Master of his heart (Brielle and Max)

Brielle felt like she was running out of air as if someone had a vice-like grip around her throat.

Max didn't seem angry with her. He was just stating a fact, but it still sent a shiver down her spine.

She even wanted to bolt, to find a quiet corner somewhere to catch her breath.

"Brielle, if you're feeling wiped, you should head back and hit the hay," Max suggested.Content © NôvelDrama.Org.

Before she could muster a response, he spoke up. The subtext was clear: they both needed a moment to cool their jets.

Brielle stood up, her body stiff as a board. She wanted to say a million things, but what would they be?

Could she convince Max of her innocence?

She put herself in Max's shoes and knew her words must have crossed a line for him.

Now, Max seemed set on taking down the Fox family, working overtime to find something, anything to prove she wasn't one of them - all to extricate her from this mess. Meanwhile, Brielle was busy making excuses for James. No wonder Max was steamed. Neither of them was at fault. It was always the same tragic tune - whenever they hit a snag, it turned out nobody was to blame.

Without another word, Brielle left the place. It felt like her feet were encased in lead, and it felt as if she was hauling a ton with every step.

Patrick was waiting for her outside, and seeing her out of sorts, he took the initiative to drive her back to the Premier Palace.

Her mind was a blank slate all the way home, not a single thought crossing it.

As she was about to step out of the car, Patrick briefed her. "Ms. Brielle, you should take it easy for the next few days. Mr. Max has been up all night waiting for news, and now, Ms. Martha was likely to become a vegetable. This hit him hard." Brielle didn't respond, only offering a slow nod.

Once back at the Premier Palace, she felt utterly drained, clueless about her next move.

Her phone was still flooded with Kingston's distress signals, which eventually stopped. Based on what she'd heard from Max, the police must have nabbed Kingston and his wife.

Collapsing onto the couch, Brielle felt utterly defeated.

Even if she had no ties to the Fox family, James was still paying the price for her actions.

With no way to clear James' name yet, was Brielle supposed to let him take the fall for good?

A wave of sorrow washed over her, her eyes brimming with tears. She was always the type to tackle things head-on and rarely leaned on others, so the last thing she wanted was to be a burden.

But now, someone with a heart of gold had suffered because of her, and it pained her deeply.

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To others, her pain might've seemed laughable. If she claimed James had a heart of gold, who would buy that? He was a guy who made a living collecting protection money What did he know about integrity?

Brielle chuckled bitterly, half-wishing she had never set foot in that police station.

But if she hadn't and just passively accepted everything laid out for her, she wouldn't really be herself, would she?

Her lashes drooped as Wesley inquired. "Ms. Brielle, you seem down. How about I whip up some hearty soup for you tonight?"

"Thank you, Wesley, I don't feel like eating anything tonight."

Brielle was stubborn. After receiving the information about James, she had to dig into his background.

The tidbits from his cronies weren't enough. She needed to see the places where he collected his dues. So, she picked herself up and headed to the street where James did his rounds.

It was away from the glitzy Beaconsfield, in a melting pot of society, but the street was clean. Despite the crowded storefronts, it served as a bustling marketplace.

When Brielle asked about James, the shopkeepers were eager to share.

"James, yeah, he's a big guy, can be

pretty intimidating, but he's got a good heart, He's taken protection money from many of us but also looked out for us. This place used to be a magnet for troublemakers," one explained.

"James is not like those thugs that used to hassle us. We resented him

at first when he demanded

protection money, but over the years our businesses thrived

without vandals wrecking our

shops," another added.

"Yeah, running a small business is tough these days. Five hundred a month isn't cheap, but at least we can work in peace. The thugs are scared of him. They can't beat him," a third chimed in. Brielle absorbed their words, her heart sinking further. The more she uncovered, the more she realized that James had told her the truth.

But what now?

Max and Michael were clearly aligned, and Kingston might've even been behind bars. Could she just stand by and do nothing?