Jeff thought, "Ten times the purchase price... Not even Father cane up with that kind of money!"


    Jeff quickly realized Ray was deliberately making things difficult for him. As he recalled Ray''s earlier words, his face went pale.


    Ray


    When have


    I ever offended Ray? I can''t remember anything at all!''


    He thought, walked out of the lounge, carrying his winnings, and headed to the meeting room at the end of the hall. He pushed the door open and stepped inside. Byron sitting on the ck sofa turned his head slightly, holding a ss of red wine in his left hand, the corner of his eyes lifted in a casual gaze. "All taken care of?"


    "A piece of cake," Ray replied with a grin, cing a phone on the table before pouring himself another ss of wine. "That fool actually had a bit of luck tonight. If he''d quit while he was ahead, he could''ve walked away with a nice profit. But he got greedy. "But something felt off. Sure, the transfer deed for all my restaurants of George Group is tempting, but it''s not worth riskingpany shares over. Did you have a hand in this?"


    Ray thought, "The gambling session tonight, orchestrated by Byron, didn''t feel like a coincidence.


    "Just gave him a little nudge," Byron replied calmly.


    Ray raised an eyebrow, sensing there was more to the story. "What did Jeff do to get on your bad side? Care to share?" t be too curious."


    Don''t


    Ray rubbed his chin, trying to read between the lines of Byron''s words. Then he suddenly asked, "You didn''t go after Jeff because of a woman, did you?"


    He thought, ''After all, with the Graves family''s minor status, it doesn''t seem like something that will catch Byron''s attention otherwise.


    Byron


    paused for a moment, then coolly dismissed the idea. "You''re overthinking it."


    "Really? I ? I don''t buy it," Ray said, his curiosity piqued, his expression full of eager gossip.


    Byron i ignored him, set down his wine ss, and walked over to pick up the phone on the table.


    The double-password lock that Jeff had set was practically useless in Byron''s hands.


    As soon as he opened the photo album, he found exactly what he expected: secretly recorded surveince footage of Maeve.


    With an indifferent expression, Byron deleted all the videos. Then, with a flick of his long fingers, the phone dropped into the fish tank on the table with a ssh. "What was


    s on it?" Ray asked, crossing his arms. "You didn''t have me win his phone just to toss it in the tank, did you?"


    "Nothing important," Byron said dismissively. He walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window and looked down. "It''s lively


    down there."


    Ray


    raised an eyebrow. "And what''s that got to do with anything?


    "You should go down and join the fun."


    ))


    38


    Chap left speechless, thinking, ''So this is how it feels to be used and discarded!Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.


    Ray


    Ray was


    Meanwhile, outside in the garden, Maeve had wandered around for a while and was about to head back inside.


    The


    ce was beautiful, exuding elegance and luxury, but there was also a certain superficiality that made her feel o ce. She wondered if Bonnie was done with her greetings because she was starting to feel like heading home.


    Lost in thought for a moment, Maeve was about to rise from the bench when she suddenly felt her dress get heavier. Looking down, she realized that part of her skirt had gotten caught in the flower bushes.


    She tried to pull it free, thinking it woulde loose easily, but then she heard a voice. "Who''s there?" she called out.


    f


    She froze for a moment. Across from her, a man in a silver-gray tailcoat slowly stood up, holding the corner of her skirt in his hand.


    Maeve pointed at his hand. "Excuse me, sir, could you please let go of my dress?"


    Alex nced at her dress, a look of admiration shing in his eyes.


    The dress was pure white, with a ssic bodice and a skirt that draped gracefully like flower petals down to her ankles. Delicate roses adorned the neckline, cuffs, and hem, adding the perfect touch of elegance and refinement. It was the first time Alex had seen such a design-subtle yet striking. He couldn''t help but take a longer look.


    ""Sir?" Maeve e asked, noticing he seemed I momentarily lost. "Are you alright?"


    Alex quickly snapped out of it and released her dress.


    "Sorry, I thought it was just a piece of fabric lying here. The rose crewelwork is so beautiful that I couldn''t help but pick it up to take a closer look."


    He hadn''t realized it was part of her dress.


    Alex cleared his throat, and when he


    Maeve adjusted her skirt and looked got a good look at Maeve, he was surprised. "It''s you?"


    up, puzzled. "You know me?"


    "Last time at Cloud Club, you ran into me while you were crying. I offered you a handkerchief, but you didn''t take it and just ran off," Alex said with a warm smile. "You probably don''t remember."


    She had appeared and disappeared so o quickly that night, but the image of her tear-filled yet determined eyes had sparked a long-lost inspiration within him. He remembered her clearly.


    When he mentioned it, Maeve finally recalled. "Oh, that was you! I remember now. Thank you for that


    At the time, she wasn''t in a good state and had hurried off without acknowledging his kindness.


    "It was nothing." Alex shook his head, then asked, "Forgive me for asking, but where did you get this dress?"


    Maeve shook her head. "I made it myself."


    Alex''s eyes


    lit


    up


    even more. "You made it yourself? And the rose crewelwork..."


    "I did that too," Maeve replied.


    She had once worked part-time as a maid for an crewelwork master.


    D


    The master was an elderly woman whose only son had refused to learn crewelwork and had left home over a decade ago.


    With no one to carry on her craft, the old woman, perhaps unwilling to see her legacy fade away, had taught Maeve many things when she showed interest.


    Alex''s excitement grew. "So, you''re a designer?"


    "I used to be," Maeve said modestly. "But I haven''t found a job yet"


    "A designer with


    such a


    a natural blend of styles and impressive crewelwork skills struggling to find work?" Alex thought she must be joking, then asked seriously, "Would you be interested in working at mypany?" Maeve was surprised. "Yourpany?" Have you heard of it?"


    Maeve''s eyes lit up. "Of


    Eternal Hope. Have


    course! W


    What designer hasn''t heard of Eternal Hope? Are you the founder?"


    Eternal Hope was the most famous domestic designer brand, with ssical designs and wedding gowns as the main stay, which were favored by girls of different ages. Hope gave Maeve an offer, but she missed it.


    once


    is my mother," Alex said with a smile. "But it''s good you know the and bring your resume and portfolio."


    Mctually, the founder is


    Although he was certain he would hire Maeve, formalities still needed to be followed.


    na. Come to this address next


    Maeve took the business card he handed her, barely able to contain her excitement. "Thank you. I''ll definitely be there." "I''m looking forward to seeing your work," Alex said with a gentle smile.


    window.


    This scene was observed by Byron, who was standing by the floor-to-ceiling


    He saw Maeve in the garden, chatting happily with a stranger and epting something, likely a business card, from him. Even from a distance, her bright smile was almost blinding.


    He thought, ''She always acts like she can''t live without me, yet here she is, smiling like that with another man.''


    Byron''s dark eyes narrowed, and the temperature around him seemed to drop.


    He picked up the phone from the table and left the room.