Chapter 180

Max set down his spoon and picked up a napkin from the table, gently wiping the corner of Brielle’s mouth.

Brielle flinched away as if Michael was watching right beside them, her whole body tense with discomfort.

Her evasion only made Max’s gaze grow more intense. He caught her chin in his hand, his words directed to Michael though he wasn’t there.

“Not at Premier Palace.”

“Then where are you?”

Brielle’s pupils contracted, a shiver running through her as she saw the displeasure spread across his face. She bit her lower lip, a mixture of excitement, tension, and panic swirling in her chest.

Max took a few seconds to savor her expression, his eyes twinkling with amusement, “I’m at the hospital with…”

Before he could finish. Brielle’s lips met his, sealing them shut.

Her action was almost reflexive, spurred by her frantic state.

Michael’s voice echoed in his ear.

“What are you doing at the hospital? Are you not feeling well?

Max, which hospital are you at? I’ll send someone to look after you.”

Brielle’s lips quivered against his, her eyelashes fluttering with anxiety.

Max found himself charmed, he gently bit her lip, savoring the moment.

Heat flooded Brielle’s cheeks, and she wanted to retreat but couldn’t, her hands tensed to the point where the IV in her arm began to show traces of blood backflow.

Max finally let her go, then replied to Michael.

“No need, it’s a minor issue. I’ll be there soon.”

“That’s good to hear. You’re busy all year round, never taking care of yourself, nor settling down. When you give me a grandchild to hold, I wouldn’t need to constantly remind you over the phone. Since Jose is here tonight, let’s discuss your and Alivia’s situation in detail. Anyway, come back soon, dinner’s almost ready. Don’t keep us waiting.”

“Yeah.”

Max ended the call and turned to Brielle. “I’ll have someone come take care of you.”

The hospital room fell silent. As he stood to leave, his coat was tugged at.

14:11 Brielle looked up at him, her grip loosening only after a long moment, “No need, I’ll go home once the drip is done.”

“You’re staying for two days. It’s necessary.

Max looked at his crumpled coat, his tone softening. “Don’t want to stay?”

Brielle nodded. She indeed disliked hospitals, and the smell of disinfectant made her uneasy.

During her years with the Haywood family, each hospital stay meant waking up alone to white walls, a setting that triggered anxiety.

Moreover, Max was headed to the Dorsey family estate to discuss his marriage to Alivia with the Barnes family.

How much longer could their relationship last?

She felt like a condemned prisoner awaiting execution.

“If you don’t want to stay, then go to Premier Palace. I’ll have Patrick pick you up.”

“I want to go back to my apartment.”

Brielle’s eyes dropped.

Her stomach wasn’t in pain, but her heart began to ache.

Her face grew paler, fragile in its beauty, as if it might shatter at a touch.

“Brielle, what are you really thinking about?”

Max stepped closer, bending down to look at her.

He was unbeatable in the business world but clueless about the intricacies of a woman’s heart. Brielle felt weary, leaning back against the bedpost. She closed her eyes and said, “Mr. Dorsey. should our relationship come to an end?”

Max stood by the bed, a sharp sting piercing his heart.

He frowned, a surge of inexplicable irritation welling up inside.

He had imagined a thousand scenarios of what she might say next.

Perhaps – Will you stay with me at the hospital?

Could you not discuss marriage plans with the Barnes family?

If she just looked up at him with teary eyes and asked, he would surely relent, b ut he never expected her to say this.

Indeed, Brielle was always so clear–headed.

He was probably the only one not thinking clearly.

14:12 S eeing her all pale and frail, Max couldn’t bear to be angry, pretending indifference as he turned away.

“You want to end it?”

It took all her strength for Brielle to nod faintly, as if hearing the sound of her heart breaking.

A chill flashed across Max’s eyes. At the door, he left only one sentence. “We’ll see.”

With that, he left without hesitation.

He walked stiffly to the elevator, kicking a trash can along the way.

It was hard to imagine such a normally reserved man showing such a childish side.

Max felt suffocated. Today the elevator seemed exceptionally stifling, as if he could hardly breathe.

Was it because the weather had turned gloomy?