Master of his heart (Max and Brielle)

When King got back to the mansion, he saw Brielle slouched on the couch, cut off from the world since he'd taken her phone. She looked like she was stuck in some sort of limbo, unable to do anything. Isaac, meanwhile, preferred hiding out in his room, not keen on talking to her.

As soon as King walked through the door and saw Brielle, his eyes softened. He loved the feeling of coming home to her.

Brielle, though, had the opposite reaction. Her face screamed annoyance, her expression a neon sign of disdain, piercing King's heart like a dagger.

But he thought he knew how to make things right.

"Brielle," he called, sitting next to her and taking her hand.

Brielle scowled, feeling an instant headache at the sight of him.

King pulled her into a tight hug, resting his head in the crook of her neck. For a moment, as she looked down at his dark hair, her heart softened.

Then he brought up the kid, and all her buried anger flared back up. She had only just learned about the three years of birth control pills, and the remorse was fresh. His words were salt in the wound, making her cheeks flush red with a mix of rage and pain. King, clueless about her turmoil, nuzzled his head against her neck. "Don't be mad. It was my fault," he murmured.

Brielle stayed silent, at least acknowledging his attempt to apologize. But then he said, "What's done is done, no point in dwelling on it," and she snapped. She wanted to slap him silly.

King was baffled by her reaction, not getting why she was so upset.

"Get out," Brielle snapped, standing up to head upstairs.

Now annoyed, King yanked her back into his arms. "What's the problem? Can't we talk without you throwing a fit?" He had let her slaps and demands to leave slide, but now she seemed to be picking a fight again.

Brielle trembled with anger. How could this man have the same face as Max? If she wasn't hoping for Max to return, she'd never stay near King.

Taking a deep breath, she tried to ignore him, seeing her stay as a means to an end. Max would come back if she waited long enough.

King, thinking she had calmed down, hugged her tighter, feeling smug.

Brielle stayed silent, not wanting to act on her anger. She even closed her eyes to avoid looking at him.

But she still wanted to contact her brother, fearing he might think she was in danger and start a war with King.

"My phone?" she asked, trying to keep her voice calm.

"Why do you need your phone? Planning to run away again?" King hit a nerve immediately.

Brielle's frustration was tangible as she explained, "I just want to call my brother, so he doesn't think I'm being held captive."

"You are being held captive, so he's not wrong," King retorted, his head still resting in the crook of her neck. "Brielle, don't leave me."

Feeling a mix of anger and helplessness, Brielle almost cried, biting back her frustration before managing to say, "Get out."

Meanwhile, Isaac, who rarely ventured out when not hungry, watched the scene from the balcony, with Noir underfoot. Noir didn't protest, just flicked its tail. Isaac climbed down, looking sour. "Noir, let's go outside."

The mansion had plenty of escape

routes, and with Brielle and King in the living room, Isaac chose the back garden. He always had bodyguards with him, and since moving in, King hadn't restricted his movements. King, maybe naively, hadn't realized Isaac lacked basic worldly knowledge, focusing instead on making Isaac solely dependent on him.

As the boy and his leopard walked through the streets, Noir kept a vigilant eye on their surroundings. Their unusual pairing drew stares and smartphone cameras, particularly because Isaac was strikingly beautiful.

Isaac felt uneasy about the new woman in the mansion. Though there had always been unfamiliar servants, none had shared King's

bed. She was different; King cared

about her, but her intentions weren't pure.