Chapter 455

“I just don’t know what she’s thinking sometimes.” Max spoke with a casual detachment. “Brielle tends to keep a lot bottled up.”

A slight smile tugged at Alivia’s lips as she heard this. Alivia knew that even if it were someone else in Brielle’s shoes, they wouldn’t spill the beans to this man either.

From Brielle’s perspective, the child was gone, and that was a fact no one could change. If Max found out, he wouldn’t just clash with Martha, but maybe Michael would get involved too, and before you know it, the whole Dorsey clan would be up in arms. And as the heir to the Dorsey estate. Max would undoubtedly bear the brunt of the chaos.

The more Brielle cared for Max, the tighter she would hold onto this secret. But the more she kept it to herself, the more she suffered alone. Sooner or later, her emotions were bound to collapse.

Moreover, Alivia had made up her mind. Tormenting Brielle was just the beginning. She would slowly make Brielle realize the consequences of taking what belonged to someone else.

“Aunt Martha mentioned Ms. Brielle today. It seems like she’s caught on to your relationship.” Alivia added.

Max glanced at her, his gaze unintentional yet probing..

Alivia rushed to clarify. “I never mentioned anything to Aunt Martha, but you know how perceptive she can be when she’s lucid.”

Max was initially suspicious of Alivia, but over the years, she’d always maintained a respectful distance, never too close for comfort, so there was no reason for her to stir trouble. “I know,” he acknowledged.

Alivia breathed a sigh of relief, a trace of resignation appearing on her face on cue.

“We’ve known each other for years, Max. You should know the kind of person I am. If I really wanted to force you into marriage, playing the damsel in distress would be the most direct approach.”

Indeed, if Alivia were determined to marry Max, that tactic would certainly pressure both sets of parents to lean on Max. But that would mean losing his heart forever. What good was a title without love? She had always been clear about her goal: she wanted Max’s heart.

“Max, if you’re feeling down, my brother organized a barbecue. Not sure if you got the invite, but are you going?”

She probed about the barbecue guest list. Kenzo had asked if she wanted to attend, but being tight–

lipped as ever, he didn’t reveal the guest list. Alivia had found out that some of the people she knew weren’t invited.

Max was surely on the list, but it was uncertain whether he’d attend. If he brought Brielle along. it would be quite the spectacle, with Brielle becoming an awkward presence there.

11:50 “I’m going, and I’m taking Brielle for a breath of fresh air.”

With the answer in hand, Alivia’s lips curled slightly, pretending to glance at the time. “It’s getting late, and even if there’s a misunderstanding between you two, it’s best to clear the air soon. Let’s head out together.”

Max nodded, but his mind was elsewhere. As they reached the nursing home’s entrance, Alivia bid him farewell and hopped into her car first.

Max stood in the chill of the night air for a moment, the cold breeze sharpening his senses. Just as he was about to head to his own vehicle, Alivia emerged from hers. “Max, can you give me a lift? I’m out of gas, and I can’t even make it to the nearest station.”

She had put it so plainly. Given that she was here to see Martha and that they had known each other for years, Max couldn’t just leave her to hail a cab.

“Sure.”

Alivia finally got her wish to ride in Max’s car.

The moment she saw Max at the nursing home, she had someone discreetly drain her car’s fuel. Max might’ve not been fond of her, but he wouldn’t let a friend take a cab home.

Settling into the car, Alivia’s lips curved up again. Following his gaze, she could only see his stern profile.

Around them, journalists who had been lying in wait snapped photos of them leaving the nursing home together and getting into the car. They quickly posted them online.

Alivia’s return to the country had already drawn attention, especially within the circles of the elite.

Almost everyone was tracking her movements.

Though a union between the Barnes and Dorsey families was seemingly destined, Max himself had never publicly acknowledged it. The media had always speculated, eager to know the truth. Fortunately for them, someone tipped off the reporters about their whereabouts that night, and they got their big scoop.

The moment the photos hit the internet, they were blasted by suggesting the two were having a late–

night rendezvous.

overy major news outlet.

One particularly well–angled shot made it seem as though they were kissing under the cover of night, even though they were still a distance apart. The photo captured an intimate moment that wasn’t, sparking a frenzy of speculation and gossip.