Chapter 107

The plane touched down, and Max shook off the jet lag at the Premier Palace before his father’s call came through.

“Did you travel abroad with that Alivia girl?”

“Yeah.”

“Alivia’s all grown up now. In the blink of an eye, you kids are adults. We should set a date for an engagement party soon. She might not say it, but I know she’s been waiting for you to bring it up.”

“Dad, I’m not planning on getting engaged any time soon.”

Michael had four sons and a daughter, with Max being the youngest and quite a few years apart from the others.

“You’re twenty–six, Max. It’s time to settle down. Alivia’s been the only one by your side all these years.

Don’t you like her?”

Max remained silent, unsure of what ‘like‘ really meant.

“Max, it’s the same with whoever you marry. Alivia is exceptional, the only one worthy of you, and you’re not against the idea. That’s enough. She’d make a fine wife for you.”

Max flipped through the files on the table, his pale fingers resting on the pages. “I’ll think about it.”

Michael’s furrowed brow relaxed, his voice cheerful. “Good, and there’s the matter with your older brother.”

“I don’t want you meddling in the company business.”

With that flat statement, Max shut down anything else Michael might have wanted to say. It was clear that Max was indifferent not only in matters of the heart but even in familial bonds. He was a man seemingly born with a deficiency in certain human emotions, rarely empathizing with anyone. Such a man was destined to be a strategist.

And only he dared to speak so bluntly to Michael.

“I won’t interfere. Handle it as you wish. Just make sure you settle things with Alivia, and I’ll be content.”

After hanging up, Max glanced at his phone, which was bombarded with a string of WhatsApp friend requests. Frowning, he methodically hit ‘Decline‘ on each one. Among them were requests from Andrew and Kenzo.

In the end, only Brielle’s profile picture remained, pleasing to the eye.

Andrew, never one to sit still, promptly called. “Didn’t Alivia say you reinstalled WhatsApp? Did you slip up?”

“I don’t do small talk.”

Andrew paused, propping his legs up on the coffee table, narrowing his eyes. “Who’s the one with the snowflake avatar? Not a friend of yours?”

“How did you know?”

“Ha! Alivia’s been asking around in the group chat. So you actually accepted this person but rejected me?”

Andrew always had a keen sense for these things, and remembering the voice he overheard on the phone last time, he felt short of breath. “Don’t tell me that person is Brielle.”

Max, ever candid, answered without hesitation, “Yes, it’s her.”

Andrew laughed in disbelief. “After all these years as friends, Max, is this how you treat me?”

Initially unfazed, Max grew uncomfortable under Andrew’s rebuke. For the first time in his twenty–six years, he felt an odd emotion stirring.

“Seriously, Max? I’m going to call Kenzo right now and show him your true colors. And remind him about overhearing you kissing Brielle last time.”

This was the first time Andrew stood up to him. Andrew was genuinely upset. He simply couldn’t stand Brielle. What sorcery had she used to get Max to go this far?

Was it just her sneaky game that made Max do her bidding?

Andrew put his feet down. “You’ve got three minutes to add me as a friend.”

With that, he hung up.

Meanwhile, Alivia had been doing her own sleuthing, ending up at her brother Kenzo’s door, feeling unsettled. After asking around and finding no one recognized the avatar, she turned to her brother for answers.

Kenzo raised an eyebrow at the image, then opened his own list of contacts. He had added Brielle a while back, and her profile picture matched the one in question.

[I saw Max chatting with someone with this avatar, and he refused to add me. Do you know who this is?]

Kenzo smiled slightly as he responded. [No idea.]

[How come no one knows her?]

A gentle glimmer touched Kenzo’s eyes as he replied after a moment. [Maybe it’s Max’s alternate account.]