Chapter 265

Max’s gaze was piercing, holding her chin with an intensity that was both unsettling and. mesmerizing.

Slowly, he released his grip.

Brielle rubbed her jaw where his fingers had left an imprint. It didn’t hurt, but the sudden assertiveness in his touch had startled her.

Max straightened up, his expression turning cold, as if the momentary loss of control was an illusion. “If you don’t fancy staying at Premier Palace, then nurse your wounds at home.”

He took out a card and placed it on the clasp of her chest. The gesture was somewhat frivolous, as if intentionally insulting her.

“I said it was over last time, but I forgot to give you this–let’s call it severance.”

Brielle’s face drained of color, her hand tightening at her side. “What do you mean?”

Max, however, no longer wished to say much. Instead, he walked calmly to the entrance hall.

Sometimes, one’s shadow can do more damage than words ever could.

Brielle surged to her feet, intent on following, but her injured leg buckled after a few steps. sending her stumbling to the floor. “Max!”

The doorway was empty.

Gritting her teeth, Brielle hoisted herself up, grabbed a cane that had clattered to the floor, and hobbled to the door. There was no one in the hallway: he must have gone downstairs.

In desperation, she rode the elevator down, frantically pressing the button for the ground floor. By the time she limped out of the building, only the streetlights cast long shadows on the pavement. She approached the night guard, inquiring if a black car had left in the last two minutes.

The guard shook his head. “No cars have left recently.”

A flicker of disappointment crossed Brielle’s eyes. Max’s car was probably in the underground garage.

Was it too late to catch up? And even if she did, what would she say?

They were divided by a barrier that seemed insurmountable. Perhaps even without it, he’d never truly cross over.

Their relationship had been tainted from the start. His parting gift of a card was a fitting end to their illicit affair.

Brielle held the card tightly in her hand, walking aimlessly into the room with a dazed expression. Once in her room, she sat down, feeling a headache coming on, and a vague ache around her heart. The couch still held the warmth of Max’s presence.

She regretted the lie she had told. Yet given another chance, she still wouldn’t confess to to kidnapping Spencer. Her feelings for Max weren’t strong enough to warrant trust.

In that moment, Brielle envied children who grew up in loving homes, who knew what a healthy relationship looked like and had a keen sense for love. They could easily find their way to the right path.

Brielle’s upbringing had left her without a compass, uncertain of what was good, unsure who to trust. It took years of hitting walls before she could recognize the right path. Spencer was one such wall; her acquaintance with Max too brief to judge its direction.

Her phone began to ring. She glanced at the caller ID, hesitating. The phone stopped, only to start ringing again shortly after.

Annoyed, Brielle was about to turn off the device when she noticed the call was from Tiffanie. “Hello, what’s up?”

“Brielle, are you sure Spencer was in that room? My friend checked, but it’s empty. We searched everywhere possible, and there’s no sign of Spencer.”

Brielle’s pupils dilated sharply. She had left Spencer in the bathroom–how could he not be there?

Could it be Lillian? No, Lillian was probably still detained at the police station, unable to interfere.

Who then?

“Tiffanie, have you checked the hotel surveillance?”

“Yeah, but footage from that period is missing. And Brielle, there’s more. All surveillance related to you has been wiped. You were here for a night, but there’s no trace of you. Besides the hotel. staff, no one else can tamper with the footage, so it must be an inside job. Whoever did it must have been following orders. You should ask Maxie about it.”