Chapter 561

Brielle quickly spooned a mouthful of warm oatmeal to him, “Mr. Dorsey, you’re really kind. I swear I won’t do it again. No matter how busy I am, I’ll make sure to call and update you on my whereabouts.

Come on, eat up please.”

Max had always known there was a cheeky streak in Brielle–how else could she have ended up straddling his hips that first time they got together, daring to kiss him even after he woke up?

But to the outside world, she was the epitome of cool poise, only ever letting her guard down with him.

Only for him. He was special.

With that thought, the last bit of his broodiness vanished. He took the bowl of oatmeal and spoon from her, bringing it to her lips instead, “Thought you had a stomachache? You eat first.” Brielle was truly famished and felt the acid in her stomach, so she didn’t put up a fight. She quickly ate half the bowl and followed it with the bowl of soup, finally feeling some warmth in her belly.

Seeing her color improve, Max breathed a sigh of relief. When he’d come back and found her sitting alone on the floor, it had pained him like a needle to the heart.

He took his time eating a modest portion of the oatmeal until he felt a slight fullness in his stomach, then had the dishes cleared away.

Wesley, noticing Max’s mood had lightened from the evening’s gloom, let out a sigh of relief. Now, everyone could sleep peacefully.

After resting on the bed for half an hour and feeling no more discomfort in her stomach, Brielle pulled Max towards the bathroom to freshen up. Once she was clean and back in bed, she had intended to do something more to cheer him up, but she was simply too exhausted. The few hours of sleep at the orphanage were not enough to erase the weariness from her body.

As soon as her head hit the pillow and she caught Max’s scent, her eyelids started to droop, and she couldn’t resist wrapping her arms around his waist. “Max, I’m off to sleep,” she murmured, her voice heavy with tiredness.

“Mmm,” Max hummed, picking up a folder of acquisition documents to continue reading.

The room was quiet, save for the soft sound of his fingers flipping through papers, and the dim light of the bedside lamp was the only illumination. Just as Max was about to turn the page, he felt a movement beside him, followed by a kiss on his lips.

“I’m really off to sleep now.”

A smile curled on his lips, suppressing the deep laughter in his eyes, “Sleep well.”

Content that he was appeased, Brielle drifted off into a satisfied slumber.

15:55 Meanwhile, at the Rowland family estate, Tessa lay in bed coughing while Alivia handed her a tissue.

“How did you get like this in just a few days?”

Alivia knew the reason behind Tessa’s condition: a recent fall into the water and a fainting spell due to online backlash. Her generally fragile health had just begun to improve this year, only to relapse dramatically.

A flicker of hatred passed through Tessa’s eyes. In her dreams, she replayed the humiliating scene of her fumbling at the piano, an embarrassment she had never before experienced, now festering in her heart. “It’s all because of that bitch! If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t be in this state.”

Alivia’s lips curved slightly. She could have continued to manipulate Spencer, but he had completely lost his fighting spirit, becoming a useless pawn. Sydney was unreliable, whose cunning wasn’t deep enough and whose methods weren’t ruthless enough. Tessa was now her primary chess piece.

As for Martha, she was Alivia’s last resort, not to be used unless absolutely necessary.

“Tessa, you need to relax. Brielle’s days of glory won’t last long.”

Tessa coughed violently, unable to stand even the mention of Brielle’s name–just hearing it made her feel like her chest was on fire. “Alivia, I have this feeling that Max might be serious about her. You’ve heard, haven’t you? Brielle’s now taken over another company and is thriving.”

Alivia’s face was the picture of gentleness as she patted Tessa’s back soothingly. “Her dream of elevating her company won’t be so easy. My brother’s in showbiz, and he knows all the top directors. If Brielle wants access to resources, it’ll have to be through my approval.”