Master of his heart (Brielle and Max)

Martha knew Michael's scheming all too well, and it was slowly driving her to the edge. Max was the child she had fought so hard to bring back into her life, hoping he would find his place in the Dorsey family. But Michael shoved him into the spotlight, making him a target. Day by day, Martha's mental health crumbled. She couldn't escape the nightmares where Michael murdered her and Max. She had no idea Michael had already uncovered Max's true origins and believed her desperate cover-up could keep the truth hidden. Under immense pressure, Martha was on the brink of a breakdown. She sought out every psychiatrist and psychologist in Beaconsfield, hoping they could cure Max's introversion so he could win Michael's approval and be like any other child. She often said the Dorsey family was haunted, but Michael's heart was scarier than any ghost.

Imagine a ten-year-old, surrounded by doctors every day, fresh from the trauma of Brodie's accident that left him disabled. It was a miracle Max hadn't lost his mind.

Brodie had grown disillusioned with the Dorseys and wanted out. Fourteen years older than Max, at twenty-four, Brodie had experienced life's highs-love and prestigious medical accolades but also its lows: disabled legs, a girlfriend who left, and a father whose actions made him sick.

But Max's words made Brodie hesitate. Max had promised to shoulder the Dorsey family's burdens and repay his debt to Brodie. But what did Max owe him? Brodie knew he was just a pawn in Michael's game to manipulate Max; the boy owed him nothing. Yet he couldn't bear to reveal the truth, so he vanished like a coward.

He half-expected to hear of Max's death soon after and even bought a gravesite for him in a foolish gesture. Year after year, instead of bad news, Brodie watched as Max rose through the ranks, eventually making his mark on Wall Street. Max hadn't just survived; he had become a financial prodigy, the pride of the Dorsey family. The child's words had come true.

Ashamed of his years of retreat, Brodie reached out to Max again, only to discover that Michael's schemes were even more sinister than before. Michael had exploited Brodie's disability to coerce Max and drugged him during Martha's forced psychiatric sessions. For years, Max had become dependent on that medication, suffering unbearable headaches whenever he tried to stop-pain so intense he wished for

death.

Compared to Max, Brodie's life was a mess, barely scraping by. He secretly reconnected with Max, the only one who knew of his existence, while to the world, Max pretended ignorance of Brodie's whereabouts.

Brodie had been quietly researching

the medication all these years. But someone else was pulling the strings behind Michael, guarding secrets dosely, allowing Brodie only recent access to clues. Yet, to his astonishment, Max had found someone he cared about. To Brodie, it seemed impossible-Max, a man seemingly devoid of certain

emotions, having survived so much within the Dorsey family.

Martha had only wanted to control him, to use him to cement her own position. Michael wanted to exploit his talents to elevate the Dorseys even higher. Did anyone in the Dorsey family truly care for him? Probably not, yet in such a cutthroat environment, Max not only survived but found someone he wanted to spend his life with.

Now, Michael's gun was aimed at Brodie's leg, but fear was the last thing on his mind. He sighed, pushing his glasses up on his nose.

"Father, these legs have been useless for ages. You could shoot through them, and I wouldn't feel a thing."

His tone was calm as he negotiated with Michael. But Michael had been mad for years, and expecting a sudden change was out of the question.This belongs © NôvelDra/ma.Org.