Chapter 558

She frowned as she flicked on the living room lights, her eyes settling on the silent figure lounging on the couch. An inexplicable twitch pinched at the center of her brows.

“Max?”

Her voice camed across the room as she stepped out of her shoes at the entranceway and slowly approached. She was wearing her favorite pair of white slippers today, while Max’s feet were adomed with his usual black ones.

With each step, Brielle felt the gnawing pain in her stomach grow more unbearable. Yet, she could sense the minutiae of emotions radiating from Max even the ends of his hair seemed to broadcast a message: he was sulking.

She had told herself during the company meeting earlier that day that she wanted to be the face of the operation – the idea person, the talker, the one who wasn’t afraid to network.

A relationship, she mused, was akin to starting a business together. Max was the hands–on type, accustomed to working and giving in silence. He hadn’t believed in affection at first, but now that he did, he was at a loss about how to salvage or deepen it. He was always one to act more than speak, his negative emotions something he preferred to digest alone.

In this partnership, Brielle still wanted to be the outward–facing one. If issues weren’t immediately addressed, they festered into knots in Max’s mind. Perhaps his fondness for her could overlook these knots, but if a bigger storm erupted one day, those knots would spread and strangle them both.

Brielle sat down beside him and tentatively reached for his hand. Max pursed his lips, his anger still present, but he didn’t pull away. He knew well enough that there was nothing between Brielle and that young man, and that it was all his father’s manipulation, but if one were to remain utterly rational in matters of the heart, it couldn’t truly be love.

Logically, he trusted Brielle, but emotionally, he needed to wallow in his jealousy.

As she took his hand, she began to explain. “That young man was Ricardo, and Stellar Stage Entertainment has been exploiting him. They’ve only paid him about ten grand over three years. I had Finance increase his base salary, and he probably got a bit too emotional. He’s just a teenager; he couldn’t control himself, really. I pushed him away immediately.”

Max’s dark eyes lightened slightly with relief, but the thought of that rosary, the million–dollar transaction, and their last photo together at the orphanage were too glaring to ignore. Her soft spot for Ricardo, borne out of shared experiences, was undeniable. Even her smile was too sharp, so sharp it caused him discomfort. And then there was the issue of her late return. If he forgave her too easily this time, would she take it as a license to stay out all night next time?

“A woman mustn’t be spoiled,” Andrew had said.

This time. Max resolved to teach Brielle a lesson, and he pulled his hand away with a cool, Get some rest.”

His tone was indifferent, Inced with a chill that sent a shudder through Brielle. She couldrit help but follow him, although Max didn’t look back at her. However, he smiled slightly when he caught a glimpse of her trailing behind him.

Brielle’s stomach was in knots, the pain almost unbearable now, but she knew how to handle Max.

Persistence was key. Max was the type who could be worn down by a persistent partner, They needed to clear the air first, then slowly unravel the misunderstandings.

Max headed to the study, intending to work overtime, and Brielle, despite her agony, followed close on his heels. Even when Max went to the master bedroom to retrieve a forgotten document, Brielle was right behind him.

Realizing she still cared, Max’s tone softened considerably. “Aren’t you going to sleep?”

Brielle’s face was pale, and her voice strained as if the next word would be accompanied by the torment of her stomach pain. Her fingertips trembled uncontrollably.

She leaned closer to Max, resting her forehead against his back in a muffled voice. “My stomach hurts.

How can I sleep? If you ignore me any longer, I might just pass out, and then you’ll be sorry.”

Max felt a jolt in his heart, almost dropping the documents in his hand. Then he remembered the last time he was upset, and she had used the same excuse to reconcile. He felt something like disappointment. It seemed as if she didn’t realize she had done anything wrong.

urge He took a deep breath, fighting the to forgive her, determined to make her recognize her mistake.

She came home so late, turned off her phone, used the same excuse as before, and visited the orphanage with someone else. He hadn’t even been there himself, despite the fact that he had helped secure the land for the orphanage, owing a favor to the Hatfield family. Why should an outsider benefit from his efforts?