The Heir's Secret Bride

Maeve's attention had long drifted over to their conversation. When she heard that Byron planned to be discharged in just two days, she was taken aback. Given how serious his injuries were, staying in the hospital for a month would have been minimal. She thought, It has only been a little over a week, and he is already talking about leaving? She couldn't help but voice her concern. "Mr. Medaniel, your body hasn't fully recovered yet. Leaving the hospital now might slow down your recovery..." Byron didn't even look at her, his tone cold. "That's not your concern."

Maeve felt a sharp sting in her chest and quickly turned her head to hide the sudden moisture in her eyes. She thought. What is going on? What have I done to upset him?

This frosty atmosphere lingered even after Byron was discharged from the hospital.

Maeve had just started at Ĕternal

Hope and and was still

Meanwhile, Byron was swamped with work that hadding her footing, so she'd been busy these past few days trying to get up to speed

Both of them Maeve

had piled up during his hospital stay, spending most of his time in the study.

seemed intent on avoiding each other. Even though they lived under the same roof, they rarely crossed paths, except during meals or when necessary. resolved not to speak to him unless absolutely necessary.

was frustrated, too. She

Today, she stayed late at the office, nearly until 8:30 PM, to finish reviewing Eternal Hope's design archives.

As she waited by the curb for a cab, a white Ferrari pulled up beside her. The window rolled down, revealing Alex's warm and refined face. I'll give you a ride," Alex said.

Maeve, why are you heading home so late? Hop declined without hesitation. "Thank you, Mr. Brown, but I'll just catch a cab.

Recalling wha

"It's tough to get a cab at this hour, and

Maeve

what Ava had mentioned be it's not safe for ay Softly. "Do I need to get out and open the woman to be out alone," Alex said gently. "Come on, get in." Maeve checked the time. It was late, and recent news reports about safety flashed through her mind, making her reconsider.

Alex chuckled

door for you?"

"N-no need." Maeve quickly shook her head. "Then... I guess I'll take you up on your offer."

After getting in the car, she gave him her address, and Alex entered it into the GPS before merging into traffic.

"You've been with the company for a little while now. How are you settling in?" Alex asked as he focused on the road. Maeve nodded slightly. "Everything's going well. The work is interesting, and my colleagues are all very kind." Glad to hear it."

As they stopped at a red light, Alex's gaze briefly drifted to Maeve's calm profile.

She wasn't the kind of womus who would catch your eye immediately, but there was a quiet elegance about her.

Her

beauty was understated, with delicate features that were so and gentle. Her eyes, reflecting the light, sparkled like stars. A hint of pink on her small nose added a touch of playfulness.

Alex suddenly smiled. "Did you just come from a paint session? You've got something on your nose."

Maeve blinked in surprise and quickly pulled out her phone to check. Sure enough, there was a smudge of pink paint on her

nose

"I must have gotten too close while drawing and accidentally brushed against it..." she explained, embarrassed, as she took out a tissue to wipe it off. "Better wash it off when you get home, Alex advised, pausing for a moment.

Then,

out of nowhere, a burst of inspiration struck him, breaking through the creative block he'd been stuck in. The image of rose on a snowy mountaintop.... Quickly jotting down this idea in his mind, he turned back to Maeve and smiled. "You really are my muse..."

It seemed like every time he saw her, a new idea would come to mind. It was something that had never happened to him before.

а

The white Ferrari pulled up in front of the vintage apartment building, and Maeve stepped out, leaning down to thank Alex through the window, "Thank you for driving me home, Mr. Brown. Take care on your way back." Of course, Alex replied with a smile. "Get some rest. Good night

"Good night," Maeve s Maeve said, giving him a wave as he drove off.

Once his car disappeared down the street, she turned and headed into the building, taking the elevator up to her apartment,

She didn't expect to run into Byron tonight, but as soon as she opened the door, there he was, sitting on the sofa in the living room.

He was dressed in a black sweater and pants, looking relaxed and at ease. With his head slightly bowed, his usually sharp features softened, giving him an air of cool detachment as he focused on the tablet in front of him. When he heard the door open, he didn't even glance up, his attention still fixed on the screen.

Noticing that his knee and wrist casts had been removed, Maeve considered saying something but decided against it. Instead, she headed to the kitchen.

A few minutes later, she returned, picked some greens from the balcony garden, and went back to the kitchen.

Soon, the enticing aroma of food filled the apartment.

Byron, leaning his head on his hand, realized that in the past ten minutes, he'd only managed to read one line of the document in front of him.

His mind kept wandering back to the scene he'd seen from the window earlier, and his brows furrowed in frustration. He thought, "Laughing and smiling so brightly with another man outside, but the moment she stepped inside, she couldn't be bothered to say a word. What is that about? Has she gone mute?' Irritated, Byron tossed the tablet aside and was about to head back to his room when he noticed Maeve walking over plate of pasta. He paused, then casually picked up the tablet again.

with

а

aCòntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

But instead of bringing the plate to him, Maeve placed it on the glass table, sat cross-legged on the carpet, and started eating

54

while watching TV.

After waiting a few minutes, Byron's irritation grew. "Maeve, aren't you forgetting something?"

"What?" I "Maeve asked, puzzled, turning to look at him as she took a bite of her pasta.

"My dinner."

Maeve looked genuinely surprised. "You haven't eaten yet? 1 thought you already had."

"Did you even check what time you got home?" Byron's tone was ley, "You left a patient to starve, waiting for you for hours?"

She thought, "Is he really waiting for me to come home? Maeve je her pasta, mumbling, "I've been getting home late recently. There are ingredients in the fridge; you could've made something yourself." Byron looked at her like she'd just told a joke. "The one who agreed to cook in exchange for rent wasn't me."

He thought, 'Since when did I ever need to do

to do such things?'

"You're right, I did agree to that," Maeve said, tightening her grip on the fork. "But agreeing to cook doesn't mean I signed up to be treated like a maid" Byron's dark eyes narrowed as he looked at her. "So, are you trying to back out?"

"No, I'm just saying that if I'm your maid, we need to settle a few things."

Maeve lifted her head and met his gaze. "I've been paying for the groceries, cooking the meals, washing the dishes, and doing the weekly deep cleaning.

"So. Mr. Mcdaniel, aside from the meals that offset the rent, how much should you be paying me for everything else?" Byron leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, his posture casual. "How much do you want?" He thought. It seems the card she has received from Alexis isn't enough to cover the engagement gift to the Graves family!

"I don't want money," Maeve replied, meeting his probing gaze. I just realized that I shouldn't be doing everything around here by myself. Don't you think, Mr. Mcdaniel, that you should share some of the load?" To Byron, this was nothing short of absurd.

He'd known hardship before, but he'd never done these kinds of chores. Now, there was no reason to start. He thought, "What are the dozens of servants at my estate for if not to handle these tasks?