Chapter 401

After leaving Brielle, Dustin whipped out his phone and shot a text to Max. [Hey Max, had a blast at the casino with little B. Planted a kiss on the back of her soft hand, and she blushed something fierce.

Adorable.]

Max saw the message, as the business with the Dorsey family had already wrapped up. His face instantly turned to ice, compounded by the sight of two messages from Andrew. The air in the car went subzero.

Patrick was sitting in the front and shivered involuntarily, wondering who had crossed Max this time.

A minute later, Max dialed Brielle’s number. She was just about to step through the innermost door when her phone rang. She hit the answer button.

“Where are you?” Max’s tone was icy, and his anger was barely contained.

Brielle was puzzled at who might have upset him and answered truthfully. “At the casino. I wanted to snoop around about Daniel’s situation.”

“You and Dustin having fun?”

Even through the digital divide, Brielle could taste the acidity in his question. Her heart fluttered, and she couldn’t help but smile. “How did you know?”

He hadn’t reached out all evening and was probably tied up with something. Was he keeping tabs on her?

“Dustin was showing off to me.” Max’s voice was flat. It was obvious, even to someone as emotionally oblivious as him, that Dustin was bragging in the most obnoxious way.

Brielle was amused and rushed to reassure him. “It was just a game of cards.”

“I’m coming to pick you up.”

There was no arguing with Max’s tone. Brielle simply agreed, “Okay, that’s fine.”

After hanging up, Brielle rubbed her temples, thinking how childish Dustin was. She stood before a massive floor–to–ceiling window. Inside was a den of vice and vigor, outside the sultry night of Beaconsfield.

Even though she came to investigate Daniel’s case, she knew she had no chance to take him away, especially when even Patrick couldn’t do it.

She wondered if Daniel was being held against his will. And she was curious–who was the puppet master behind the underground casino with such clout?

With these questions, she saw the door open and a gazebo appear on the farthest balcony. There stood a man, his back to her as if he’d been waiting for some time. “Ms. Brielle, care to join me for a bit of moon–gazing?”

As she approached, she saw a cup of tea in his hand, a selection of delicate desserts laid out before him, and an empty cup. His posture was erect, but he wore a mask that hid his true.

face.

Brielle sat down slowly and cautiously.

The man’s elegant fingers poured her a cup of tea.

“Thank you.” She replied casually, then took a sip. The tea was fragrant and clearly high–quality.

The man chuckled, appraising her, “Not afraid of poison, then?”

“If you wanted me dead, you wouldn’t resort to such roundabout methods. Assam tea of such caliber–

quite the expense.”

Such tea was auction–worthy. She had never tasted it but had once had the fortune to smell it at a business negotiation.

Brielle’s memory was exceptional, far beyond the average. The world was full of academically gifted individuals, but to be a top scholar, one needed more than just to be book–smart. Interviews with such individuals often revealed a well–rounded development, intellectually and otherwise. Intelligence wasn’t something that could be drastically altered by sheer effort. This gap between effort and true intellect could be disheartening, yet it was an undeniable truth.

Sitting there, Brielle sat up straight and spoke plainly.

“I want to know about the young master of Kingston Enterprises. Can you tell me about him?”

The man raised an eyebrow and, after a moment, chuckled lightly. “Daniel?”

“Yes.”

“He’s fine, though he lost quite the gamble.”

“How much?”

“A life.”