Master of his heart (Brielle and Max)

Brielle could barely hold back her laughter. Seriously, could kids get any more hilariously sneaky? Isaac, with the cunning of a seasoned prankster, pushed an entire plate of broccoli towards King.

"Daddy, your favorite, eat up!"

King felt a headache coming on.

Brielle, ever the peacekeeper, slid the plate towards herself. "I'll eat it, little cricket. You have something else."

But King wasn't about to let her suffer through eating those dreaded greens. Swiftly, he grabbed the plate and dumped it into the nearby trash can.

Brielle arched an eyebrow, catching King's mumbled excuse, "Must've been a mix-up in the kitchen. Better not risk it, might give you a stomachache." Talk about being stubborn.

Men and their pride, she thought.

Later that night, at Tequila Sunset.

Irene strutted in, rocking a dangerously short skirt that flaunted her long legs.

As soon as she walked in, her eyes locked onto Bryan, the bartender, dressed in the bar's sleek black uniform, mixing a drink for a woman at the counter.

The woman slipped a stack of cash on the counter, briefly caressing his cheek.

He smiled, pocketing the cash with ease.

Around them, several women were snapping photos, all excited about the new bartender. Handsome, with an air of elegance, and on his first night, he had already handled a few rowdy, drunk patrons better than Tequila Sunset's bouncers who were notoriously handpicked for their skills.

Tequila Sunset was a magnet for Beaconsfield's elite, and Bryan had caught the eye of many. Yet, whether through overt flirting or subtle hints, he turned them all down.

Upon Irene's bold entrance, the dance floor's energy surged, attracting whistles from many men.

Her eyes, however, were fixed on Bryan.

Bryan glanced at her once before returning to his conversation with a woman who was blatantly propositioning him, offering a million a month for his companionship. He declined with a smile.

Undeterred, she flashed a check for half a million. "How about half a million to dance with me on the dance floor and share a kiss?"

Bryan accepted the check with a nonchalant air and walked out from behind the bar amid a chorus of whistles.

He led the woman into the pulsating lights of the dance floor, now charged with an even more provocative atmosphere.

Irene picked a dance partner, and the two of them moved together in heated rhythm.

The dim, feverish, and chaotic ambiance.

As the music shifted, the woman wrapped her arms around Bryan's neck, pulling him into a kiss.

Bryan reciprocated, his arms around

her waist, but his gaze was locked on Irene, who danced like a wild rose exuding a dangerously intoxicating allure.

The sway of red wine, the fragrance, permeated the space.

One danced closely with a stranger the other kissed one, yet their gazes intertwined, tangled, as if their souls kissed amidst the tumultuous surroundings.

Their bodies belonged to others, but in that moment, their souls collided, transcending far beyond.

As the music faded, Bryan released the woman from his embrace.

Flushed and heart racing, the woman hurried back to her friends, enthusiastically sharing her experience.

Bryan returned to the bar, resuming his role with unmatched dedication.

Irene danced for two more hours, driving the surrounding men to the brink of madness with her fiery moves, yet she entertained offers, rejecting them all. novelbin

Only at five in the morning, an hour before closing, did Irene leave.

no

She didn't approach Bryan; instead, she sat in her car, lost in thought.

After a night engulfed in chaotic lights, stepping out into the calm felt surreal.

Yet, seeing him had been a slice of happiness in the pandemonium.