Master of his heart (Brielle and Max)

In that icy chamber, memories from her childhood hit Aubree like a tidal wave a time when she'd been trapped underground, consumed by fear. Panic surged through her, and she pounded desperately on the door.

"Is anyone there?!"

"Please, someone let me out!"

But the thick walls of the walk-in freezer were soundproof, swallowing her cries for help.

Meanwhile, Matthew was on a frantic quest to find Aubree, but she was nowhere to be found. Her phone lay abandoned on the couch, a silent clue to her mysterious disappearance.

Matthew's instincts kicked into overdrive. He didn't waste a second wondering if she'd just left her phone behind to chat with someone else. If Aubree wasn't right in front of him, it was a crisis, plain and simple.

He immediately reached out to the event organizers, insisting they check the security footage. Nothing was too much when it came to keeping Aubree safe.

His quick thinking paid off. The surveillance video showed Aubree inside the freezer, her condition deteriorating, looking like she was about to pass out from the cold.

Matthew dashed to the freezer like a man possessed, flinging the door open and rushing to her side. The cold was biting, the temperature well below freezing. Aubree, dressed in just a dress and gripped by panic, was suffering from the frigid air.

He gathered her into his arms, her mind teetering between past nightmares and present reality. The one who pulled her from the shadows.

Without hesitating, Matthew ran outside, Aubree cradled against him.

The commotion had drawn attention. Many at the event, including Andrew, realized that Matthew was searching for Aubree. As Matthew emerged, holding Aubree close, Andrew was there to meet them.

"What happened to Aubree?" he asked, concern etched on his face.

Matthew, overwhelmed with worry, had no time for explanations. But as he tried to push past, Aubree, in her daze, looked up at Matthew, mistaking the moment for a memory. "Brother," she murmured.

That single word stopped Matthew in his tracks, disbelief washing over him. It felt like his heart had been pierced, bleeding with sorrow.

His eyes, red with emotion, showed his pain.

Andrew, on the other hand, was

suddenly filled with hope. Memories

of a time long ago rushed back-when he had found her in a similanstate, carrying her to safety as she clung to him, crying and calling him brother in fear.

Hearing her say it again made Andrew's heart melt. He reached out eagerly to take Aubree from Matthew, feeling a deep sense of fulfillment. Aubree, in her heart, still held a place for him. At this moment, she called for him.

But for Matthew, it was a different story-heartbreakingly so. He felt his heart shatter. Even as Andrew moved to take Aubree, Matthew was frozen, unsure of what to do.

If Aubree had chosen him, he would have pushed Andrew aside without hesitation. But now, it seemed she needed someone else, not him.

His face turned ashen, a mix of anger and sorrow threatening to bring him to tears.

Yet, it was then that Aubree spoke again.

"Brother, let me go."

"I'm not afraid of the dark anymore. I don't nee

you to carry me. I can make it on my own. I don't want you to be my light anymore."

These words, rooted in the moment Andrew carried her out of her darkness, had shaped her affection for him for over a decade. But now, as she believed time had turned back, she felt regret.

She wished she hadn't clung to him, hadn't craved the safety and gentleness he offered.noveldrama

So she pleaded for release, ready to face the journey ahead on her own.