformation? It was she who had willingly walked into this.

Myles approached Brielle, took a deep breath, and said, "Alright, I'll hypnotize her."

Brielle quickly closed her eyes, refusing to look at anyone. Hypnosis required the subject's willingness, and initially, Brielle had cooperated with Myles. But now, her resistance was clear. Kenzo's tone was cold yet oddly gentle. "If you insist on resisting, then your mother, Sarah, won't survive."

Brielle stiffened, her eyes snapping open. Kenzo slowly crouched, his fingers tracing her lips. "I actually wanted to kill you myself, but I can't seem to do it, Brielle. Why can't I?" Brielle sneered. "Kenzo, spare me the disgust."

Kenzo had an unattended wound on his wrist, a token of his physical manifestation of his turmoil. "Your sentiments are touching only to yourself. They mean nothing to me."

This was Brielle. Kenzo chuckled, unable to take his eyes off her. He had played so many roles over the years, yet now, he felt he couldn't continue his act before her. "Brielle, cooperate with the hypnosis, or I'll kill Sarah right now."

Brielle's response was cold, "Fine, I'll cooperate."

The environment turned even more hostile. Myles was about to start the hypnosis when the ground beneath them began to shift, though slowly. Just as Myles locked eyes with Brielle, the ground slipped from under him, sending him tumbling down.

A landslide had started. Despite the minimal water, the soil was collapsing. There was no time for hypnosis!

A rock rolled down the mountain,

followed by a piercing alarm, heading straight for them. Kenzo, almost instinctively, shielded Brielle, placing himself in front of her. But Brielle wouldn't have it. She pushed him aside, taking the brunt of the rock's impact herself.

Her head throbbed, the world around her blurring. She refused to owe this man anything more, to accept his misguided gestures of affection. Love can't be forced, bound, or justified by unilateral sacrifice or self pity.

Brielle's defiance was like a sharp knife, piercing straight through Kenzo's heart. Then someone grabbed Kenzo by the collar, landing a solid punch on his face. He knew who it was, merely looking up with a wry smile. "It's better this way, all dead."

King was trembling, pulling out a gun and pressing it to Kenzo's head, finger on the trigger. But the gun clicked empty. Furious, he landed another punch. Blood tinged Kenzo's smile as he simply raised an eyebrow.