Master of his heart (Brielle and Max)

Aubree felt a surge of emotion sweeping over her, a sensation of being intensely chosen, something she had never felt before. Still, she wasn't planning on meeting Matthew immediately. Instead, she quietly slipped down another path. Her heart raced, her cheeks flushed

from their exchanged words. So, this is what falling in love feels like? Not bad at all.

But as she stepped into the garden, she spotted a man on his phone. His silhouette was unmistakable, etched into her memory, unforgettable. Yet, still caught up in the whirlwind of emotions Matthew had stirred, seeing Andrew now brought an unexpected calm. Andrew was on the phone, talking to some bigwig, visibly impatient as he tugged at his collar. But soon, he paused, noticing Aubree standing nearby. With just the two of them there, he quickly ended the call and made a beeline for her.

"Aubree!" His eyes roamed over her, as if trying to make up for lost time. He was about to put his hands on her shoulders, to ask how she had been. But Aubree sidestepped him, saying, "Hey, bro." That word hit Andrew like a punch to the gut. He froze, his eyes narrowing as heartache pierced through him. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out, just a look that seemed to say, "How could you say something so hurtful?"

But that's just how things were between them. Aubree didn't look at him, her gaze fixed on the distant, twinkling lights, the air scented with flowers. She smiled, "Enjoying the night view all by yourself, bro?" Andrew's emotions crumbled, his chest rising and falling, yet he couldn't voice a single word. "Aubree, please don't do this," he silently pleaded. Don't look at him with those distant eyes, as if their passionate past was his memory alone. How unfair that felt. Why not just erase this chapter from his mind?

He stepped closer, trying to take her hand, but Aubree stepped back, giving him a small smile. "My boyfriend's here tonight, probably mingling somewhere. I should go find him. You shouldn't just stand here alone, bro. Go find someone to talk to." With that, she turned and walked away without a second glance.noveldrama

Andrew stood there, frozen for a while, then slammed his fist into the wall beside him, leaving his knuckles bloody. He lowered his gaze and let out a bitter laugh. Not long after, Jaired showed up, handing him a tissue. He must have seen Andrew's moment of anger. Jaired made a "tsk tsk" sound but, fearing Andrew might redirect his anger, stayed silent. Andrew took the tissue and quietly wiped the blood from his hand.

Meanwhile, Aubree couldn't find Matthew after making a round. A server mentioned he was on the lower level. The lower level had a part of the event set up, complete with a large kitchen. Aubree thanked the server and hurried downstairs. As she followed the server into a room, she sensed something was off. Just as she turned to leave, the door slammed shut behind her. A chill swept over Aubree, realizing she was in a walk-in freezer.

Outside, the server shed her disguise, revealing herself as the woman who had unsuccessfully confessed to Matthew earlier. She was convinced Aubree had used some trick to win over Matthew, leading to his icy rejection of her. She believed that if Aubree were out of the picture, Matthew might finally agree to be with her.