Master of his heart (Brielle and Max)

Tears streamed down her face, and she could feel Andrew's tears dampening her neck.

Every time she was near Andrew, every time she stepped into the Clements' home, Aubree felt utterly drained. She missed the vast, open fields of the Great Plains so much. Her tears fell even harder. Right then, she wanted nothing more than to collapse to the ground and sob uncontrollably. How did things get so bad? Desiree kept lashing out with her harsh words. "You're nothing but a burden. We should have never taken you in. You're a nobody, a wild child. How could you ever be good enough for our little Ryan? And now, carrying someone else's burden, who knows what recklessness you've been up to? Get out! Leave, now!"

Aubree made a move to leave, but Andrew held onto her tightly, refusing to let go. The bystanders had been sent away, leaving only the Clements family around. Marissa stood at the front, rubbing her temples. "Mom, stop it," she pleaded. Desiree's words were so cruel that even Marissa found them hard to bear.

Andrew clung to Aubree, making the whole scene a mess. Then, out of the corner of her eye, Aubree spotted someone. It was Matthew. He must have just arrived, panting and sweaty, his hair sticking to his forehead. "Aubree," he called out, cutting through the Clements crowd to grab her hand. Without a word or even a glance back, he ran with her.

They dashed out of the hall, out of the Clements estate, and onto the street. Only when the cool night air hit them did he slow down. Aubree's hand was still tightly in his, but neither of them spoke. The breeze felt like pure freedom. Aubree, catching her breath, stopped behind him.

Matthew finally released her hand and asked, "You okay?" Surrounded and judged, with Andrew's arms around her, she'd never felt so alone. In that instant, Matthew felt nothing but compassion for her and pulled her away without a second thought.

Now, as they strolled slowly down

the street, Aubree couldn't hold back her tears. Matthew went back to his car. Without tissues, he grabbed a pack of napkins and handed her a few. "Come on, no more tears," he said gently. Aubree saw the pack in his hand and managed a small smile. Matthew sighed, his anger simmering. "They really went too far."

Aubree, drying her tears, shoulders still trembling, whispered, "It's not their fault. It's mine." She regretted getting tangled up with Andrew so soon. They found a bench to sit on, the night air cool against their skin.

Matthew shrugged off his suitnoveldrama

jacket. He never liked wearing suits, always felt they were too restricting. He hadn't planned on attending the party tonight, but his dad insisted sending him an invitation. Choosing a suit made him late, leading him to witness that whole mess. Is this really what Aubree's life was like with the Clements?

"Matthew, I miss the Great Plains so much," she said, her voice raw, the tears finally stopped, just gazing into the distance. Matthew turned to look at her, his heart aching. Aubree didn't actually miss the Great Plains. It was just that there, she fel@free, with no ties to the Clements. There, she was entirely her own person.

"There are places even more beautiful than that. I've seen penguins, polar bears, and mountain goats climbing cliffs. The more you explore, the less you look back because there's always something amazing ahead." His words held a deeper meaning, but Aubree remained silent, lost in thought.