Chapter 556

Brielle greeted Ricardo and they stood amidst a gaggle of giggling children, with smiles. plastered on their faces. Later, they moved and unpacked items together. All those photographe landed on Max’s phone.

Max was out like a light, the sleeping pill having taken quick effect. Even in slumber, a “light frown creased his forehead.

Exhausted from helping unpack, Brielle could barely lift a finger. She hadn’t eaten since noon and was now sprawled on the couch, panting with her eyes closed, devoid of any energy.

Driving back to Premier Palace was out of the question at this point; she couldn’t even muster the strength to stand up. She leaned back and succumbed to sleep right there on the couch Ricardo glanced at the still–excited children, now playing with their new toys, and placed a finger to his lips in a hushing gesture. The children immediately caught on and quieted down “Will Brielle catch a cold sleeping like that?”

“Ricardo, why don’t you give her your jacket?”

Instead of undressing, Ricardo found a soft throw blanket and draped it over Brielle. It was as if cameras were always lurking around them, ready to snapshot any closeness between the two and send the images at lightning speed to Max. The innocent act of Ricardo covering Brielle with the blanket while she was oblivious in her exhaustion seemed sweet and tender to an outsider.

In her dreams, Brielle knitted a scarf snug in Max’s embrace during the holidays while he read her poems by Borges, word by word. The corners of her lips curled into a smile as she shifted to a more comfortable position in his arms.

When Max woke up, it was eight in the evening, and Brielle hadn’t returned. She had said she’d come home every night, even if she visited the company branch, instead of renting a place nearby.

Rubbing the center of his brow, Max was alerted by Patrick’s voice at the door. “Mr. Dorsey. are you awake? There’s an emergency meeting needed for the international acquisition case.”

After freshening up and donning a suit, Max opened the door.

In his study, he saw his phone flooded with new pictures. With each swipe, his expression turned icier.

In the last image, was Ricardo covering Brielle with the blanket. Max’s knuckles whitened, and the phone was hurled against the wall, shattering into pieces.

The air turned heavy, bitingly cold.

Michael’s tactics, though unbecoming of his status, were devastatingly effective.

Standing behind his boss, Patrick witnessed Max’s fury for the first time. He’d seen the photo, too, and besides being incredulous, he was stunned. Ms. Brielle rarely let a man get that close. No wonder Max was livid He wanted to ask if the meeting was still on, but seeing Max’s dark mood, he tried to make himself as inconspicuous as possible.

Max’s lips pressed together, his voice icy, “Patrick, call her.”

Patrick’s head hung even lower. “I’ve tried Ms. Brielle’s phone, sir, but it’s turned off.”

Panic struck Max’s heart like an arrow, even bordering on terror. Could Brielle actually be falling for someone else?

He had known her for so long, yet she had never taken him to the orphanage, but now she had taken someone else.

Was it because they were from the same world? Was he worried that his presence would pressure the kids? Either reason was unbearable.

His breath turned hot as he lowered his gaze, a storm brewing in his eyes.

In the past, he would have worried if something had happened to Brielle, if someone had set up those photos deliberately. However, the laughter in her eyes couldn’t lie–it was a long–lost sense of ease and contentment.

With him, she was always under pressure. Everyone was pushing her to reach higher, as if slowing down meant she wasn’t worthy of him. So, she was always alert and composed. She had just spent one day with that young man, paid off his million–dollar debt, and taken him to the orphanage.

Max had every reason to be jealous.