Master of his heart (Brielle and Max)

Matthew flashed another grin. "What's up? Can't a guy do a little investigating? Or maybe you know something about Aubree's folks that I don't? Maybe their 'accident' wasn't so accidental?" Andrew frowned, "What are you getting at?"

Seeing Andrew wasn't pretending, Matthew just scoffed and swung open the car door. "Nothing, really. I'm still digging. If there's any dirt, you and Aubree can forget about your future together." With that, Matthew hit the gas, and the car sped off. Left alone, Andrew didn't step towards Aubree's apartment complex. He'd moved out and didn't have the guts to show his face there again. Leaning against his car, he smoked one cigarette after another until dawn. Only then did he rub his tired eyes and plan to leave.

The next morning, just as Aubree was waking up, the doorbell rang. Almost instinctively, she thought it was Andrew. When he lived across the hall, he'd always come knocking at this hour. If she didn't answer, he'd let himself in with a spare key and start cooking. Aubree hesitated before opening the door, only to find Matthew standing there instead. He had brought food, packed in about seven or eight steaming boxes. Taken aback, Aubree stood there, stunned.

Matthew walked in and started unpacking the boxes. "You're about to start filming; you should really take care of yourself." Without lingering, he left as quickly as he'd come. If the food on the table hadn't still been warm, Aubree might have thought she'd imagined the whole thing.

Back at his place, Matthew started comparing recipes, asking the chef to teach him more. His fingers were covered in burns. When Casey and his wife, Pauline, came downstairs, they found Matthew still busy in the kitchen.

Casey couldn't help but feel a bit jealous. "Eighteen years, and I've never seen you cook for yourself."

Ignoring him, Matthew asked the chef, "She's got a stomach issue; should I add more of this?" "Master, dealing with a stomach ailment takes time. It's not just about adding more or less of something."

Matthew nodded and went back to chopping. Casey glanced at Pauline, who was sipping her coffee. Noticing his gaze, Pauline looked up and smiled, "Aren't you about to work with Aubree? What's she like?"

Casey snorted, "Does it matter what I think? What matters is if Matt likes her."

Pauline chuckled, "I've seen Aubree's movies. She's about twenty-five, seven years older than Matt. When she finished grade school, Matt

wasn't even born. When she was in high school, Matt was still a kid."

Pauline raised an eyebrow, "Seems like everyone prefers someone younger, huh?"

Casey quickly put down his newspaper. "What's with the sarcasm? That actress, I have no idea what her deal was or how she got your number, but it was all nonsense. I've already reported it."

An actress had tried to seduce Casey. When he didn't bite, she somehow got Pauline's number and made outrageous claims about an affair, suggesting Pauline should divorce him.

Pauline smiled again, "If Matt wants to settle down, that's good. Saves him from globetrotting. We hardly see him."

Casey scoffed, "I'm just worried he's too young, not ready to commit. Aubree's twenty-five; she's not going to play house."

Just then, Matthew poked his head out of the kitchen. "Dad, didn't you write mom a love letter at seventeen, asking her to wait for you?"

Pauline quirked an eyebrow,

remembering something like that. Matthew stepped forward, "You figured things out at seventeen. Why can't go after true love at eighteen?

I0noveldrama

I really like her. You might not

believe me now, but you'll see."

Pauline set down her coffee cup. "I don't care if it's real or not, just remember: don't mess with a girl's feelings. Whether she's older or younger, that's no excuse."