Master of his heart (Brielle and Max)

Lillian had always been a staple at every major family gathering, her presence as expected as the turkey on Thanksgiving.

Brielle suddenly lost her appetite for the outing. I’m swamped with work, Dad. I’ll have someone drop off the cake.”

Robert glanced at Spencer sitting across from him. Spencer was seated next to Lillian, and his complexion didn’t look very good.

That morning’s negotiation with Integral Elements Inc. had been a battlefield, with Tanner sparing no one’s feelings, his sharp tongue rattling the upper echelons of management. If it hadn’t been for the protective wing of Spencer’s father, Max would have gotten wind of it by now.

And that-Tanner, he had the gall to dress down the whole M&A department like they were rookies. He was just small company’s man. Where did his audacity even come from?

It all came back to Brielle.

Spencer was holding his rage, and with Brielle not answering his calls, he planned to take it out on her as soon as she showed up.

However, Brielle was a no-show, and now with Robert’s remark, “Bri’s caught up at work. She’ll probably be late,” the Haywood family seemed to be still in the dark about her resignation.

Sarcasm covered Spencer’s face as he leaned back, the front legs of his chair already dangling in the air. “Working late? What job does she have to work late at? I’ve already fired her. She just doesn’t want to come, does she?”

His words frosted the atmosphere.

First it was Lillian, her face shadowed by disappointment, instinctively leaning towards Cameron as if to distance herself from Spencer.

“Bri’s still mad at me. I’m sorry, Miranda, that your birthday has been soured by this.”

Miranda was trembling with indignation. Her own daughter made up excuses to skip her birthday! And with Spencer there, she felt utterly humiliated.

She bit back her anger, pulling out her phone and calling Brielle on the spot.

Without pleasantries, Miranda cut to the chase, “Spencer’s here, and why didn’t you tell us you’re not at Dorsey International anymore? What’s gotten into you lately, Bri? Are you trying to break our hearts?”

Parents never admitted to playing favorites, especially not when the favorite was an outsider.

16:06 Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

“I don’t care what you’re doing. Get over here now!” And with that, Miranda hung up before Brielle could even respond.

Looking at the cake she had made herself, Brielle had no choice but to grab it and leave her apartment.

Family ties held her there, a complete fallout was not an option unless the Haywoods crossed a line they hadn’t yet dared.

Back at the Haywood residence, Miranda was seething “Let’s start eating. We can’t wait for her.”

Lillian hesitated before retrieving a cake from the fridge. “Miranda, I made this myself, your favorite chestnut flavor.”

Miranda’s mood softened at the sight of Lillian, “Bless you, Lillian, always so thoughtful

Lillian offered a tight-lipped smile, glancing at Spencer and then at Cameron, whose usually brooding demeanor softened under her gaze.

The sound of a car came from outside the door. It was Brielle’s mid-range sedan.

She was quick to enter, holding the cake. Seeing the family gathered cheerfully at the table, she felt like an intruder.

“Dad, Mom, Cameron, she called out as if she hadn’t noticed Spencer and Lillian.

With a cake already on the table, she handed hers to the housekeeper. “Put this in the fridge, please.”

The per had been working for the Haywood family for over a decade, skilled a reading the room. As her grip loosened, the cake fell to the ground. The cake Brielle had spent hours on crumbled to pieces.

Brielle gave the housekeeper a nonchalant look.

The housekeeper’s eyes flashed contemptuously, “Miss, that cake must’ve cost a pretty penny, huh?”

Before Brielle could reply, Miranda launched into a tirade. “No matter the cost, does it have the sincerity of a homemade one? Lillian even chose my favorite flavor. You come home dragging your feet, and you even pretend not to see your sister and fiance. I’m starting to wonder if you’ve been possessed.”

The old Brielle had been so compliant.

Then Mirada thought of that diary. It seemed to Miranda that Brielle had only been pretending all along, and now she didn’t even care to maintain the facade.