Chapter 644
The accident had already been captured on camera by passing motorists.
Max and Andrew’s faces were familiar to anyone who flipped through the business section of the daily paper. They were celebrities in their own right, with Max commanding even more attention than Hollywood’s leading men.
However, before the video could go viral, it was forcefully suppressed. It was pulled from the internet and remained unseen by the general public.
Meanwhile, within the elite circles, rumors were spreading like wildfire.
Max and Andrew had come to blows. It was not just a scuffle–it was a brutal fight to the bitter end.
At that moment, Brielle was sitting in Max’s car, noticing the bloodstains on his knuckles beneath the coat he’d worn since morning. She quickly reached for the first aid kit stashed under the seat.
A chill seemed to radiate from Max, so Patrick tactfully lowered the privacy screen.
Brielle knew that her and Andrew’s near–miss with the truck had shaken Max. It had scared her, too, to the point where she thought she and Andrew might’ve actually died.
She took out the first aid kit and gently cleaned the blood from his knuckles with a cotton swab. He just had a scratch from the glass, thankfully not too deep. As she was about to blow on the wound, Max took the swab and started to remove her jacket.
“Don’t move,” he said, his voice icy.
Brielle shivered. “I’m really okay, it doesn’t hurt.”
Although it was a minor cut, it was still bleeding. It hadn’t hurt at first, but under Max’s intense gaze, she became acutely aware of the pain.
The car pulled up at the hospital, with Jaired’s vehicle not far behind. There was no interaction between them.
Max led Brielle to the ER without so much as a sideways glance.
Her arm throbbed, her stomach ached, and the violent car surge left her head buzzing.
“A mild concussion, nothing serious. The cut just needs to be disinfected,” the doctor said after a brief examination.
After treating Brielle’s wound and warning her to keep it dry, the doctor was ready to send her on her way, but Max insisted she stay at the hospital for observation for a couple of days, concerned about potential complications from the concussion. Brielle had no choice but to
agree.
Meanwhile, in the operating room down the hall, the surgeons had successfully removed the
11:13
Chapter 044
glass shards from Andrew’s chest.
Lucky guy.” they remarked with “If it had been just a tad off, it would’ve pierced his heart.
Indeed, he was lucky.
a sigh of relief.
When Andrew regained consciousness, he was surrounded by the Clements family members, all wearing grim expressions. It was obvious to everyone that this brawl with Max was serious. Both sides definitely needed to sit down and hash it out. Andrew’s injury wasn’t exactly a scratch, while Max appeared to be in the pink of health. No matter which way you cut it, Andrew seemed to have drawn the short end of the stick.
The chatter from Andrew’s relatives was giving him a headache. “I need to rest,” he grumbled.
Marissa ushered the others out, leaving them alone.
“Is Tessa here?” he asked once they’d left.
Marissa’s expression soured. “Yeah, she’s here. Crying to see you and causing a scene.”
Andrew, annoyed by her sardonic tone, chided her. “Mom, you used to be so good to her. Why the sudden change?”
Before Marissa could reply, the door swung open, and Tessa appeared, looking pitiful with swollen eyes. “Andrew,” she gasped, clutching his hand as if it took all her strength.
Her reaction was genuine. She was devastated remembering how Andrew had instinctively protected Aubree, the woman she loathed.
“Stop crying,” Andrew said, his frown deepening.
Marissa, tired of their melodrama, got up to leave. “The wedding is set for next week. Your grandfather and Michael are already dealing with the situation between you and Max. We need a bigger story to distract the public. It’s the perfect time to announce your marriage. The Rowland family’s reputation might be shaky, but our PR will spin you as the devoted fiancé. It’ll shield us from backlash. Get ready.”
She paused, turning to Tessa with a pointed look. “I’ve kept my word. Make sure you keep yours.”
Tessa’s grip tightened, feeling faint from frustration and anger. She began to cough, dabbing her mouth with a tissue that quickly spotted with blood. Her body was too frail, and she was far from accepting it.
She made sure Andrew saw the blood, her voice tinged with desperation. “Andrew, do you agree? Shall we get married next week? Marissa is about to release the news. Is that okay?”
