Master of his heart (Max and Brielle)
Chapter 982

Patrick couldn't bring himself to meet her gaze; his own eyes were swollen from a month's worth of tears, finally accepting the hard truth that the CEO was gone.

"Ms. Brielle, please take care of yourself. I'm about to start a new job at Dream Tech Designs, so I won't be staying around here."

Leaving all the documents behind, Patrick's voice was hoarse, each word trembling as though it were wrung out of him.

"The CEO was most worried about you, Ms. Brielle. He hoped you wouldn't give up on yourself. Before the explosion, his actions were like those of a man putting his affairs in order. He had mentioned transferring his shares, an idea I rejected. I didn't know his secrets, but I kept thinking that maybe he wouldn't just vanish so easily. Perhaps on a serene, sunlit day, he'd return, and before that day, he'd endure many hardships to come back to you. So, Ms. Brielle, you need to pull yourself together too."

Using Max to console Brielle seemed to be the most effective method.

Since Brielle refused to accept the reality of his disappearance, it was best to leave her with a glimmer of hope.

Max would return.

One day.

On a serene, sunlit day.

As for when that day would be, no one could say.

A spark of life returned to Brielle's eyes. She had been about to tear up the documents, but now she grew calm.

That evening, she began to eat again, which moved Dustin to tears. He quickly instructed the kitchen to prepare a hearty meal to help her regain her strength.

Brielle ate three full bowls, and afterward, she seemed to return to normal, even taking a stroll in the garden afterward.

Dustin watched her retreating figure, yet couldn't shake off his worry. Was she truly back to normal?

The next day, Brielle accidentally shattered an empty bowl she had intended to use for soup.

The shards scattered at her feet, and as Dustin was about to stoop to pick them up, he saw her step over the broken porcelain with her phone turned off, as if she felt no pain. No one had called her, yet she carried on a one-sided conversation.

"Max, okay, so how long is your trip, and when will you be back?"

Dustin stiffened, forgetting his intention to crouch down.

He looked up incredulously to see her barefoot, standing by the French doors, gazing at the flowers outside with flushed cheeks.

"How soon is 'soon'? Are you just pulling my leg?"

That's when Dustin realized the truth: Brielle wasn't better; she was completely unwell.

He didn't make a scene or question her but instead sat her down on the couch and summoned the family doctor to tend to her wounds. Then he called for Ramey.

After Ramey had a brief chat with Brielle, he joined Dustin in the deserted hallway.

Dustin was the picture of dejection, wanting to lash out but not knowing at whom. At Max?

At least Max had protected Brielle.

He should be angry at himself for leaving her in Beaconsfield.

She was the little princess of the Lynch family, yet the Lynch family had failed to protect her.

It was his fault as her brother.

"Mr. Lynch, Ms. Brielle seems to be experiencing auditory hallucinations," Ramey said.

Dustin ran a hand through his hair, his face etched with frustration.

"Is there anything we can do?"

Ramey looked troubled.

"Well, there's no easy fix. She needs to come through this on her own. It might improve over time, or it might get worse. We can't let her stay home alone. She needs to be out, interacting with people. Keeping to herself will only make things worse."

Dustin took a deep breath and grew silent.

After a while, he asked hoarsely, "What about hypnotherapy? Could deep hypnosis work?"

"Deep hypnosis requires the right circumstances, timing, and cooperation from the patient. Mr. Dorsey had considered this for MS Brielle, trying to stabilize her emotions. Forced hypnosis would require medication, and I generally don't take on such cases. It can harm the patient's psyche, and there's no telling if it would make things better or worse."

In other words, it was a gamble.

Dustin's despondency deepened, and he dared not take that risk.

"Mr. Lynch, Ms. Brielle's condition is rare. Hearing Mr. Dorsey's voice on the phone is, in a way, her own mind trying to heal itself. It's how she's coping, and while I can't be sure if it's good or bad, she might eventually heal and accept reality, or she might become more entrenched in this false comfort."

Ramey massaged his temples, finding the situation exceedingly tricky.

He thought of his cousin, who was more experienced in the field. If there were a hypnotist ahead of him in the world, it would be his cousin. Maybe he had a solution. "For now, we just have to wait and see."

Ramey had become Brielle's personal hypnotist. Until she improved, he wouldn't take any new clients or leave her side.

He was also curious about the outcome for these two.

What would become of Brielle after Mr. Dorsey's departure?

He was eager to see if this woman could find her way out.