Chapter 344

Martha’s emotions surged again, and she threw back the covers, poised to leap out of bed. Max. held her firmly in place and pressed the call bell beside the bed.

The doctor hurried in with a sedative and administered a shot.

Max looked at his gaunt mother, his face betraying little emotion. Only after the sedative had taken effect did he turn to the doctor. “When do we start with the new medication?”

“In three days at the latest. For now, we have to rely on sedatives to keep her under control. When she gets agitated, she becomes aggressive and hostile to everything around her. This isn’t just a simple case of mental illness. Maybe we should try to find the root cause.”

What was the root cause? Max racked his brain. Martha’s moods had always been volatile, but what could be the trigger? The Dorsey family had skeletons in their closet, but which one was coming back to haunt them now?

He frowned, and his hand automatically moved to massage his temple.

The doctor gestured upstairs. “Max, you should get some rest, too. Dinner will be prepared downstairs later, and I’ll come up to get you.”

He nodded and then glanced at Alivia.

Of course, Alivia wanted to stay, but before she could voice her desire, Max asked, “Are there other rooms.on the ground floor?” He didn’t even want her on the same floor as him.

A shadow crossed Alivia’s eyes. Her resentment grew for whoever had managed to leave such an intimate mark on Max. Her chest trembled with suppressed emotion, and her hand clenched slowly, yet her voice remained steady. “Yes, there is one next to Auntie Martha’s. I’ll go and rest then, Max.”

Alivia retreated to her room, taking deep breaths to compose herself. She perched by the window, her brows furrowed in thought.

Max had always been distant with her, but she never minded. She wanted Max, If Max returned her affections, all would be well. But if his heart lay elsewhere, it didn’t matter. As long as she tied him to her, there would be ample time to erase the marks left by other women.

This was the worst–case scenario. A scenario Alivia had never even considered. In her mind, Max was incapable of love.

When she used to visit Martha, she’d heard stories about Max’s childhood, how he rarely smiled, how he might have starved in the attic had no one brought him breakfast. Once, due to a servant’s negligence, Max went without food for two days and lost a significant amount of weight. Martha had thought her son was simple–minded until she realized he simply lacked certain emotions.

Hearing these stories, Alivia felt they were beyond her comprehension. What kind of child didn’t cry out when hungry? Was he really prepared to starve in the attic?

15:14 It was terrifying. How could a man who could be so indifferent to himself, ever show warmth to others?

So, she believed Max was incapable of love.

But if that were true, how could he let someone else leave such a mark?

That bite mark would haunt Alivia’s nightmares. She was desperate to return home to Investigate, but she couldn’t afford for anything to happen to her anchor, Martha.

Having calmed her nerves, Alivia gazed out the window at the garden, designed by a renowned landscape architect. The sight was genuinely soothing.

Her eyes landed on some purple flowers – irises. Her expression darkened, a flash of malice in her eyes. She hoped it wasn’t what she thought.

Pulling out her phone, she hesitated, then dialed Spencer. She knew Spencer well because they grew up in the same circles.

These days, Spencer was consumed with finding evidence of Brielle and Max’s secret encounters. He didn’t care about anything else. The suspicion gnawed at him, a pain that throbbed relentlessly. He needed answers to either confirm or dispel his hunch.

After a fire at Brielle’s apartment building, all the residents had relocated. Spencer had asked around, and thanks to connections through Ryan, he was at yet another temporary housing unit. His eyes were red with a predatory glare.

Before stepping in, he called Brielle, even though it was approaching eight in the evening. The time difference meant his call coincided with Alivia’s. He had no intention of answering Alivia’s call anyway.

As if under a spell, he waited for Brielle to pick up.

Brielle had spent the day at home. Seeing Spencer’s call, her brows knitted together. What was he up to now? She hit the decline button.

Spencer’s message came through immediately. [Brielle, this is your last chance to come clean withstand my retaliation.]

with me. If I find out myself, you won’t be able to Madman.

Brielle regretted removing him from the blacklist, yet she was curious about what Spencer could possibly stir up.