Master of his heart (Brielle and Max)

Max was caught off guard. He had never been particularly kind or cruel to the mother-daughter duo, so even if Victoria decided to cut ties with him immediately, he wouldn't have felt a twinge of sadness. Tiffanie was an accidental seed he'd planted without much thought. He'd seen the lash marks on her skin before but never inquired about them, just handed over cash. He was indifferent, really. That was Max, his apathy expertly masked with a seamless facade. Yet, this accidental seed had bloomed into something pure and beautiful.

Tiffanie didn't catch his response, her voice hitching, "Maxie, I'll help get the money. I have lots of friends. I'm not sure how much I can gather, but I thought I'd give you back what you gave me first." Max chuckled softly, a rare hint of tenderness flickering in his eyes. "Go back home."

Her face turned ashen, thinking he was dismissing her meager offer. But that was all she had. She'd left herself just enough to scrape by, already planning to take on extra shifts at work to make ends meet. Max raised his hand and gently tousled her hair. He had never been one for such gestures, so Tiffanie froze, disbelief written all over her face as tears began to escape her eyes. "I haven't fallen that far." Patrick, standing behind Max, watched the scene unfold with a warmth spreading through his chest. At last, someone in the Dorsey family remembered the kindness of their CEO.

"But Maxie, the rumors online-"

"I'm fine. I just don't want to deal with it." His tone was nonchalant as he signaled the maid to bring tea.NôvelDrama.Org owns all content.

Tiffanie wasn't foolish. Seeing his composed demeanor, she knew he must have a plan. Embarrassed, she quickly folded the property deeds on the table, slipped them into her purse along with the bank card, her cheeks blazing. "What a joke I am. Pretend I was never here today."

Max's laughter was light.

Feeling even more mortified, Tiffanie stood up swiftly. "I should go then." She paused a few steps toward the door. "By the way, is Brielle okay?"

Max's slight smile faltered, his eyelashes casting shadows on his cheeks, "She's fine."

Assured, Tiffanie continued on her way out. Maxie had a solution, and she was overjoyed, more so because it meant she wouldn't have to work and could keep spending money.

As she left the grandeur of Premier Palace, Tiffanie's phone rang. It was Victoria, asking her whereabouts.

"Keep your distance from Max, got it?"

Tiffanie's eyes brimmed with sarcasm. "I know."

Victoria sensed her daughter's nonchalance and lashed out over the phone before softly warning her, "If I find out you've been seeing him, I'll break your legs. We don't have the same standing in the Dorsey family as before. I'm planning to marry you off to a decent home. William won't be inclined to give me more money. After raising you for so long, I expect some return."

Tiffanie said nothing, simply looking up at the sky. "Mom, I'll listen to you."

She smiled, haunted by memories of Victoria beating her like a dog for disobedience. Victoria was pleased with her compliance.

"I'm already looking at prospects. Don't tarnish your reputation further. You know how bad it is. Only older suitors are willing to consider you."

Tiffanie remained silent, numbly

walking away. After berating Tiffanie

thoroughly and feeling content, Victoria clung to Everett who was about to leave, her voice desperate. "Everett, you're not coming home tonight again?"

In Tiffanie's presence, she was always submissive, treading on eggshells for fear of upsetting him. Everett looked down at the hands around his waist with revulsion, his skin crawling. But he endured, as he had for years, sometimes suppressing the urge to vomit when he had to be intimate with her.

It was the Dorsey family that had clipped his wings, binding him to Victoria. "Yeah, let go. I have to leave."

Victoria, now penniless, was at a loss on how to make Everett stay. Everett had seldom performed in recent years; the Dorsey family controlled everything, and he needed their approval just to leave Beaconsfield.

Deep down, Victoria knew Everett was still searching for his first love, the one who had been pregnant with his child. Unfortunately, the old man had sent her far away, out of reach.

Without any power, Everett's pride had been ground away. Finding someone under the Dorsey family's watch was like looking for a needle in a haystack.