Master of his heart (Max and Brielle)
Chapter 1302

King raised an eyebrow, casting a glance at the two gossiping nearby.

Brielle had overheard their conversation too. Even though she delighted in shopping for him, their disparaging comments made her quite displeased.

The speaker was a young woman, accompanied by a middle-aged man with a noticeable belly-old enough to be her father. Yet, she affectionately called him "darling" while occasionally rolling her eyes at Brielle. The man she was with looked the part of a nouveau riche, his fingers adorned with chunky gold rings, his face shiny with excess.

Upon seeing Brielle, his eyes lit up, but then he coldly snorted upon glancing at Max. His companion followed suit with another eye roll.

"To think a man could accept such humiliation, truly a sign of the times," the woman sneered.

King, still holding his shopping bags, might have thrown anyone else provoking him straight into the ocean to feed the sharks, but somehow, he found their taunts amusing. "Brielle, they're saying I'm living off your money, huh?" he joked, a hint of mirth in his voice.

Brielle, partly annoyed yet amused, finished her transaction and grabbed his wrist.

"We've been at it all day. Tired? Let's grab something to eat."

King wasn't really tired; browsing through the stores was a new thrill for him.

Passing a toy store, Brielle picked out several LEGO sets for Isaac, who had completed the last one and displayed it proudly in his room. It was clear he cherished them. King felt a warm surge in his heart, seeing her thoughtful gesture for Isaac.

Back in the car, King placed the bags down and pulled her into a hug.

Yet, Brielle was uneasy, worried about the impact of those harsh words on King. After all, for a man of his caliber, was it really okay to be seen as lesser in a relationship? She feared her actions might lead to his affections waning.

Her insecurities about their relationship made her overthink every little reaction from him, tiring herself out with worry.

King, holding her close, smiled, but Brielle gazed out the window, contemplating how to keep him without constantly fearing his departure.

Upon arriving at the mansion, Brielle had the bags brought inside and then asked King, "Are you unhappy?"

King was taken aback. Why would she think that?

He was overjoyed with her gifts, but he too pondered if he was being too eager, possibly making Brielle take him for granted.

Both harbored fears of the other leaving, suppressing their true feelings.

Caught off guard, King was unsure how to respond. Brielle mistook his silence for confirmation, her eyes welling up as she forced a casual smile. "It's fine. Whether you're happy or not doesn't really matter to me. I don't like you that much anyway, so whatever."

With that, she walked away, leaving King grasping at nothing as she shrugged off his hand.

"Today was just a whim; I've never really shopped like this before. Now that I can afford it, I wanted to try everything I missed out on," she added, her voice trailing off.

King stood frozen, watching the servants continue to haul in the shopping bags, the fleeting happiness now gone. Entering the mansion, King pondered if his eagerness was causing Brielle's mood swings.

He recalled her interactions with Max, always shy and tender, unlike the ticking time bomb she seemed to be with him.

After dinner, Brielle handed the LEGO to Isaac, who instinctively thanked the man on the sofa.

Brielle headed upstairs to bathe and sleep, leaving King alone with hisz thoughts on the sofa. Isaac sensed another argument had occurred, puzzled by the complexities of adult relationships.

"Daddy?" Isaac approached, but before he could offer comfort, he heard King solemnly advise, "Cicada, remember, whether you're a man or a woman, don't be too forward

Being too eager devalues you'

Isaac pursed his lips, staying silent as King leaned back, his gaze drifting upstairs.

After an hour, once Isaac had returned to his room, King slowly made his way to the master bedroom.

The bed showed a small, curled figure-Brielle was already asleep.

The bathroom mirror was fogged up with steam; she had taken her shower.

As King changed clothes, he tentatively mentioned, "A friend invited me out for a drink."