Master of his heart (Brielle and Max)

Mason froze, staring at her in disbelief. He'd known what her answer would be, but hearing it from her again was more than he could bear. Letting go of her wrist, he stumbled away, his retreat anything but graceful. Tiffanie stood motionless, not even thinking of following him. When his figure finally disappeared, she blinked, then collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.

Mason kept walking until he reached his car, where Everett was lounging in the backseat, decked out in a sharp suit and eagerly watching the world go by.

"Son, are we heading to Unicorn Bar now? You sure you can get me a job there?"

"By the way, who did you see that made you jump out of the car like that? And where did you spend the night?"

"It couldn't have been Tiffanie's place, right? She's in the hospital, and you didn't drive anywhere near there."

Mason gripped the steering wheel, his eyes red as he stared straight ahead. "Alumni dinner."

Everett breathed a sigh of relief, a smile creeping onto his face. He'd swung by Tiffanie's place that morning and found out the landlord finally had enough of the mess and kicked her out. Now, she was who knew where. He had to make sure she didn't come back to bother Mason.

"Son, you know Brielle from Infinity Brilliance? I saw her number in your phone."

Everett still couldn't believe Brielle was the princess of Infinity Brilliance, even though the media had been all over it. The once invisible girl from the Dorsey family had somehow managed to glow so brightly.

If Brielle wasn't already spoken for, Everett would have pushed for her to consider Mason.novelbin

"Yeah, she's the main investor behind Unicorn Bar. Her initial funding got us off the ground, and she holds the majority of the shares."

Everett stiffened, then sighed in disappointment. What a missed opportunity. But it didn't matter. His son was capable enough without needing to latch onto the wealthy. They were becoming wealthy on their own terms.

Thinking about how well Mason had turned out, despite his own lack of contribution over the years, brought tears to Everett's eyes. "I'm living in your mother's old house now. It's nice. I talk to her every day."

Everett had never truly played the role of a father. The only legacy he left Mason's mother was his DNA. But now, he hoped to control everything about Mason, wanting him to shine brightly, unlike himself, who had his wings clipped by the Dorsey family. His son had to rise higher, so she could rest easy, knowing her sacrifices were not in vain.

Everett's lips twitched into a smile, but then he spotted a familiar woman ahead, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. Was he seeing things? Why was Victoria in North America?

Damn it! How did that woman follow them here? The Dorsey family had collapsed, yet she dared to think she could keep him tied to her?

Years of being shackled to Victoria

by the Dorsey family had left him with deep scars and a twisted mindset, manifesting in his desire to demean the Dorsey family members to salvage his bruised ego. Tiffanie had always been an easy target for his venting, facing endless insults and slaps from the moment she could walk. Surviving this long was both her luck and misfortune.

Seeing Victoria in North America set Everett on edge. He couldn't let her get close to Mason, or his son would learn of his father's past

humiliations under the Dorsey family's control, including his sexual

exploits. Such shame was

unbearable for any man.