Master of his heart (Brielle and Max)

Bryan was gently pulled into the room upstairs by her, and once inside, she pushed him down into a chair.

"About two decades ago, the Riddle family had twins," she began, her voice trembling with emotion.

Bryan just watched her, his brows knitting tighter with each word she spoke.

As Irene continued, tears streamed down her face, and she clung to his hand as if afraid he might vanish at any moment. The room fell silent after she finished her tale, her hand still gripping his, his palm wet with her pooled tears.

"So, the one I truly love is you. You're 001. I know I've made so many mistakes, and we've missed out on so many years. You had someone you cherished before, and you never told me that you loved me. You offered me your heart, but that's not what I want, Bryan. Why did I act foolishly with you on that watchtower? Because what you muttered in your sleep was exactly what 001 told me in his final words."

She unclasped the throwing knife from her wrist.

"Do you recognize this? You gave it to me, but I also sent you to your death with it, a hundred times over. I don't understand how I could be so cruel. I wished you wouldn't survive, so I could follow you in death, yet I also hoped you would live. Every time you went on a mission, I suffered more than you."

Bryan took the knife from her hand, worried she might hurt herself in her unstable state.

"Bryan, you can punish me however you wish, just don't leave me," Irene pleaded, her eyes swollen from crying.

Bryan remained silent, the only sound in the room being her sobs. His mind was plagued with fragments of a conversation he had never fully explored. With all the people he met and the conversations he heard on missions, it could have been an unconscious replication of someone else's words, insignificant in the grand scheme.

However, the sight of the throwing knife stirred something in his heart he couldn't ignore.

Was he the one she loved, marked upon her skin?

This revelation overwhelmed him, his breaths shortening as if he was on the verge of suffocation.

He flicked the thin knife, sending it flying into the couch with precision.

"Bryan, why aren't you saying anything? Is it because you can't accept me?" Irene

her past actions had left

her past actions had left a lasting scar on him.

Tears choked her speech as she struggled to stand, stumbling towards the door. The room was dark, illuminated only by the light from the window which allowed them to see each other's faces. But her vision was blurred by tears,

making everything indistinct.

Just as she was about to fall, she was caught in a warm embrace, and the next second, the room was bathed in light, pushing her onto the bed.

"Is your tattoo because of me?" he asked, his fingers pausing over the hidden spot.

Irene nodded, covering her eyes with both hands as she wept.

But then, the light was turned off again. He knelt down, kissing the tattoo gently.

"I understand now, Ms. Irene."

Even though the light was off, Irene felt as if she was still exposed under a glaring spotlight. Frozen, her tears continued to fall.

Meanwhile, Jaired, thinking Irene hadn't returned because she failed to catch up with Bryan, was considering shamelessly asking Bryan to tag along.

He had just finished a task for the

Riddle family and was now lounging on the couch, scrolling through his contacts, debating which friend to call for a drink.

Maybe Andrew? Recently, Andrew had been shamelessly hovering around Aubree, acting like a lovesick puppy.

If Irene was "Puppy Love Prime," then Andrew was definitely "Puppy Love Beta."

And King? He could be considered "Puppy Love Charlie," perhaps.novelbin

As Jaired mulled over this, he grew increasingly frustrated. Why were all his friends acting like dogs?

Didn't anyone want to be human anymore?