Master of his heart (Brielle and Max)

Bryan and Irene were getting hitched. It all happened so fast.

They revamped their place in just a day, picking out everything Irene loved. Jaired had moved out, setting up in another mansion. Meanwhile, Irene was living the ultimate laid-back life, with a bunch of servants bustling around, all silently judging her lazy ways. Even eating dessert seemed like too much effort for her; she preferred Bryan to feed her spoonfuls.

Bryan hadn't quit his bartending gig, so when she wasn't lounging at home, Irene often swung by the bar to flirt with him.

When Brielle and King got the wedding invite, they had to double-check it. "Who's getting married? Irene?"

Memories of Irene and then of Kenzo flashed through Brielle's mind, making her chest tighten for a moment. But it quickly passed. Everyone had made their choices, and there was no point in regrets. When you make a choice, you have to deal with the consequences. King flipped the invitation, noticing the thought put into it. It was clear the guest list was short; just a small gathering for dinner. Irene and Bryan didn't know many people in Beaconsfield, barely enough to fill one table. They didn't want anything extravagant, so everyone just gathered at their mansion.

Servants were busy cooking, while Irene arranged flowers on the windowsill, ones Bryan had picked up on his way back from work. Jaired and King felt like they were seeing things when they walked in. They'd seen her in action, but never this domesticated side. Dustin felt the same way, especially when Irene smiled and asked what dessert they'd like. The room fell silent; no one knew how to respond.

Everyone knew the North American royalty had beef with the Lynch family. Although Irene's reign was short, her protégé was now in power, making the future of the monarchy's relationship with the Lynches uncertain.

Dustin, sitting near Brielle, watched as Bryan fixed the messily arranged flowers on the windowsill, still in his apron, looking like he'd just come from a gardening lesson.

"Bryan," Irene called, rushing over and wrapping her arms around his waist, fanning herself dramatically.

"Tired?" she asked.

Bryan caught her hand and kissed gently. Everyone lounging on the couch felt a shiver down their spine,

quietly sipping from their he

The vibe was a bit weird.

Dinner was a whole performance from Irene.

"This bone is too tough. Can you carve it for me, Bryan?"

"Wow, this fish has so many bones. Can you pick them out for me?"

"Bryan, you're so sweet. Could you also spoon-feed me some soup? The spoon feels heavy."

Everyone at the table-Brielle, King, Jaired, Dustin, Joseph, Ricardo-found it hard to eat. Jaired, fed up, slammed his fork down.

"Irene, enough already! Can you sit up straight? What do you even look like right now?"

Irene was practically draped over Bryan, her eyes glued to him as he picked out fish bones for her. She

ignored Jaired, continuing to eat etnovelbin

from Bryan's hand. With everyone else barely touching their food, the tension was thick.

Irene looked up and scanned the room. "Come on, eat up. I invited you all to celebrate." Jaired stood abruptly. "I can't eat this!"

Irene sat up straight and pointed to the QR code by the entrance. "No worries if you're not eating. But

since you're here for the celebration, you might as well leave a gift"

en