Master of his heart (Brielle and Max)

The moment Kenzo Barnes laid eyes on Brielle, he tried to stand, but his legs gave out, and he collapsed, nearly knocking over the coffee table.

He fell beside Brielle, his desperation driving him to lift his head and look at her. Gently, he touched the tip of her nose with a trembling finger. Relief washed over him. She was still alive. Just asleep.

Irene watched him, a slight smile tugging at her lips. "Jaired, what's the deal with Ms. Brielle?"

"Probably the royal family's doing," Jaired replied. "They've fallen out with the Lynch family, all because of Brielle. There's more to the story, but with Brielle in our hands, if you want to take down Arthur and become president, she could be useful." But as soon as he finished speaking, Irene cut in, her tone cool. "Jaired, I'm getting tired of this."

Everyone at the base was an outcast, many were the worst of the worst. Even with their minds wiped, they were still dangerous.

The landslide had claimed many lives, but those who survived were likely still plotting, waiting for a core member to reemerge and lead them.

But Irene was exhausted. She didn't want to see this world anymore. She had been an accomplice in the landslide, responsible for many innocent deaths. She carried the weight of guilt.novelbin

She had thought her life could be the price, but Jaired wanted her to live. She didn't know how.

Jaired fell silent, just watching her. After a long pause, he spoke. "Arthur's been scheming for years to grab that throne. The bomb you planted at the mountain base, wasn't it to draw international attention? Irene, even though many countries are questioning Arthur now, you know the power North America wields. They've committed countless sins over the years. Arthur is desperate to secure his position. He'll either pin the blame for the base on someone else or expose your involvement, smearing your mother's name by claiming she willingly joined the base for a

marriage alliance."

"I remember you telling me how much 001 loved your mother's cheesecake."

Jaired was cunning, hoping to make Irene choose life. He knew it wasn't love; he just wanted her alive. But his words weren't enough to spark her will to live, except when he mentioned 001.

The mention of 001 lit up Irene's

eyes. Indeed 001 adored her

mother's cheesecake, a fact she had used as leverage in her childhood. Irene had learned the recipe herself, making it every year, but with no one to enjoy it. She would leave the cheesecake under the sun until it spoiled and flies swarmed, then she'd throw it away.

Irene didn't care about Arthur's scheming or the so-called

on

opposing he

Ter

presidential seat. But Arthur insisted on opposing her at every turn. Her intent with the bomb was to draw international attention to the base's existence. Whatever happened to the North American royal family after, she couldn't care less. But if Arthur dared to tarnish her mother's memory, then all his supporters deserved to pay.

Irene looked at Jaired, a soft laugh escaping her. "Let's wait and see what Arthur decides."

Kenzo, meanwhile, hadn't absorbed a word of their conversation; his gaze was fixed on Brielle's face. Knowing she was still breathing was all he needed to relax, stealing moments to gaze at her.

After Jaired and Irene finished talking, Jaired carried Brielle to a bed on the first floor of the villa. Brielle, having inhaled too much of the drug, remained unconscious. Kenzo didn't dare follow inside, just stood at the door, supporting himself with one hand and peering in.

Their final conversation echoed in his mind, as persistent as a nail hammered into wood. Reflecting on his recent actions, absurd and insane, he realized he had become the person she despised the most. He couldn't bear to think of the disgust she would look at him with once she awoke.