Master of his heart

Chapter 650
She felt the wound on her arm twinge again. It had been hastily bandaged, but the news she received first thing in the morning
soured her mood. Still, she didn’t head into Dorsey International, opting instead to call Max.
At that moment, Max was in the middle of a meeting, with Annie and Patrick standing just behind him. One was an assistant and
the other a secretary. Both were there to keep a pulse on his schedule.
When Brielle’s personalized ringtone sounded, the frost in Max’s brows softened, a hint of warmth flickering in his eyes. He
gestured for a pause in the meeting and stepped out onto a small balcony with his phone in hand.
The executives refrained from gossip, instead whispering among themselves about the current project.
Annie glanced curiously at Max’s retreating figure, unable to resist asking Patrick, “Who’s Max on the phone with?”
Patrick’s expression remained unchanged, his response strictly professional, “It’s the Mr. Dorsey’s girlfriend.”
He didn’t know whether Michael had given Annie any special assignments or if she was just that good at playing her role so far,
she hadn’t slipped up
“Max has a girlfriend now?” Surprise flickered in Annie’s eyes, followed by a light chuckle, “That explains it.”
Max was only away for a few minutes. When he returned, his face was once again a mask of indifference, and he signaled for
the executives to continue their reports.
Annie saw Max reach for a document and moved forward respectfully to help him. Max had never interacted with Patrick in such
a manner during a meeting, so he was taken aback when her hand brushed against his. Their hands met awkwardly as both
reached for the same paper.
Annie quickly withdrew her hand. “I apologize, Max. I was out of line.”
If it had been any other woman, such close contact with Max would have surely elicited excitement. But Annie’s reaction was
calm, an accidental touch, nothing more.
Annie and Brielle were too similar. Even the other executives at the table were momentarily taken aback. This new assistant bore
an uncanny resemblance to Brielle.

Max’s expression darkened, feeling as if the skin Annie touched was now tainted. In the silence, a disinfectant wipe was offered
to him. Annie’s demeanor was still respectful. “I’ve heard you’re a bit of a germaphobe, Max. I’m sorry for that, and I’ll be more
careful
next time.”
With her apology so plainly stated, what could Max say In response? He frowned but didn’t take the wipe, instead allowing the
executives to continue their report.
When he didn’t accept it, Annie tossed the disinfectant wipe into the nearby trash can and resumed her position behind him.
After the meeting, Max retreated to his office and meticulously cleaned his hands with disinfectant wipes.
Patrick watched from the side, feeling a bit queasy himself. But the truth was, Annie hadn’t done anything wrong, so there was
no ground for reprimand. She was simply performing her secretarial duties with due diligence.
As Max almost scrubbed his hand raw, Patrick cautiously interjected, “The project team is waiting for the afternoon files. They
need your signature.”
Max paused his cleaning and opened the nearby folder with a heavy brow. Once he finished reviewing the documents, the HR
Director walked in to report on this quarter’s personnel movements. But as soon as he opened the door, the chill inside made
him. shiver. With no choice but to enter, he braced himself and stepped in.
The HR Director was among the first to know about Max and Brielle’s relationship, often seizing opportunities to sing Brielle’s
praises in front of Max. As someone skilled in interpersonal dealings, his insights were sharper than a sieve.
He caught sight of the iris flower at the end of the scarf around Max’s neck and quickly offered a smile, asking, “Where did you
get that scarf? My wife tasked me with buying her a scarf as a gift, but she hasn’t been pleased with any of my choices. Do you
know if the women’s version of your scarf is also sold?”
Patrick overheard from the side and thought to himself, “Clever as always, old fox!”
Sure enough, the gloomy cloud on Max’s face broke, a smile shining through. “They don’t
sell these in stores.”

His voice was filled with tenderness. He had the scarf washed and cared for daily. With spring on the horizon, it seemed he
would be wearing it for some time to come.
“So someone made it for you? They must be quite the craftsperson.”
With a subtle turn of phrase, the HR Director steered the compliment back to Brielle.