Chapter 297

Brielle’s head throbbed with a relentless pain, but she prided herself on being a game player. someone who could take a loss as easily as a win.

Knowing she harbored a little crush on Max, Brielle wasn’t about to hide her feelings in front of her friends. Her affection was her own, independent of how Max felt. Max was genuinely kind to her, but who he liked was his business.

Brielle breathed a sigh of relief and rasped, “Glad he’s okay.”

Aubree, seeing Brielle like this, felt a mix of frustration and sympathy. But then she thought about her own situation and realized she wasn’t one to give advice, so she just sighed. “I’ll go grab you something from the hospital cafeteria.”

Brielle wasn’t hungry, but her mind was a jumbled mess, and she worried that under Aubree’s watchful eye, her true emotions would spill. So, she nodded in agreement.

Once Aubree left, Brielle glanced at her leg, wondering when it would heal. Max wasn’t answering her calls, and she needed to figure out what he was up to. But incessantly reaching out would only give away her feelings; it was better to interact at work. Her leg needed to heal quickly.

After some thought, when Aubree returned, she convinced Aubree to go home. Once Aubree was gone, Brielle discharged herself and planned to recuperate at her place.

The doctor saw Brielle was alone and tried to persuade her to stay. “Ms. Brielle, your leg can’t afford another injury. It would be best if you stayed in the hospital for a week.”

“No need. I’ll take good care of it at home.”

With no other choice, the doctor processed her discharge.

Brielle took a cab back to Pearl Estate, and upon settling on the sofa, she couldn’t resist dialing Patrick’s number. She wanted to confront Max about whether he was serious about Alivia.

Patrick picked up, but his excuses were the same, claiming Max was unwell.

“Patrick, can he take a call right now? I just want to hear his voice,” she pleaded, hoping it would ease her mind.

Patrick glanced at the man engrossed in his emails. His lips were pressed tight. “I’m terribly sorry, Ms.

Brielle, he is unavailable right now.”

Disappointment flooded Brielle’s heart. Was he really busy, or did he just not want to talk to her? Had he decided to end things, and was that why he was being so cold?

“Patrick, I need to know where Spencer is being held. Ryan has taken Mark as a hostage, and I need to exchange him for Spencer; otherwise, I fear for Mark’s safety.”

In truth, as long as she had Spencer, Ryan wouldn’t dare make a move, but at the moment, this 14:40 was the only excuse she had.

Patrick’s eyes flickered with complexity. He needed Max’s input, so he replied, “Ms. Brielle, I’ll try discussing it with Mr. Dorsey and get back to you once he has made a decision.”

With no other option, Brielle hung up.

Patrick pocketed his phone and looked at Max. “Sir, Ms. Brielle called, Should we hand Spencer over to her?”

Max looked up from the sea of paperwork, his tone detached. “If she wants him, let her have him.”

Patrick couldn’t help but remind him of the stakes. “Ryan’s got a lot of pull, and Ms. Brielle can’t handle him alone. Once Spencer is with her, Ryan is bound to catch on. He might go after her. not to mention he’s taken Mark hostage. If this isn’t handled right, Mark might…” He was cut off before he could finish.

“It’s her job to save Mark. If someone gets hurt, it’s her own lack of ability to blame.”

That was the stance to take, and from now on, they would be nothing more than a boss and at subordinate. That suited him just fine.

Patrick clamped his lips shut, noting the stark change in Max’s demeanor. Patrick called to reach out to Brielle, while silently counting down.

Three.

Two.

One.

As expected, Max spoke up, lifting his gaze slightly. “Go. Ensure her safety.”