"Mr. Nelson, I came to get some fresh clothes for Byron. Which room is his?" A soft, sweet voice suddenly came from outside the dining room, causing Marve to pause mid-bite. "Hmm? Why are the lights still on in the dining room?" Lynn asked curiously as she walked over, her gaze immediately. locking with Maeve''s,


    Maeve was momentarily taken aback and asked, "Who are you?"


    Lynn pretended not to know her and replied, "Who are you? Why are you in my fiance''s house?"


    The word "fiance pierced Maeve''s heart like a sharp de as she silently repeated it in her mind. The memory of that news headline shed before her, and her face grew pale. "You are Byron''s fiancée?" Maeve asked.


    Lynn tilted her head yfully and introduced herself, I''m Lynn And who might you be, Miss!"


    Hearing that name left Maeve stunned again, making her think, Lynn, 1.A, the initials on that sketch Byron made when he


    was younger....


    Could it be this girl''s name?''Belonging ? N?velDram/a.Org.


    "Miss Anderson, you''re here!" Damian Nelson, the butler, walked over with a warm smile. When he saw Maeve, he exined, This is a guest of Mr. Mcdaniel, staying here temporarily.


    Lynn shed Maeve a sweet smile. "Oh, I see. Byron is really kind-hearted. Don''t be too reserved, and just treat this ce like your own home. I have something to do, so I''ll be leaving now.


    With that, Lynn left the dining room with Damian while Maeve sat there, her appetitepletely gone.


    However, for the sake of her child''s nutrition, Maeve forced herself to finish the bowl of food before heading upstairs.


    Damian stopped Maeve in front of the master bedroom and said, "Ms. Reese, Miss Anderson is inside packing Mr. Mcdaniel''s clothes. Could you wait for a moment?")


    Maeve smiled faintly and asked, ''Is Byron going on a business trip?"


    She remembered how he was a neat freak, disliking anyone touching his things.


    He would throw it straight into the trash even if someone identally brushed against his coat.


    "Perhaps," Damian answered vaguely.


    Maeve lowered her gaze, thinking. "Of course, they''re getting engaged soon."


    Seeing Maeve''s expression, Damian lowered his voice. "Ms. Reese, Miss Anderson, and Mr. Mcdaniel have known each other. since childhood, and their rtionship is... special. He doesn''t really want you two to meet, nor does he want her to know anything about your past with him. "Miss Anderson isn''t in the best of health, and Mr. Mcdaniel is always worried about her. He''s concerned that you might upset her. So, do you understand what I mean?"


    Maeve understood perfectly, but she didn''t agree to Mr. Nelson''s suggestion


    She responded, "This is Byron''s issue. What does it have to do with me? I don''t think I have any obligation to help him pacify his fiancée.


    She thought, ''If Byron belieges I will upset Lynn, that''s his problem.


    If he wants me to stay quiet, he should tell me himself, not have his butler interfere.


    Damian''s expression darkened slightly. He gave Maeve a deep look but said nothing further.


    Not knowing how long Lynn would take to pack in the master bedroom, Maeve decided to wait in the study.


    She walked inside and nced around, her eyes finally settling on something.


    On the ck marble desk facing the floor-to-ceiling window, there was a photo frame... and another sketch. However, This time, the sketch wasn''t of Byron but Lynn.


    It depicted her as a teenager, looking slightly younger and more innocent than when Maeve had just seen her.


    Maeve''s fingers curled as she stood there in a daze, her mind racing, ''Sketching each other and framing the drawings. cing them in the most important rooms like the bedroom and the study....


    No one would believe they aren''t in love with each other. And what about me...what am I to him? Just a fleeting amusement?


    Maeve instinctively avoided answering that question, unwilling to face it


    When enough time had passed, she left the study.


    She suddenly heard Lynn speaking with Damian as she reached the corner.


    "I know she''s Byron''s ex-wife, but she''s already in the past. What matters is the future Byron and I will have together. Besides, I don''t think Byron cares much about her. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have divorced her the moment I came back." Lynn said, her tone innocent but cruel as sheughed.


    Damian smiled satisfactorily, "You and Mr. Mcdaniel have known each other for over twenty years. Of course, she could neverpare to that


    "Im leaving now. Byron''s still waiting for me, Lynn replied.


    "Alright, I''ll walk you to the car," Damian said.


    The voices gradually faded until Maeve could no longer hear them. Only then did she step out from the shadows, her face as white as snow.


    Lynn''s words were like a needle, mercilessly piercing through the questions Maeve had avoided, forcing her to confront them. Her mind raced, ''Why did Byron decide to divorce me so quickly? "Why was his attitude so firm?


    Why wouldn''t he give me even a chance to prove my i


    "Deep down, I''ve always known the answer. I just didn''t want to believe it. I refused to ept that he left me for another.


    Woman.


    "But now, no matter how much I lie to myself, there''s no escaping the truth.


    Two weeks passed, and during that time, Byron never once showed up.


    If Maeve hadn''t seen on the news that his engagement party was being nned, she might have thought he had gone on a business trip to Citaly.


    She didn''t want to see him, but that didn''t mean she wanted to remain trapped here.


    D


    The medication Jaylen had given her to stabilize her pregnancy would onlyst for two weeks, and she was running out of


    time.


    Finally, the day came when all the staff were scheduled for a break. Everyone gathered in the living room downstairs.


    Maeve locked herself in her room upstairs, quickly tying the bedsheets is into a rope, securing it to the window, and letting it dangle just a few feet above the ground. It was safe enough.


    She put her coat on inside out and carefully padded her stomach with severalyers of clothing before daring to slide down


    the rope.


    By the time her a


    arms were burning with exhaustion, she was close enough to the ground to jump.


    But as soon as she let go, she fell into a familiar embrace filled with the scent of cedar and cold air.


    The familiarity of the scent sent a chill down her spine, her instincts screaming in rm.


    Reflexively. Maeve tried to escape, but a pair of strong arms locked her waist, holding her in ce as a furious voice growled, "Maeve, are you trying to get yourself killed?"


    Byron''s jaw clenched as he effortlessly lifted the struggling Maeve into his arms and strode back into the vi.


    Damian froze when he saw the scene unfold, "Mr. Mcdaniel, this


    Byron''s icy gaze swept over him, demanding, "What were you all doing? You didn''t even notice her jumping out of a window?"


    His words caused the butler and the guards to go pale.


    "Go and receive your punishment," Byron ordered coldly before stepping into the elevator with Maeve still in his arms.


    Once inside the master bedroom, Byron''s anger had no outlet. Instinctively, he wanted to throw Macve onto the bed, but something stopped him at thest second.


    Instead of tossing her, he gently set her down. Leaning over, Byron gripped Maeve''s chin, his cold eyes locking onto hers as he asked, "What were you trying to do just now? Escape? Or..."


    His gaze drifted downward, settling on her stomach as a chilling aura surrounded him.