Chapter 418

The moment Alivia heard a woman’s voice, her face contorted in disgust. Her hand at her side clenched so tightly that her nails dug into her palm. There was no doubting it; Brielle picked up the call.

She had thought Brielle had some sort of talent, but as it turned out, she was just a man–stealer, a homewrecker. Such tactics were despicable to Alivia, even contemptible.

She guessed that Max was either working late, with his phone out of reach, or he’d already fallen asleep, allowing Brielle to act so brazenly.

The taste of blood filled Alivia’s mouth. She yeared for Brielle to just vanish.

As low and vile as the method was, Alivia had to admit that the damn woman had succeeded in getting under her skin. “I need to speak with Max. Who is this?” She feigned ignorance of Brielle’s identity, keeping her tone as flat as possible.

Brielle arched an eyebrow, cool as a cucumber. Well then, let’s see how long Alivia could keep this up.

A smirk danced at the corners of her lips as she knocked on the bathroom door. “Max, Ms. Alivia here says she needs you.”

The sound of water stopped once again, with Max stepping out of the steamy bathroom wrapped in a towel. He towered over her, looking down with a height advantage.

Brielle’s gaze slipped downwards, catching sight of his still–dripping torso. Her cheeks flushed as she averted her eyes. She couldn’t help but say, “Why don’t you dry off?”

Caught up in the allure of his masculine appeal, she’d momentarily forgotten she was on the phone.

Realizing her lapse, she glanced at the mobile device.

Thinking she was gesturing for him to take the call, Max naturally grabbed the phone and held it to his ear. “Alivia, what’s up?”

Alivia was gritting her teeth, eyes icy with contempt. She was convinced Brielle was doing this on purpose, trying to make her look foolish, but she was no ordinary woman, and if Brielle thought these petty games could drive her away, Brielle was sorely mistaken.

Though disgusted, Alivia’s tone regained its composure. “I’m helping Auntie pick out a caregiver. I’ve gone through four or five candidates, and none are quite right. I wanted to check on the specific side effects of the new medication so that I could brief them properly. We don’t want them to mishandle her care.”

Max’s brow furrowed. It wasn’t that he found Alivia off–putting, he was just puzzled. It was midnight;

surely, this could have been discussed during the day. Why now? And the care facility he’d chosen was well–staffed with top–trained caregivers. Why would Alivia need to find someone else?

“The care home’s staff is more than adequate.”

“But I’m still worried about Martha. Ever since you’ve been away, her spirits have been low. The professionals are very competent but seem afraid of making mistakes. They lack a certain… warmth.

The people I’m choosing are from the Barnes family. They can keep her company and have a chat.”

Alivia’s reasoning was watertight.

The facility was part of the Rowland family’s holdings, and to curry favor with Max, they’d made it abundantly clear to everyone to take great care of Martha, emphasizing her status repeatedly, and likely warning them of dire consequences for any slip–ups. Under such pressure, the staff would naturally be walking on eggshells, afraid to err. So, Alivia’s concerns. seemed justified.

Brielle, overhearing this exchange, felt that if Max made things difficult for Allvia now, he’d be ungrateful. She moved to retreat to the bed but was stopped by Max’s grip on her wrist.

Without hiding from Alivia on the phone, Max addressed Brielle directly. “Don’t walk barefoot on the floor. It’s cold.”

Only then did Brielle look down at her feet. The room’s floor was spotless and disinfected daily by the housekeeping staff. She had forgotten to put on slippers when she got out of bed, and when Max reminded her, she felt a chill. She hurried back to the bed, curling her toes.

Still talking to Alivia, Max moved closer to the bed and placed Brielle’s feet in his empty palm to warm them. “As for side effects, there’s a propensity for agitation, same as before, but this new medication intensifies that unpredictability. Meaning, my mother could lash out at any moment, like before, but she’ll have more moments of clarity.”

Alivia wasn’t really listening: her mind was reeling with Max’s tender instructions to Brielle. The thought of the two of them sharing a room, possibly about to share a bed, was driving her to a jealous frenzy, but her voice remained calm and collected. “Got it. I was just a bit anxious and called you. Sorry for interrupting your rest, huh?”