Master of his heart (Brielle and Max)

Brielle stared at the list in her hands, a rundown of talent that Dorsey International had already scoped out. She wasn't feeling all that confident about keeping these stars on board. Nearby, Donny was pacing, practically babbling with anxiety.

"Mr. Haywood, what on earth is Dorsey International playing at?"

The internet was still buzzing with rumors about Max's origins, and with Brielle being Max's girlfriend, the new attack on Stellar Stage Entertainment didn't look good. Did it mean Max was losing?

Brielle handed over the list. "Just focus on talking to these artists. As for Dorsey International, it's out of our hands for now."

Donny opened his mouth as if to protest but then fell silent. Outside the office, the once sycophantic executives were visibly on edge.

Recent events felt like some kind of twisted soap opera. Everyone had thought sticking with Brielle was a sure bet no one expected Max's downfall.

Max hadn't made any public appearances to counter the online speculation.

They wanted to question Brielle, but she was tight-lipped-they couldn't get a word out of her.

As Donny left the office, the executives quickly cornered him. "How'd it go? What does Mr. Haywood think? Still no word from Mr. Dorsey? I heard from a buddy at Dorsey International that William and Antonio are openly meddling in company affairs. Is Mr. Dorsey really stepping down as CEO?"

Donny just shook his head, clutching the list, planning to talk to Stellar Stage Entertainment's talent next.

Back in the office, Brielle massaged her temples, feeling a wave of nausea build in her stomach.

She hadn't seen Max when she woke up, but Addison and Aiden assured her he'd be back soon.

As she stood to leave the office, there was a knock on the door, and Aubree walked in.

With a movie release looming, Aubree had been run off her feet. Yet, the online rumors had still managed to shock her.

"What's in the water in Beaconsfield? First, Kenzo talks about retiring, now they're saying Max isn't a Dorsey? Whoever's stirring up this stuff must be nuts. How could Max not be a Dorsey?"Content protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.

Aubree stopped midsentence as she saw Brielle's pallor, her voice trailing off uncertainly. "Is it true about Max?"

"Yeah."

No sooner had Brielle confirmed it than Aubree started pacing the office. "I thought it was just internet trolls. With no word from Michael, what's the plan?"

Brielle shook her head, the nausea intensifying. She couldn't help but gag and hurried to the office restroom.

From outside, Aubree's face fell as she heard Brielle getting sick. "Bad takeout, or are you pregnant?"

"Pregnant."

The news hit Aubree like a one-two punch, leaving her dazed. But as she snapped back to reality, she rushed forward to offer a steadying arm. "Does Max know? What are you going to do?"

It was clear that this was the worst time for Dorsey International to be rocked by such news. If Michael decided to target Brielle, they'd be sitting ducks.

Brielle shook her head again, feeling

overwhelmed Especially now, as her body reacted to the pregnancy, she felt foggy-headed and irritable, compounded by Max's insistence that they couldn't keep the baby. Even with Max's absence that morning, she hadn't pressed for answers.

Maybe it was madness, but she desperately wanted this child. Feeling helpless, Brielle reached out and grasped Aubree's hand. "I want this baby, but the doctor and Max already talked-it seems impossible.

I keep thinking, if I fight hard enough, maybe..."

"Bri, let's get a few more opinions, hear out the doctors fully before making any decisions," Aubree said, not blindly encouraging Brielle but offering a gentle pat on her shoulder. Brielle fell silent.

Aubree was about to offer more words of comfort when the office door swung open. Chase and Keiran walked in, Keiran with a look of panic. "My brother's back in North America. I need to get over there ASAP." Brielle's heart skipped a beat. "What's wrong?"

Keiran pursed his lips. "Auntie's missing. That's all I know for now."

Keiran was unaware of Brielle's

pregnancy; otherwise, Dustin would

have informed her already. Now,

hearing this from Keiran, Brielle felt

anxious and restless. She wanted to fly to North America immediately, but the thought barely formed before another wave of nausea hit her.