35


    "Ow!" Maeve winced as her lower lip was bitten, the pain forcing her to open her mouth.


    She thought, ''One mistake leads to another."


    Her heart skipped a beat. She wanted to push Byron away, but she was afraid any sudden movement would give away their hiding spot.


    To make matters worse, he had been holding her tightly from the start, leaving her.


    room to


    escape.


    Maeve was both embarrassed and frustrated, her grip on his sleeve tightening with each passing second.


    She thought about biting him to snap him out of it, but every time she tried, she found herself at a disadvantage.


    Byron, still holding her in his arms, shifted slightly and pressed her down onto the flowerbed. His lips barely parted from hers before returning with a deep, intense kiss, as if he was channeling all his pent-up frustration into it. His lips were cool, but every move he made felt like a wildfire, leaving Maevepletely at a loss. Her body, chilled by the night breeze, suddenly felt like it was on fire.


    "Mr. Mcdaniel. Maeve finally managed to find a moment to catch her breath. She pushed against his shoulder, her face flushed as she gritted her teeth, "How long are you nning to keep kissing me?"


    She thought, ''Why does this man always start kissing me out of nowhere?''


    "Weren''t you the one who started it?" Byron noticed the glisten at the corner of her lips, pressing his thumb against it and gently rubbing. "What''s wrong with me kissing you back?" Maeve pped his hand away, stumbling over her words, "I-I didn''t mean to..."


    "Did you ''identally'' kiss me too?" Byron smirked. "Too many lies ruin the fun. Why not just be honest?" Maeve''s mind buzzed. She thought, "I am telling the truth, but why does his tone make it sound like I am the one taking advantage of him? Clearly, he is the one being more outrageous! "I told There''s s es someone


    over


    ?


    there!" The group that hadn''t left yet heard Maeve''s voice and immediately started closing in on them. "Let''s go." Byron''s brow furrowed slightly as he grabbed Maeve''s hand and led her deeper into the alley. Back at the apartment, they finally managed to lose their pursuers.


    Maeve still felt uneasy about what had just happened and wanted to retreat to her room to gather herself.


    But when she turned around, she noticed Byron''s face had gone unusually pale, with beads of cold sweat forming at his temples. It was clear his old injury had red up.


    "Mr. Mcdaniel, wait on the sofa for a moment," Maeve said hurriedly, rushing to grab the first aid kit and tend to his wounds.


    Thankfully, he had been recovering well, and the intense activity hadn''t caused his wound to reopen. Aside from some redness at the healing site, it wasn''t too serious.


    "I can''t believe I forgot you''re not supposed to do anything strenuous right now," Maeve said apologetically as she changed his bandage. "I''m sorry for making you carry me for so long."


    Her mood grew somber, and she handled him with extra care as she applied the medicine.


    Byron nced at her. "What? Do I seem that fragile to you?"


    Maeve lowered her gaze, staying silent.


    Byron leaned in, lifting her chin, his gaze deep. "Even if we did something more strenuous than what just happened, I''d still be fine. Got it?"


    "No, you shouldn''t exert yourself right now. You need to let your wound healpletely," Maeve replied seriously, meeting his gaze. "Otherwise, all those medicinal soups I''ve been making for you will have gone to waste." Byron was left speechless.


    He leaned back on the sofa, his voice low and almost to himself "Talking to you is like talking to a brick wall."


    Maeve hesitated, wanting to say something but holding back. She thought, I am only trying to help him, so why does he have to be so insulting?''


    After finishing with the bandages, she closed the medical kit and hesitated before speaking, "Mr. Mcdaniel, the people chasing us were sent by my ex-boyfriend toe after me. I''m really sorry you got dragged into this." They hadn''t seededst time, so this time they were determined to catch her, which exined why they were so relentless.


    As Byron buttoned up his shirt, I


    he replied calmly, "It wasn''t your fault, so there''s no need to apologize."


    of me...


    "But you got caught up in this in this because of


    "Instead of f wasting time apologizing for your ex-boyfriend, how about making me some pasta?" Byron interrupted. "I haven''t had dinner yet."


    Maeve


    paused, her guilt easing a little as a small smile tugged at her lips.


    "I actually prepared a big meal this afternoon to thank you for letting me stay here, but when you didn''te back, I put half of it in the fridge. I can heat it up, and it''ll be ready in no time."


    With that, she got up and headed to the kitchen.


    Only then did Byron have a moment to take in the newly transformed living room.


    The hanging chair by the floor-to-ceiling window was probably something Maeve had bought. Next to it was a small cream-colored cab stuffed with snacks. Not only that, but there was also a half-eaten bag of chips left on the ss table. Byron pinched the bridge of his nose, thinking, "This ce is quickly bing her domain.Còntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    When the packages she had ordered online were delivered to Pinehurst Apartments, Maeve had no choice but to go back for


    them.


    Fortunately, since it was daytime, she didn''t run into the people sent by Jeff this time.


    She hauled the packages back to Byron''s apartment, and they almost formed a small mountain in the corner.


    After unpacking everything, Maeve took the items that needed washing to the bathroom,pletely missing a package that had slipped under the table. Suddenly, her phone rang. When Maeve checked, she saw it was a message from Bonnie.


    Tue


    @x75% @X75%


    Bonnie was attending a party tomorrow night where a designer she knew would be present. She offered to introduce Maeve if she was interested. This was undoubtedly a big opportunity for Macve, especially given her current situation where her resume seemed to be going nowhere. Maeve: [Thanks, Bonnie, but are you sure it won''t be too much trouble for you?]


    Bonnie: [Not at all. It''s just a matter of a few words. But whether he takes a special interest in you will depend on your own skills. But I believe in you.] Bonnie: [Remember that handmade dress you showed me? Wear that tomorrow night, and you''re sure to make a great impression.]


    Maeve felt a warm sense of gratitude.


    After


    thanking her again, Maeve went to her room to find that dress, nning to give it a quick wash before wearing it.


    Her previous job had relegated her to menial tasks, leaving her with little opportunity to work on actual designs.


    She was frustrated, but with no one to talk to, she would buy fabric in her spare time and design clothes for herself.


    This dress was born out of a sudden burst of inspiration, but she had never had the chance to wear it-until now. Because of this, Maeve was in a great mood all day. She even made an especiallyvish dinner that evening. Byron came back earlier than the day before, almost at the same time as the drinks delivery.


    Maeve had felt a bit uneasy around himst night, but today she was in such high spirits that she forgot all about being kissed.


    Eager to organize her old design sketches, she retreated to her room as soon as they finished dinner.


    Byron watched her go, raising an eyebrow slightly. He thought, ''She''s this happy just because I had dinner with her? She couldn''t stop smiling at me across the table. Annoying.''


    For once, Byron didn''t return to his study to work. Instead, he sat on the sofa, handling some emails on his tablet.


    Just then, he noticed a package that had fallen near the edge of the table and picked it up. The recipient was Maeve, but the sender''s name was Jeff.