Master of his heart (Brielle and Max)

Andrew looked like he hadn't slept in days, and when he spotted Chase, he gave a nod that was more habit than greeting. "Taking a break from the States, Chase?" he asked.

Chase just grunted, a sound Andrew had come to expect from their previous business encounters abroad. But the look Andrew shot at Keiran was loaded with subtext. Brielle couldn't shake the feeling that Andrew was pitying Keiran. Knowing Keiran's face blindness, she had to ask, "Keiran, is this the friend from abroad you mentioned?" Keiran shook his head, looking as honest as ever. "I suddenly can't remember what my friend looks like. I got into Chase's car the other day, and now, Chase is my friend." Friendships, it seemed, could turn on a dime.

Brielle's lips twitched as she watched Chase pull Keiran away. Keiran gave her a quick wave before slipping into the car with Chase, leaving just the three of them standing there. Max hopped into Andrew's car and, in the process, pulled Brielle in as well.

With Andrew at the wheel, he couldn't hold back any longer. "Chase has a reputation in North America, much like Dustin's-both are notorious playboys. But Chase takes it to another level; Dustin chases women, while Chase, well, he prefers men." Brielle choked on her surprise, her cheeks flaming red. Andrew caught her reaction in the rearview mirror and scoffed, mocking her innocence.

"In the high society circles, gender's just a detail," he said. "Many swing both ways."

There's an old saying, "Put a man in a woman's shoes, and he becomes a woman."

Chase, with his androgynous looks, could easily blend into a high society ball with a wig-only his flat chest would give him away as anything but a top-tier socialite.Content protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.

The North American scene was wilder, more open than back home, where everything was kept hush-hush. Brielle was rarely exposed to such sordid details.

But in North America, the wilder you played, the more notorious you became.

Both Dustin and Chase came from elite families, attracting a legion of admirers.

Dustin, with his perfect blend of his parents' genes, stood out even in the diverse crowd of North America, turning many a male model's head.

Red-faced, Brielle listened as

Andrew continued, "Chase came out years ago, with his family's support There's no way he's here without a reason, Keiran's with your Stellar Stage Entertainment, right? Best keep your distance from that one."

He might as well have said, "Chase is up to no good, and Keiran's his target."

Brielle's heart raced. Keiran was Stellar Stage Entertainment's golden boy; a scandal would be disastrous, providing endless fodder for the media that could ruin everything.

Yet she couldn't help but notice Andrew's changed demeanor toward her-it wasn't the disdain of before. Maybe he had resigned himself to the situation.

Arriving at Premier Palace, Brielle was anxious to find Keiran, her responsibility as his manager weighing heavily on her.

Before she could move, Max's arm was around her shoulder. "Get some sleep first, rest up. We can look into this tomorrow. Plus, we've got a lead on Dustin. If you want to handle it personally, you'll need to travet in a couple of days. You won't last if you're running on empty

Brielle nodded and promptly dialed Keiran's number. But his phone was off.

Back in his home country, without her reminders, he had reverted to his unreachable state.

With no other options and exhaustion setting in, Brielle's eyelids drooped shut within a minute of being tucked into bed by Max.

Max returned downstairs to find Andrew still seated on the couch, clearly with something on his mind.

Andrew looked worn, the dark circles under his eyes impossible to ignore.

"Max, what did you mean by what you said?" Andrew's eyes were bloodshot, partly from the turmoil of Aubree's situation-sleepless nights, constant agony-and partly from Max's words that kept him tossing and turning.