8% Chapter


    338


    Theo had made it clear from the start-Tom''s burns wouldn''t heal just by cleaning up the surface gunk. The real problem was the toxins hiding in his skin''s blood vessels, which were holding back his recovery.


    So, no matter how much it hurt during the detox, he had to push through. Only by toughing it out and flushing out those toxins could he really heal.


    Tom kept Theo''s advice in mind. Even when his wounds itched like crazy, he didn''t give in to the urge to scratch. He had already made it through so many rough nights; there was no way he was going to give up now. The person who poisoned him was still out there, and he couldn''t afford to fall apart before he found them.


    Meanwhile, while Tom was at home recovering, Maeve gave him a break from work. Honestly, it felt a bit strange not having him around to run things at the studio.


    Then, around noon, she got a call from the police. They had some information about the pacifier that might be tied to her parents.


    Her heart raced on the way there-she was excited but also a little nervous. When she finally arrived at the station, though, the officer''s words made her blood run cold.


    "Ms. Reese," he said seriously, "we''ve discovered that the gemstone in this pacifier was part of a major international jewelry heist years ago. That case is still open, and the stolen jewelry has never been found."


    He continued, "These items have never turned up anywhere. Interpol thinks they''re still with the original thieves. We need to know-what do you know about your biological parents?"


    Maeve''s face turned pale, and she felt her stomach drop. ''Is he implying that her parents were involved in the robbery? Were they the thieves, or connected to the crime in some way?''


    That pacifier she thought was a sweet token of love... turned out to be stolen goods.


    "Ms. Reese, are you alright?" The police officer noticed her expression and softened his voice a bit. "We can''t prove your biological parents are the robbers just yet, but they definitely seem to have a connection to this case. And just to rify, you''re not a suspect. We''re just following up on some leads."


    Maeve clenched her fists, trying to hold back the confusion swirling in her head. She met the officer''s gaze and said, "I''ve never met my biological parents, so I can''t believe they''d be involved in something like that."


    "Plus, the Reese couple who took me might know a thing or two about it," she added, hoping for a lifeline.


    The officer nodded. "We''ll check into that. Thanks for being so cooperative."


    Maeve forced a smile and stood up to leave. It had started raining outside. In Kleymond, the rainy season always brought that damp chill, and the wind hit her face like ice.


    Standing in the downpour, she couldn''t shake off the officer''s words. The pacifier was linked to an international crime and was technically stolen, so there was no chance it would ever be returned to her.


    But because she was taken by the Reese family couple at birth, even if her biological parents were involved, she wouldn''t get into any trouble. Still, a heavy feeling settled in her chest as she watched the leaves swirl in the puddles at her feet. She just couldn''t believe her biological parents were criminals. Or maybe she just didn''t want to.


    Her mind was racing, and she didn''t wait for the rain to ease up before dashing to the parking lot. Of course, things didn''t get any better-her tire was t.


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    0008% *


    Now she had to find someone to fix it, but with the raining down hard, she was stuck waiting for at least an hour.


    Maeve put her phone away and slumped against the steering wheel, trying to catch her breath, but it wasn''t really working. So, she hopped out of the car and dashed to the side of the road to get out of the rain. Just then, a car pulled up in front of her. She looked down and recognized Warren sitting in the back


    ""Mr. Richard?"


    "Hey, Ms. Reese, what are you doing out here? You''re all wet," Warren said, looking genuinely concerned.


    Maeve squeezed some water out of her sweater and gave him a sheepish smile. "Yeah, my car''s tire is messed up, and the maintenance guys won''t show up until the rain stops, so-


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    "I get it," Warren replied, nodding thoughtfully. "Do you want to ride with me?"


    "No, that''s okay. I don''t want to ruin your seats," Maeve said, shaking her head quickly.


    "It''s fine if the seats get wet. I''m more worried about you catching a cold in those wet clothes. The flu is going around, so don''t be shy about epting help," he insisted.


    Maeve didn''t want to get sick. After a moment of thinking it over, she thanked him and climbed into the car. She grabbed a handkerchief from her bag and put it on the seat to keep it from getting too soaked. Warren signaled to his assistant to bring her a towel. "Here you go, this one''s clean."


    "Thanks," Maeve said, taking the towel. But as soon as she did, she sneezed twice in a row.


    Warren frowned a little. "Is your ce far from here?"


    "Kind of. It''s about a forty-minute drive," Maeve sniffed, feeling a bit off.


    "Mypany has a clothing store nearby. If you''re cool with it, you could swing by and change there," he offered.


    Maeve raised an eyebrow, surprised. "You run a clothingpany, Mr. Richard?"


    Warren smiled, the fine lines around his eyes adding to his charm. "Yeah, it''s small, nothing too well-known. It''s called Trazir."Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


    "You''re being humble. Trazir is famous worldwide. I doubt there''s a designer out there who hasn''t heard of it," Maeve said, without overstating it.


    Trazir was a prestigious, century-old brand that once catered exclusively to royalty. These days, its exclusivity had eased up a bit, but it was still far from essible to just anyone. She just hadn''t expected Warren to be the guy behind it


    The car soon pulled up in front of Trazir''s Kleymond branch. Warren gave a few quiet instructions to the staff, and before she knew it, they were surrounding Maeve, guiding her to the fitting room with a warm wee.


    She picked out a white knit top, an apricot-colored cashmere skirt, and a smoky-blue coat. As she went to pay, the shop assistant smiled and said, "No need to worry about the bill-Mr. Richard has taken care of it for you." Maeve hesitated, feeling a bit awkward about the whole thing, but she was soaked and needed dry clothes. After changing, she went to find Warren.


    "Great taste. That outfit suits you perfectly," Warren said with a warm smile. His eyes were soft, like he was seeing someone else in Maeve. "You remind me a lot of my daughter. If she were still with me, she''d probably look as beautiful as you now."


    do


    Maeve wasn''t sure what to say. After a brief pause, she asked, "Did you start the clothingpany because of her?"


    She remembered he had mentioned before how he collected clothes for his daughter, even though she wasn''t there to wear


    them.


    *


    Warren nodded. "Yeah. Thinking about her makes me happy. Even though she''s not here, I know one day, she''lle back to me."


    FT