Master of his heart (Brielle and Max)

When she saw the number dialing out, she froze for a moment but didn't hang up.

She recalled the spat she'd had with Max, their communication severed by someone else's doing. The text message that came through from Aubree wasn't really Aubree. Then, it meant someone had hijacked Aubree's phone. It's the top-tier hacker Patrick had mentioned.

It seemed she had wrongfully accused Andrew last time. Maybe Andrew had indeed infected her phone with a virus, but he hadn't tried to control it.

Brielle heard a voice on the other end, but it wasn't Max's - just a jumble of noises.

She was about to speak when she felt her car falter once more. She was a long way from Pearl Estate and even farther from the bustling city center.

She and Aubree had managed to avoid being sandwiched by two cars last time, but now one of her tires had blown, making a strange noise. If the car behind kept up the chase, she would be forced to stop sooner or later. She had to save herself.

At least until Max arrived, she had to save herself.

She floored the gas pedal and glanced in the rearview mirror. Only one car was in pursuit.

With an almost robotic decisiveness, Brielle stopped the car, abandoned it, grabbed her phone, and dashed into the dense woods nearby.

The stretch of road was well-landscaped, connecting to the largest mountain in Beaconsfield. Now, under the cover of night, she could use the foliage for cover, buying herself time.

Brielle ran wildly forward, her breath forming white clouds in the night air.

She left the car because there was just one vehicle chasing her. Since the driver hadn't rammed her yet, she surmised they were confident she wouldn't get away tonight. The certainty of those chasing her meant there was a greater danger ahead!

Abandoning the car was the smartest move. It bought her time.

Her foot slipped on an unstable rock, and she tumbled down the hillside. Her phone fell to one side. She struggled to reach for it, her body wracked with pain.

All around her, silence prevailed as if all sound had vanished. Sweat beaded on her forehead, and with bloodied fingertips, she reached for her phone. Her eyes quivered, seeing that the call was still connected.

"Max,"

In the next instant, the phone slipped further down, tumbling into the abyss.

Brielle could only watch the light of the screen fade, blinking as the echo came from far below after a long delay.

There was no way to retrieve her phone now. It had fallen into a deep ravine left over from an old road. construction project. Going down there with her injuries would mean certain death.

Brielle took a deep breath and got to her feet, heading in a different direction. Though only superficially wounded, every movement made her face turn pale with pain. She stopped to catch her breath, sweat streaming down her forehead.

Suddenly, something sharp pressed against her back, and she tensed up, swallowing hard.

Murray's voice drifted through the air, tinged with regret. "Ms. Brielle, you're quite clever, but alas, your cleverness has brought you this fatal trouble."

After all, it wasn't just Anniey who

wanted her dead tonight. Mrs. Barnes had also sent people. Dozens more were searching above. Even if Brielle escaped his grasp, she wouldn't get away from the hands of the Barnes family.

Brielle didn't move, recognizing the voice of the man she had narrowly escaped from earlier.

Even though she had managed to slip away from him once, his demeanor had always been one of relaxed superiority, like a cat toying with a mouse.

The gleaming blade of a dagger had already pierced her clothing and was a second away from penetrating her heart.

Brielle lowered her eyes, then looked up at him with a smile. "I'm about to die. Let me at least die with some understanding. May I ask who you are?"

Murray actually quite admired

Brielle. If she hadn't left her car, she would have faced certain death, as Mrs. Barnes' people were blocking the way. Mrs. Barnes' stance was clear Brielle had to die tonight.

He had even thought he might not need to lift a finger, but then he saw Brielle stop the car and dart into the forest.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.

He didn't know what had tipped her off, but her guess was spot on.

Getting out of the car had bought her time to strategize; otherwise, she was on a path to certain death.

"My name's Murray."

He responded simply.