Chapter 327

Spencer felt the last vestige of color drain from his face. He was a Dorsey, through and through, and yet here he was, having to get Brielle’s permission to even step foot into Dorsey Enterprises. Why the hell should he?

But the man laying down the law was Max. Even with a heart full of reluctance, Spencer didn’t dare act out in front of Max.

Spencer’s fists tightened slowly, and his knuckles were whitening, before he finally let go. “I get it. I’ll play by the rules,” he muttered.

Max gave Spencer a cursory nod, his indifference as cutting as a blade, before he turned on his heel and left.

As soon as he was gone, Faith emerged from behind a nearby column. Her voice was laden with concern as she clutched Spencer’s sleeve. “What’s gotten into you? You used to be all about Lillian, and now you’re chasing after that bastard girl? Did that kidnapping knock something loose in your head?”

Spencer’s control snapped, and his fist slammed into the column with such force that it came away bloody.

Faith yelped, instantly pulling out a handkerchief with a maternal instinct. “What are your doing?”

Spencer’s lips parted as if to speak, but before a word could escape, a sharp slap cut the air. His cheek flared with pain, and his mouth filled with the metallic taste of blood.

Spencer turned to face the assailant, meeting Ryan’s burning gaze.

Ryan and Faith had been there the whole time, waiting for Max to leave before they dared to show themselves. Ryan was no fool. He saw right through his son’s intentions. It wasn’t just about vying for the family fortune; it was about winning over a woman.

Was it a case of the early bird getting the worm? But could Brielle even be considered a prize?

Faith’s pupils shrank in fear, yet she didn’t dare go against Ryan. Her voice sounded timid as she intervened. “Let’s just talk this through. Spencer’s probably still rattled from the kidnapping. He never gave Brielle the time of day before.”

But Spencer, clutching his stricken face, was already staring off in the direction Max had gone. “Mom, Dad, that was then,” he said, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth before striding away with a resolute step.

Faith and Ryan were left behind, and their expressions were turning stormy. A dark resolve flickered in Ryan’s eyes. He had thought to use Brielle to get at Max, but now it seemed unnecessary. Max was heartless. No woman held a special place with him. And now his own son had fallen under Brielle’s spell, and nearly incited the wrath of the patriarch, Michael.

Brielle was a disaster that couldn’t be allowed to linger.

15-09 Max reached the family estate’s driveway and got into his car, unbuttoning the top button of his shirt.

Since Michael had been rushed to the ER, nobody had rested. The day before had been spent executing the patriarch’s orders and dealing with the Barnes family. By his count, Max hadn’t slept in two days.

Patrick sat in the driver’s seat, catching the red in Max’s eyes through the rearview mirror. “Sir, shall we head back to Premier Palace for some rest?”

Max’s eyelashes quivered, and his hand massaged his temple as his voice came out husky with fatigue. “Take me to Radiant Light Church.”

Patrick looked surprised. “Now?”

“Yes.”

Max’s voice was soft, and his exhaustion was evident as he leaned back in his seat, his aristocratic bearing undiminished. With a few buttons undone, his Adam’s apple stood out starkly against his skin.

Patrick knew better than to argue. The weather service had already issued travel warnings. The temperature was expected to plummet, and there might even be snow in higher elevations. It wasn’t safe to travel, but he knew Max was aware of the risks.

Max was probably feeling guilty about standing up Brielle, and even though he was two days late, he felt compelled to go.

Patrick had often thought that in some ways, the two were alike. The day he informed Max that Ms.

Brielle planned to rest at home, Max had predicted she would go to the church alone. But at that time, with Michael still in the emergency room, Max, as the Dorsey family’s pillar, couldn’t leave.

Turned out, Ms. Brielle had indeed gone alone.

“Sir, why don’t you rest a while? I’ll drive slower.”

Max didn’t respond and just closed his eyes and rested against the seat, surrendering to his weariness.