Master of his heart (Max and Brielle)
Chapter 1549

His eyes turned red, and he pressed his lips together tightly. Then he asked, "What if I don't take up the Clements family heirship?" Aubree froze, almost thinking she had heard a joke. Then she laughed, but it had a bittersweet ring to it. "Who do you think should take over then?" Someone pulled out of nowhere? That was impossible. Suddenly, Aubree felt a lump in her throat. "You know? If you really step down as the Clements heir, I won't be happy. I'll always remember that you made this choice because of me. All the pressure would fall on me. Even your presence would constantly remind me that you gave up your position for me. But Andrew, I never asked you to do this." Tears welled up in her eyes, and she quickly wiped them away. "Don't you understand? After everything we've been through, getting back together would only bring endless pressure. I've been carrying the burden of sneaking around behind your fiancée's back for years. It's enough; I want to live a little more freely." Andrew looked at her intently, then asked, "What am I supposed to do?" Aubree was suddenly at a loss for words. She never thought there'd come a day when she'd want to let him go. Feeling drained and weary, she sank into the couch, her voice hoarse. "Look at us; every time we're together, we end up in these pointless arguments that lead nowhere. Every argument leaves me exhausted. When I was in love with you, seeing you made the whole world brighter." The look of love is hard to hide. Andrew knew this better than anyone. When Aubree used to look at him, joy would overflow from her eyes, even if his actions let her down time and again. But that love never faded. Yet, somewhere along the line, that brightness disappeared. She still cared for him, but it just wasn't the same. Her inability to let go was because they had known each other for so many years; it was impossible to treat him as a stranger now. At that moment, Andrew felt his chest burning with jealousy, the thought of being left behind making his words lash out uncontrollably. "So, who makes you feel no pressure? Matthew?! You think you can be with him? He's just eighteen; what does he know about love or liking someone? He knows nothing!" It's impossible for an eighteen-year-old to know who they'll spend their life with. Aubree opened her mouth to argue but found no words. Because it was pointless. She lowered her eyes. "Please leave." She needed some peace. Andrew stood there, frozen, then suddenly stepped forward, pressing her into the couch, and kissed her. But instead of surprise, Aubree felt panic and even tried to pull away. Yet Andrew, relentless, gripped her neck, forcing her to look up, and kissed her fiercely. The kiss lasted for what felt like an eternity, filled with desperation. After letting her go, he moved to her neck, his other hand starting to remove her pants. It had been too long since they'd been close, and he missed her intensely. But then he heard Aubree retching. She pushed him away, grabbed a nearby trash can, and wished she could vomit out all the bile in her stomach. She was shaking, the cold dread feeling like it was eating her alive. Andrew was taken aback by her strong reaction, quickly grabbing some water, patting her back, and helping her drink. Aubree vomited for a solid three minutes, looking pale and utterly drained. Andrew's fingertips started trembling, "Are you okay? Let me take you to a doctor." After a while, Aubree, with tired eyes and a face full of fatigue, said, "Andrew, please, let's just let each other go." Andrew froze, feeling as if his entire body was being pricked with needles, the pain so intense he almost wanted to collapse. The corners of Aubree's eyes were damp from vomiting. But Andrew just got up, his voice even more hoarse. "Aubree, I'll wait for you right here." Because that was all he could do. Aubree didn't respond, collapsing onto the couch, feeling miserable all over. Loving him had cost her so many years of her youth and health. And it was enough.