The Heir's Secret Bride

Byron quickly averted his gaze, his dark eyes deepening with a hint of darkness. After a moment, he finally replied, "My grandpa set up that stall just to meet you." He thought, 'Now that he's met you, there's no need for him to keep doing it!

"Why didn't you tell me sooner that your grandpa wanted to see me? Making an elderly man go through all that trouble for me feels a bit embarrassing," Maeve mumbled. "I was planning to tell you after he got out of the hospital, but he was too impatient to wait."

Hearing the slight frustration in his tone, Maeve couldn't help but smile. "By the way, Mr. Mcdaniel, since I'm staying here, how much should I pay you in rent each month?" Already feeling a a ton edg Byron's brows furrowed at her question. "Who said anything about you paying rent?"

"I can't just live here for

"I'm not in need of money. You can pay with your cooking skills instead."

Maeve pressed her lips together, thinking, "The vase in the living room is practically falling apart, yet he claims he doesn't need money? Still, does this mean he actually likes my cooking now?' Thinking back to how he used to flatly refuse to eat her food, Maeve couldn't help but find it amusing.

Noticing her slight smirk, Byron shot her a sideways glance. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing." Maeve quickly denied it, then asked, "Mr. Mcdaniel, is this apartment something you bought or are you renting?"

"I bought it."

She thought, 'No wonder the place has so little furniture, and what's here is so outdated. He probably poured all his savings into buying this place.' Even if he was not charging rent, she figured she should at least contribute something to make it feel more like home.

"I'm going to sleep now. There's a lot to do tomorrow. Goodnight, Mr. Mcdaniel." She pulled the blanket up and closed her

eyes.

A flicker of something unreadable crossed Byron's eyes as he looked at the blanket cocoon she made for herself. He replied quietly, "Goodnight."

The next morning, Maeve woke up early. Finding nothing in the fridge but bottled water, she went downstairs and bought some pasta.

When Byron was ready, they sat down across from each other to have breakfast before heading back to Pinehurst Apartments.

Just the plants from her balcony filled up the entire trunk, and it took a second trip to get everything moved into his apartment. After returning her keys to the landlord and getting her deposit back, Maeve finally felt like the move was real.

"ed to head to the office soon. You can organize things, however you like, just stay out of the study," Byron said, glancing at his watch.

10t

"Got it." As Maeve arranged the plants on the balcony, she noticed him dressed sharply in a suit, ready to head out, and

couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Mcdaniel, aren't you a driver? Why do you go to the office every day?"

Byron paused slightly. "It's what my employer requires."

Maeve nodded, suddenly understanding. 'So, he's following his employer to the office. It sounds like an easy gig, but considering how busy he always is, it's probably not as simple as it seems. "Drive safely and take care."

"I will." I will.

After Byron left, Maeve quickly finished organizing everything and gave the whole place a deep clean.

The previously bare balcony was now filled with lush greenery, adding a sense of life to the space.

But it still felt like something was missing. She headed out to the mall and returned with several bags in hand.

She laid down a cream-colored rug in the living room, swapped out the sofa covers for warm, soft ones, and added some patterned placemats to the coffee table. She placed a new vase beside the

Just as she finished, the furniture delivery arrivwith water, and arranged some roses so they'd stay fresh longer.

after the movers left, Maeve

Not long at This

arrived.

che thought, "This bed is so ve stood in the bedroom, taking in the sight of the cream-colored round bed and the matching furniture, her eyes wide with delight.

"This bed is so cute! It's exactly my style!"

Byron didn't charge her any rent and even got her new furniture. She decided she'd repay him by cooking some delicious meals.

"This is so comfy," she muttered, rolling around on the bed. She quickly snapped a picture of the room and sent it to Byron

Maeve: [The new furn furniture arrived. Thanks for going through the trouble, Mr. Mcdaniel. I love it!]

Maeve: [What do you feel like having for dinner tonight? Feel free to request anything.]

When the

when messages came through, Byron was in the middle of a meeting.

A

A senior executive was droning on about his vision for the new project, but it was mostly empty buzzwords with little substance. Sitting at t the head of the table, Byron found his patience was wearing thin, his brows knitting tighter as the chatter continued. His phone buzzed inside the drawer.

Curious, he glanced at the screen-Maeve had messaged him.

She'd already set up the guest room, and with the new furniture in place, it looked much cozier.

Judging by her excited tone, she was clearly pleased with how it turned out.

The corner of Byron's lips curved slightly as he scrolled down-then suddenly froze.

Instead of another room photo, the next image was a picture of Maeve from a summer trip.

She was sitting on a bridge over water, wearing a light green camisole dress. Her slender legs dangled playfully in the water,

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214

with droplets sparkling on her fair skin as they caught the sunlight.

She was smiling at the camera, her expression as soft and breezy as a gentle wind through the trees.

Byron's gaze darkened for a moment. Then, with a quick swipe, he saved the photo.

Just then, the image was recalled.

Maeve: [Sorry, Mr. Mcdaniel. I accidentally sent an extra-photo.]

Byron: [Really? I didn't see anything.].

Byron: Whatever you make for dinner is fine with me.]

After sending the reply, his expression tightened, and he pressed his lips into a thin line.

Realizing what he had just done, he grumpily deleted the saved photo and tossed his phone back into the drawer with a loud thud.

The sound was sharp enough to instantly silence the arguing executives, who all turned toward him with wary eyes. Fixing them with a cold glare, Byron's voice cut through the room. "I'm here to hear your insights, strategies, and market analysis for the new project-not to listen to meaningless bickering. "If anyone still feels like arguing, hand in your resignation and go do it at home."

The room fell dead silent, and suddenly, the atmosphere became much more agreeable. No one was eager to go unemployed.

home

After the meeting, Byron instructed his assistant, Archer, to summarize the key points and send them over, then returned to his office.

"Mr. Mcdaniel, here's your coffee," Karen said as she entered, carefully placing the cup on his desk. Just seeing him focused on his work made her heart race. "Thanks," Byron replied flatly.

A flicker of joy crossed Karen's face, but it quickly faded as she took in his usual cool demeanor, leaving her with a bittersweet feeling.

They had grown up together as childhood friends, knowing each other inside out.

She was the only woman who could stay this close to him, and she believed it would always be that way.

With that thought in mind, Karen quietly left the office, making sure not to disturb him.

Meanwhile, in the office, Byron frowned at the documents in front of him, but his mind kept drifting back to the photo Maeve had accidentally sent.

He thought, 'Why would she send something like that? Was it deliberate?'

He put down his pen and rubbed his temples.

He thought, 'Maybe that is her plan all along-to get my attention. If I fall for it, what kind of fool would that make me?'