Chapter 274
Brielle couldn’t shake the feeling that she was trapped in a dream. Her mind wandered back to her college days.
That year, she had the fortune to accompany her professor on a trip to the desert, where she met the nomadic tribes that roamed the sands. At night, they would tether their camels, and come morning, they’d release them. Yet, the camels never strayed too far, forever remembering the night spent tied beneath the tree. It was much like the pain Brielle had endured, firmly anchoring her to the present.
The little girl who begged for survival, the girl who hid in a corner crying after being struck by a stranger, the girl who yearned for a home, and the girl who discovered the affair between Spencer and Lillian…
She thought she had come out of it all, but when facing Max, she realized she had never really escaped.
No matter how confident she presented herself, deep down she was acutely aware that she and Max, a man favored by fortune, were worlds apart.
In moments free of worry, her past poverty merely meant the difference between having a simple bread roll and a steak for dinner, never detracting from her happiness. But once her heart fluttered for someone, she deeply felt the inferiority that poverty wrought. That inferiority
was exclusive to her time with him.
And Max? He could never truly comprehend it.
Max finished wiping her neck, then grabbed her hand, drying each fingertip meticulously. After attending to her left hand, he moved on to the right. While wiping, his fingers lingered on her lips, gently pressing down.
A sudden urge to confess washed over him.
He had kept a close watch on Spencer, making sure the man stayed alive. Whatever Brielle intended to negotiate with Spencer for Ryan’s sake, he had decided not to interfere, always waiting for her to approach him. But Brielle seemed to have no such plans. Her heart was as hard as stone.
His hands clenched slightly in irritation, but then he worried he might actually hurt her and eased the pressure.
Now, at three in the morning, he finished his task and stepped out of the hospital room. The places he had touched felt cool; Brielle slowly opened her eyes. She sat up, caressing her cheek, then turned her head in stunned silence towards the door.
Perhaps too shocked to fully wake, words escaped her.
Once he left, reality hit her. She hastily threw off the covers to get out of bed. There were so many things she wanted to say, even if just a word or two. But with a re–injured leg, the pain
Chapter 274
was too much, not to mention a slight infection had caused a fever overnight, sapping her strength.
She grabbed a nearby crutch, managed a single step, and stumbled to the floor. With sheer determination, she tossed the crutch aside and dragged her leg behind her, enduring the pain as she followed.
As she neared the corner, she caught sight of Max by the elevator, her eyes lighting up with hope. Just as she was about to speak, Max’s phone rang. He seemed exhausted, rubbing his temples before answering. “Alivia, you’re coming back to the country? When?”
The name ‘Alivia‘ hit Brielle like a heavy nail, pinning her in place. It was like a cup of poison. silencing her throat. She couldn’t speak, couldn’t move forward.
Attraction is strange. You can’t help but draw closer, mustering the courage to explore, yet when they show the slightest frown, you retreat to where you started.
Brielle did just that, her newfound courage shattered.
Alivia was returning home, and to everyone in the Dorsey family, and even to those in Beaconsfield, Alivia and Max were a match made in heaven.
And what was she in comparison?
Max’s kindness stemmed from good manners. Had it not been for their past encounter, he would have protected any woman just the same.
The bitterness spreading from her chest nearly drowned her. Brielle stopped listening, painfully made her way back to the hospital room, leaning against the wall for support.
She had almost fooled herself into thinking he cared, but how could she forget about Alivia? He had even said he’d never considered marrying her.
Even if she managed to stop him now, he was bound to leave eventually. Rather than live in constant fear of loss, it was better not to start anything at all.
In that respect, she and Max were alike. Two overly rational people, aspiring to be together. destined to face trials and tribulations.
