Master of his heart (Max and Brielle)
Chapter 1048

"King, I'm just looking out for you, as someone who's been around the block a few more times. Everything I've done, it's for your own good." Ronald added that last bit, hoping to keep King on track with their plan to capture Brielle.

It was strange, really. They had been plotting for years, and by all accounts, things should've been running smoothly. They had someone in Beaconsfield to keep an eye on Brielle, planning to get rid of her permanently. But, by some twist of fate, Brielle survived. After that, they found trying to brainwash Dustin to be a Herculean task. The guy was a bit of an airhead, never holding a grudge over his parents' fondness for his sister, and was especially careful about what he consumed. Forget slipping something into his drink; he wouldn't even drink water unless it was under his direct supervision.

Dustin might have seemed carefree, but he was inherently cautious, making it impossible for them to find an opening, thus setting them back considerably.

They eventually realized they couldn't just off Brielle. If Dustin remained an unsolvable puzzle, then Brielle could be leveraged as the Lynch family's Achilles' heel. As long as they had her, they could still threaten the Lynch family.

However, things started to go downhill about five years ago, around the time Brielle was in her junior year of college when she went abroad. Assuming she wouldn't stir up much trouble as an exchange student, they paid no mind to her overseas endeavors.

From that point on, it felt like there was always some unseen force working against them. Initially, Ronald suspected King, but after testing the waters a few times, it was clear King couldn't care less about Ronald's schemes.

If it wasn't King, they chalked it up to bad luck. Then there was Brielle suddenly getting close to Max, who kept her under tight surveillance, throwing more wrenches into their plans.

Brielle's return to the Lynch family was a significant oversight on their part. If King could take action now, it wouldn't be too late.

King stood up and set his wine glass down.

"Ronald, leave Brielle to me. I've already dealt with Max. Like I said, I'm not interested in your little schemes. Just stay out of my way, and let me handle my vendetta against Max."

He had already made it clear that his so-called revenge involved making Brielle fall for him. So, Brielle had to stay alive.

After leaving the room, King looked out into the evening sky and coughed, feeling the need to change his bandages.

Back at the villa, he found Brielle dozing off on the couch, having waited all afternoon without eating anything. The servant started to greet him but was silenced with a gesture.

He went upstairs to take off his coat, then headed to the indoor pool. Shirtless, the burn scars from a fire stretched visibly across his arm, healing poorly due to negligence over the past few months, some areas still inflamed.

Just as he was about to dive in, Brielle's voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Your wound won't heal if you keep getting it wet."

King paused, wrapping himself in a robe instead and opting to recline on a nearby deck chair.

The sight of his injury reminded

Brielle of the fire; Max had held up a beam with that very arm, allowing her to escape. The burn stretched from his shoulder to his elbow, a testament to the pain he must have endured.

She took a deep breath, sitting at the edge of the pool, the water illuminated brightly. The chair King sprawled on seemed tailor-made for him, his mask still concealing his face. Brielle was only a few meters away.

"If you keep getting that wound wet, it won't heal next month either."

"It sounds like you're worried about me, but I guess it's Max you're actually concerned about."

A smirk played at the corners of his mouth as he removed his mask. Brielle's gaze shifted away from his face to the water, unable to hide her reaction.