Chapter 410

The air was thick with tension.

William’s face turned icy, his expression souring by the second. The few executives surrounding him sensed the tension ramping up between him and Brielle and, feigning deafness, made a hasty retreat.

Brielle stood her ground, watching William approach with a steely gaze. Ever since the debacle with Sarah that William had engineered, there was no pretense of civility between them.

“Brielle,” he began with a sneer. “You flirt with Max on the one hand, while you help Ryan, your ex–

father–in–law, claw his way back into Dorsey International. Does Max know about your undying torch for Spencer? This time, Spencer really should be thanking you.”

“Mr. William, you needn’t worry about my affairs. Perhaps you should concern yourself with your own issues. The police are investigating Sarah’s case, and I’m sure the puppet master behind the scenes is starting to sweat, aren’t they?”

William’s eyes darkened, a mix of amusement and malice dancing within them. How could the police possibly trace anything back to him? He’d been playing the game in Beaconsfield for years, with plenty of pawns willing to fall on their swords for him. Brielle was just too naive if she thought the world was black and white.

“Brielle, you’re a ridiculous,” he taunted. “Just wait until Michael hears about your little escapades with Max. Both of you will be in deep trouble, especially Max. He’ll lose all trust from Michael.”

And then, there would be no place for Max in the Dorsey family.

“Mr. William, who’s the real fool here? Max’s vision encompasses mountains and seas, but your sight is forever confined under the Dorsey family’s roof. You use gentility as a tool to probe hearts and your privileged cunning to curry favor with Michael. I now see why Max never bothered to mention you.

Someone who can’t see beyond the Dorsey family’s shadow simply doesn’t qualify as his adversary.”

Her words hit him like a physical blow.

William’s face contorted with rage. No one had ever humiliated him like this!

His jaw clenched so tight he thought his teeth might crack, his carefully maintained facade crumbling away. He could barely breathe, his fury shaking with each exhale. Catching a glimpse of pity in Brielle’s eyes only added to his humiliation.

Brielle, that damned bietch!

He had lived as the Dorsey family’s eldest for years, only to be outdone by someone two decades his junior. It was a cruel joke.

Max was a prodigy alright, but what right did he have to be the chosen successor?

12:57 William’s countenance grew colder, bordering on murderous. He felt an almost uncontrollable urge to strangle Brielle on the spot. To him, Brielle was nothing but an ant, easily crushed. underfoot. Yet she dared to provoke him in his own minefield.

His lips pressed into a thin line. It was only by a sliver of remaining sanity that he didn’t lash out then and there. The storm in his eyes was brewing, and he finally forced himself to turn and walk to the waiting car.

After he drove off, Brielle remained rooted to the spot. She wasn’t intended to provoke William, but she couldn’t just sit idly by with her life on the line.

Her palms were sweaty, and she knew that had it been a second later, she would be dead. The flower pot dropping from such a height was no accident; it was clear she wasn’t meant to survive.

Avoiding William wasn’t an option; he already saw her as a thorn in his side and was eager to remove her.

Once William was in the car, his internal turmoil continued. His grip tightened as he watched Brielle from a distance.

Brielle felt as if a venomous snake was watching her, and only when the car was hundreds of meters away did that oppressive gaze vanish. Clutching her upset stomach, she frowned slightly. Was the confrontation causing her stomach issues to flare up?

She made her way to a nearby pharmacy by Pearl Estate, barely managing to request some antacids, but the pharmacist, noticing her pallor, asked the routine question.

“Do you have period cramps? Do you usually take painkillers for it?”

Brielle froze, her fingers tightening over her abdomen. Her period, it had been a while…

Panic set in, and the pharmacist, mistaking her reaction for confirmation, reached for a box of ibuprofen. “If the pain’s that bad, take this,” he suggested.

But Brielle’s eyes were fixed on the pregnancy tests behind him, her breath catching. She and Max hadn’t been careful, and now she was to blame for forgetting something so critical.

“I’ll take one of those,” she pointed, her voice betraying her unease.

The pharmacist gave her a knowing look. “Young lady, remember to use protection next time. It’s irresponsible not to, and if you are pregnant, what then if the man doesn’t step up? Just yesterday, I had a young guy, barely twenty, asking for abortion pills.”

Feeling a heatwave envelop her body, Brielle grabbed the pregnancy test and hurried back to Pearl Estate. Once home, with the test in hand and the computer on the coffee table still. displaying the news of Alivia’s return to the country, she felt utterly drained.