Master of his heart (Max and Brielle)
Chapter 1064

Max didn't wake up because of any loud noise or because King was scheming something against Brielle. It was the presence of the child that jolted him awake.

The kid's words to Brielle had struck a nerve in him too. Max knew Brielle inside out. She would end up feeling guilty because of this kid and his words would cause her pain, even though she was clueless about it for now.

Isaac stayed quiet, fiddling with a nearby cat toy. Max was weak, but it wasn't a physical thing; it was all mental exhaustion. King had always known about Max's existence, but Max had only recently started to suspect something, while King had been plotting for years. Now, new information was slowly filling Max's mind. Even though it helped him understand some of King's actions, it was a heavy mental load that needed time to process. On top of that, his body had just gotten off the meds, which made his headaches worse, giving King more chances to take over.

Max had only scratched the surface of what King had done and knew nothing about the deeper plans. Both Max and King were geniuses, but King had always had the upper hand in their battle. If there was anyone who could pull one over on Max, it had to be King. As Max stared at the little one in front of him, memories of a misunderstanding with Brielle floated to the surface. He recalled watching a father and daughter through a car window and wondering what it would be like if Brielle had a kid. He had thought he'd make a great dad. But reality was different. He wasn't the father he thought he'd be. The feud between Brielle and King was still a mystery to him. He could only catch snippets when King revisited those memories.

He didn't think it was unfair because he understood why King existed. Isaac was better off than Max had been as a child. At least Isaac could express himself. Max, as a kid, didn't even know when he was hungry and sometimes ended up locked in the attic, nearly starving before someone found him.

The psychiatrist Martha had brought in always said things that tormented him, making him want to run away. Back then, he wasn't even ten and didn't have the cunning he had now. Most kids would cry when they were hurt or wait for an adult to pick them up when they fell. But Max's first thought when he felt pain was how to hide it. He wanted to shift it, but he didn't know onto whom.

That's when King was born.

Max's thoughts weren't extreme. He didn't want King to disappear or for the kid to resent him and Brielle.

This body had to be handed over to King; e knots of the past be untied by King and Brielle

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themselves. Besides, he couldn't hold on much longer.

Max looked at Isaac and smiled. "Be good to her, okay?"

Telling him now that Brielle was his mom would only make him

resentful. Isaac had never known a mother figure. What he wanted most was King, so the knots in the kid's heart had to be untied by Briette herself. It takes the one who tied the knot to untie it.

Feeling tired, Max got up and walked back inside to the bed. Brielle was still asleep, unaware that he had woken up once already.

Max's world was a private one; he was used to keeping things to himself, unlike King, who could easily express his feelings. All he could do was temporarily hand over control to King, since he couldn't get involved in the past grievances.

Back when he and Brielle had visited

Beaconsfield College, he realized she had feelings for him then. Max hadn't lied to her or pretended to be deeply in love. His mind was preoccupied with formulas and data; he genuinely hadn't noticed Brielle,

Leli

and that was the truth.

The atmosphere at Beaconsfield College that night was perfect. By any romantic standard, he should have confessed to noticing her too, making them seem like soulmates destined to be together, which would have made her love him more and cling to him. But Max wasn't good at lying. When Brielle talked about that moment, he barely remembered the girl who had given him flowers. Even though he later went back to Beaconsfield College for that photo, it did little to mend the regret of that moment.

Now, however, his memories included more, including King's perspective. King had glanced at Brielle and liked her. So, Max wasn't selfish enough to deprive himself of the memories related to King and Brielle.