Chapter 351

“Alivia, thank you.”

Max’s chill seemed to fade a bit as he stepped out to discuss the potential side effects of the new medication with the doctor.

Once he was gone. Alivia’s eyes brimmed with venom, her grip tightening on Martha’s hand until it reddened.

Martha slowly opened her eyes and, seeing Alivia distressed, couldn’t help but reach out, “Alivia, what’s wrong?”

Quickly dabbing at her teary eyes, Alivia apologized, “I’m sorry, Aunt Martha. Did I hurt you? I was just lost in thought.”

“Did Max give you a hard time?”

“No, Max would never do that to me.”

“Then someone must have come into Max’s life, someone who’s making you unhappy?”

Martha was a sharp woman when lucid and had hit the nail on the head. Alivia fell silent, letting her gaze drop. “Aunt Martha, you just focus on getting better. Don’t worry about anything else.”

Martha’s moments of clarity were few. Now, she stared at the ceiling. “I heard they’re trying a new drug on me. It’s supposed to give me more lucid time, but with side effects. After I start the treatment, I’ll be moved to a care facility back home. Alivia, you’re the daughter–in–law I’ve chosen for Max. Only when you two are married will I rest in peace.”

A flicker of amusement crossed Alivia’s eyes. “Aunt Martha, concentrate on your health. Don’t fret over our relationship.”

Martha’s gaze was steely. “As for other women, I won’t allow them anywhere near Max.”

This was what Alivia wanted. She couldn’t control Max, but she could easily manage the people around him.

With the new drug. Martha would likely spend a couple of months in recovery. By the time she returned to Beaconsfield, things would certainly heat up.

“Aunt Martha, I’ll keep an eye on Max for you, but please, don’t mention any of this in front of him, okay?”

Martha closed her eyes, already weary from the brief moment of alertness. “Mhm.”

After wiping Martha’s palm, Alivia retreated to a corner of the hallway and dialed Noah to check on his progress.

At the sight of the incoming call, Noah felt a flush of heat on the other side of his desk sat Brielle.

Brielle was organizing files from a recent executive meeting and raised an eyebrow at the flashing name on his screen. “Mr. Noah, aren’t you going to answer that?”

Noah slammed his documents onto the desk with frustration and embarrassment. “My calls are none of your business! Brielle, I heard you voted against Spencer. You really play hardball. If Spencer doesn’t get into Dorsey International, he’ll become the laughing stock of Beaconsfield.”

The idea of a Dorsey family member not making it into the family company was indeed quite comical.

Brielle merely smiled, her poise unshaken as she regarded the other executives in the room. “My vote wasn’t decisive. Whether Spencer gets in is up to HR. Mr. Noah, I was merely asking about your call.

Why do you seem to have stepped on a landmine? Could it be that Ms. Alivia is someone you’d rather keep hidden?”

“You!” Noah was livid, and his grip on his phone turned white. With a final glare at Brielle, he stormed out of the conference room. Alivia’s timing with her call couldn’t have been worse.

Finding a quiet spot, Noah cleared his throat and finally answered the call. “Alivia?”

He expected her to immediately ask if he had completed his task, but instead, she inquired about his well–being and if he had encountered any troubles at work lately.

In matters of cunning and strategy, Noah was no match for Alivia. She deftly steered the conversation towards his job frustrations, which, as it turned out, were mostly due to Brielle. Thus, the topic naturally shifted to her. “Noah, did you make any progress with what I mentioned last time?”

He stiffened at the mention of Brielle, his anger flaring anew. “I thought I was close several times, but Brielle plays hard to get like a pro. And you know about Spencer, right? He broke off their engagement before, publicly dismissing her – everyone at the company knows. Now, he’s inexplicably desperate to work under her, as her assistant of all things. I swear, Brielle’s like a siren, casting spells on men. Why else would Spencer swallow his pride like this?”

Alivia gleaned the essential information from Noah’s rant. Brielle and Spencer’s ties were not yet severed.