Master of his heart (Brielle and Max)

Under Brielle's watchful gaze, Max slipped into the bedroom to change. When he came back out, he gave her a tender peck on the lips before disappearing into the study. Brielle had no clue about the agony he was hiding; he looked as composed as ever. Feeling reassured, she decided to head downstairs for a video call with Aubree.

In the study, Max sat in front of his computer, not in any meeting. His head throbbed as if a thousand needles were piercing it, and he fought the urge to sweep everything off his desk in a fit of rage. The pain was excruciating, making him want to break something, anything, just to find a bit of relief.

Just then, his phone rang. Brodie was calling. With trembling fingers, Max hesitated before answering. He couldn't find the words to speak, but Brodie seemed to sense his torment and let out a sigh.

"Painkillers never did the trick, did they? You've been at it for years, Max. I've been thinking a lot lately, wondering if you ever have regrets. Because of one phone call from her, you dropped years of planning. If things had gone as planned, maybe you wouldn't be suffering like this. As next month creeps closer, my worry for you grows, and I feel so damn helpless."

Brodie had a knack for pharmacology; he was far from useless. Max tried to speak, to offer some comfort, but no sound came out. Darkness clouded his vision.

Brodie didn't wait for a response, knowing Max was likely in too much pain to talk. Max's father's control was suffocating, timing the medication perfectly-miss it by a minute, and the headaches would be crippling. Max always took his pills in front of Michael, never getting a chance to slip them to Brodie for analysis. On the rare occasions he managed to hide a pill under his tongue, the pain would make him lose consciousness, and he'd end up swallowing it in his confusion. They were all waiting for the next opportunity.

Brodie ended the call, feeling lost. Appeal to his father? In his father's eyes, Max was just an unfeeling tool. Now, with Max having betrayed Dorsey International, his father seemed to take pleasure in his suffering.

Brodie wheeled himself to the

window. Outside, the Dorsey family's bodyguards stood watch. His lab had been destroyed, and he couldn't continue his research. After years with the Dorsey family, Brodie Knew their true nature-mostly devoid of sentiment. The Dorsey family was like a beautiful tapestry; lift it, and you'd find writhing maggots

underneath.

If Max's father was using such vile tactics against him, Brodie dreaded to think what he'd do if Dorsey International truly hit a crisis. Little did Brodie know, the crisis had already begun. Recently, a mass exodus of executives had occurred, with many employees fleeing.

Dorsey International's public claims

of an imminent entertainmentFrom NôvelDrama.Org.

industry takeover and the launch of two major talent shows were met with enthusiasm in the media but fell flat in reality. Now, their biggest overseas projects were floundering, leaving the few remaining

executives scrambling.

Even William's lips quivered with anxiety. Dorsey International had lost too many people too quickly, making it impossible to hire fast enough to fill the gaps, let alone hand over responsibilities smoothly.

William's forehead was slick with

sweat as he watched the

plummeting numbers on his

computer screen, his face changing color by the second. He had been at the helm of Dorsey International for less than two weeks, and it was alteady falling apart. If his father found out...

Damn it! When Max was in charge, everything seemed so effortless. Why was it that under his own leadership, it was one disaster after another?

There was a knock at the door, and the new assistant walked in. "Mr. Dorsey, we've got news from overseas-our major projects have been blocked. The board members are restless, and some have even started selling their shares." William's eyes widened in shock. Selling shares? If outsiders bought them up, wouldn't Dorsey International be at risk of a hostile takeover?