The scene Maeve had imagined didn''t happen after all.


    In t


    the


    end, Maeve finished the ss of water that had been sitting half-full on the table, though in a rather different way. After everything was said and done, Byron carried Maeve, who was nearly drenched up to her cor, to the bathroom.


    She leaned against him, breathless, feeling even more exhausted and sleepy than if she''d just 5 miles.


    Like a fish lying on a chopping board, casually waiting to be desciled or made into soup, she didn''t even have the strength to flick her tail and struggle. Afterward, she was cleaned up and and tucked under the covers.


    Still


    not


    fully


    sober, and after spending so much time in the hot, cramped bathroom, Maeve''s head was spinning. I''m dizzy," Maeve murmured.


    "Byron, I''m


    turned off the lights and walked over to her, his tone calm and measured. "Are you going to drink again?" I shook hook her head. "No more"


    eve frowned and


    The tight feeling in her stomach hadn''t eased even now.


    Byrony down beside


    her, pulling her into his arms as if out of habit. His hand rested gently on her back, patting softly eyes clo closed, sleep beginning to take hold.


    Maeve nuzzled into into his chest with her


    "What were you so upset about today?" Byron asked suddenly.


    On the verge of of sleep, Mae Maeve answered hazily, "When are you going to... divorce me?"


    Her voice grew quieter and quieter, f


    fading into a weak, barely audible whisper.


    But Byron heard it clearly. The softness in his eyes vanished in an instant, reced by a cold, heavy silence.


    ''Have I been too kind to hertely and spoiled her too much? How dare she ask for a divorce?'' he thought.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    This time, it tool


    it took Maeve two or three days to fully recover from her drunken stupor.


    Once she''d finished the tasks at hand, she decided to go to the hospital for a checkup, worried that staying up all night would eventually break her body.


    "Ms. Reese, congrattions," the doctor said with a smile after reviewing her test results. "You''re four weeks pregnant." ''Pregnant? How could that be? Maeve thought.


    Maeve froze, her entire body stiffening as her mind went nk. Her lips parted, but no words came out for a long time.


    Her heart was gripped by panic and helplessness


    Doing the math, the timing lined up with the night she had been drugged and sought out Byron.


    But the problem was, she had taken emergency contraception afterward. Sat, Oct 26


    "Doctor, are you sure this isn''t a mistake?" she asked.


    The doctor answered. "It''s clearly shown on the report. There''s no mistake."


    Maeve pursed her dry lips. "But I''ve been taking birth control pils, and I''ve been careful every time since. How could this still happen...


    The doctor, noticing she wasn''t very old, responded kindly, "Contraceptive pills aren''t 100% effective. It''s rare, but that doesn''t mean it''s impossible. And your report shows signs of a potential miscarriage. Thankfully, it''s not serious. Just take the prescribed medication and make sure toe back for regr checkups."


    The doctor''s words sent Maeve''s heart into a spiral. She wasn''t sure what to feel.


    said..


    "Thank you, doctor," she walked absentmindedly, almost bumping into someone. Leaving the the hospital, Maeve


    She found a bench and sat down, her face as pale as paper as the doctor''s words reyed in her mind.


    This baby hade so suddenly.


    She wasn''t ready to be a mother.


    Maeve''s gaze was vacant as she gently ced her hand on her t stomach. It didn''t even feel like there was a life growing inside her.


    The sensation was so unfamiliar, so foreign.


    It terrified her, and she wanted to run, but she didn''t know where to go.


    Taking out her phone, she i


    "Mom''s been through the instinctively pulled up Valda''s number and almost hit dial.


    this before. Sh this before. She''d I know what to do, she thought.


    But as soon as the thought crossed her mind, she stopped herself and quickly hung up.


    She had almost forgotten that her family wasn''t like other families


    Her parents weren''t a safe haven or a source offort.


    A bitter smile tugged at at Macve''s lips as she clutched her phone, feeling utterly lost.


    "What am I going to do? How could I tell Byron about this? It seems that he doesn''t like children..." she thought..


    She sat on the bench for what felt like ages, until her legs went numb. When she finally stood up to leave, her steps were unsteady, as though she were walking on clouds. Passing by the park next to the hospital, Maeve noticed some small children ying in the sand-


    Their voices were soft and sweet, their smiles innocent, and they ran around like little Smurfs, full of energy and joy.


    Maeve couldn''t help butugh.


    But when she realized what she was doing, her face flushed with embarrassment. She quickly turned and left


    Back at the apartment, she noticed that Byron was sitting on the couch, working on hisptop,


    Ass


    soon as he saw her, Maeve''s nerves tightened.


    "You''re back?" Byron''s fingers paused on the keyboard. His gaze was calm, unreadable. "You went to the hospital today?" Maeve''s heart lifted inmediately. "How did you know?"


    Byron gestured with a nod toward the small chalkboard sitting on her desk.


    It disyed her to-do list for the day, and one of the items was clearlybeled "physical exam."


    Marve bit her lip, feeling a twinge of embarrassment.


    "How did the checkup go?" Byron asked again.


    Maeve subconsciously pressed her jacket pocket, struggling with the weight of telling him the truth as she met his inquisitive


    gaze.


    As she pondered what to say, it felt like her mind split open, recalling the words Byron had spoken not long ago.- "We don''t need children between us." clenched her palms and replied, as tly as she could, "It''s nothing serious.''


    "Yeah?"


    Byron shifted theptop from hisp and raised his arm slightly. "Come here."


    Maeve hesitated for a moment before walking toward him, feeling uneasy.


    Maybe it was because she was hiding something, but she couldn''t shake the feeling that there was something unustal in the way Byron was looking at her. His dark, cold, silent eyes seemed to see right through her.


    She wasn''t sure if he would notice anything.


    In the next second, Maeve''s body suddenly dipped as Byron pulled her into hisp.


    He seemed to enjoy holding her like this-possessive, strong, in control.


    A


    A blush lush crept across Maeve''s cheeks. She was about to speak when she suddenly noticed Byron pulling a report from her jacket pocket, and her face turned pale. "Give it back!" Maeve eve panicked, reaching for it.


    Byron held her down with


    one hand, preventing her from moving, and with the other, he unfolded the report and scanned it in one swift nce. His face, usually as calm as still water, grew darker and heavier, a storm brewing behind his expression.


    Maeve knew exactly what that look meant.


    He was angry, very angry.


    Her heart raced, and her throat tightened as even breathing became more difficult


    What should I do now? Would he not want this baby... she thought.


    "Maeve, is this what you call ''nothing serious?" Byron''s voice was chilling as he stared at her with eyes so cold they seemed devoid of any warmth. 89%%0


    The color drained from Maeve''s face. Her eyes filled with panic and unease. "I... I can exin. I don''t know why this is happening...


    "Why did you lie just it! Byron gripped her waist, pulling her closer. His gaze lowered as he coldly questioned her. "Are you that afraid of me finding out? Hmm?"