Zephyr couldn''t help but shrug. "My dad has been avoiding marriage for years. Why would he care if I get married?"


    The assistant looked puzzled. "I get that your dad''s been burned by love, but you? Why don''t you want to get married?"


    Zephyr wasn''t someone who had been hurt by love, but he still had his reasons.


    "I''m just not into the idea of wasting my time and giving away half of everything I''ve worked forter."


    The assistant blinked, processing. He started to wonder if Zephyr''s view on marriage had something to do with his dad''s past. After all, his father''s experience had been pretty rough. The assistant couldn''t help but think, "That poor pretty girl''


    Maeve, meanwhile, had no idea she was being pitied now. She sent a message to Byron, telling him not to pick her up because she had ns with Karina to watch a show and would be homete.


    As she walked down the street, she didn''t notice the low-key silver-white Bugatti cruising by. The breeze from the car ruffled her hair for a moment.


    The man in the car, casually looking out the window, caught a glimpse of her figure. His expression froze instantly. "Stop the car," he barked.


    The driver hit the brakes, clearly confused. "Sir, why-"


    Before he could finish, the man was already out of the car, scanning the area. But the figure he had seen was gone. It disappeared like it had never been there, leaving no trace.


    The man frowned, returning to the car with a frustrated look. His handsome face was a mix of annoyance and determination. He leaned back, one leg casually resting over the other, hands shoved into his pockets.


    He wore a silver suit, simple but ssy-but he didn''t look like a guy heading to a fancy party. More like a mafia boss getting ready to deal with something serious.


    His driver spoke up again, "Boss, do you need help finding them?


    He sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "No. It''s fine."


    Once everything here was wrapped up, he would go looking for her. Besides, the person she''d seen earlier might not even have been her.


    "Of course it''s necessary! The person you''re after is someone who''ll go through anything to find them. I''ll track them down, clean them up, and send them your way so you can handle it!" his subordinate quickly said, all eager. The man kicked the seat in front of him, eyes narrowing. "What nonsense are you talking? How dare you touch my people?"


    The subordinate quickly backpedaled. "Right, so you''re looking for the future Madam. I wouldn''t dare."


    The man scoffed and pulled his legs back. He nced at his phone and scrolled through it. The message he''d been waiting for still hadn''te, but there were plenty of others he didn''t care about. "Get me a new phone. This one''s messed up," the man said, frustration clear in his voice.


    The subordinate nervously wiped his forehead. "Boss, you''ve already switched phones eight times this month. They''re all top-tier models. How are they messed up?"


    The man frowned at the nk message screen and muttered, "If it wasn''t broken, why am I not getting a message from her?


    III


    000067%


    Stop talking and just get me a new one."


    2


    The subordinate hesitated. ''Did he ever think maybe she just hasn''t sent it yet?''


    He honestly couldn''t believe someone would ignore their boss''s texts. Seeing the man getting angrier, the subordinate wisely stayed silent.


    The man stared at his phone and mumbled to himself, "Since I''ve got nothing else to do, I might as well take care of those old guys tonight. They''re wasting my time and bothering me every day." In his head, the subordinate thought, ''Stop, those are your seniors!''


    *****


    Later that night at Suvin Group''s summer fashion show, Maeve had to admit, Suvin Group really knew how to put on a show. Every detail was perfect, like a living piece of art.


    There were two gowns she had her eye on and was definitely going to buy. Even if she didn''t wear them, they would be great additions to her collection.


    At the end of the show, she went backstage for a fitting and then just waited for the dresses to be delivered.


    "The person who bought the to silence the room.


    Rose and Miracle gowns is here?" a sharp voice called out from the doorway, loud enough


    The unmistakable ck of high heels followed, each step radiating irritation. Whoever it was clearly came in to cause a


    scene.


    One of the staff tried to intercept her, but she brushed past without so much as a nce. She stopped right in front of Maeve, who was just putting on her jacket after the fitting.


    "I want those two gowns," the woman said with a raised chin. "I''ll pay you


    double."


    Maeve didn''t even blink. She casually tugged her hair loose from her cor. "Not interested. I like them too much to sell."Ccontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.


    The woman''s face tightened. "Do you know who I am?"


    Maeve gave her a once-over, then shrugged. "Nope."


    "I''m Prince Seth''s girlfriend," the woman dered, as if that title alone should make Maeve reconsider. She tilted her head, radiating smugness. "If you''re smart, you won''t try to make this hard. There''s no upside to offending me." The staff stood nearby, looking uneasy. This was a nightmare. On one hand, there was Maeve-connected to Piers. On the other, the girlfriend of a prince. Neither was someone they could afford to offend.


    Maeve, however, remainedpletely unfazed. If she could deal with a temperamental princess in the past, a prince and his stupid girlfriend was hardly worth worrying about.


    "Guess I''m just not that smart," Maeve said with a faint smile, reaching for her handbag. "You''ll have to deal with disappointment."


    She turned to leave, but the woman, clearly enraged, raised her voice. "Who do you think you are? Do you honestly think wearing Suvin''s gowns will make you less pathetic? You''re nothing but a joke."


    Maeve stopped, turned, and shot her a cool look. "Some people can wear all the designer clothes they want, but they''ll never cover up


    the stink of their rotten personality. Why would I be scared of that?"


    Without giving the woman a chance to respond, Maeve walked out before things got worse, leaving her sputtering with rage.


    0


    The stomping of high heels followed as the woman pulled out her phone, no doubt about to unleash a rant to her boyfriend.


    Maeve, meanwhile, was grinning as she stepped out of the building. The memory of hereback made her chuckle. Sometimes, handling arrogant people was more entertaining than frustrating.


    Henry''s presence had left a mark on her life, shaping her behavior in ways she hadn''t even noticed.


    She used to walk on eggshells, terrified that one misstep would give people an excuse tobel her as her father''s daughter-a criminal in the making. It didn''t matter what she did. In their eyes, she was guilty by association. Even her silence, her breathing, her existence-everything felt wrong under their judgmental stares.


    For a long time, she let it get to her, burying her feelings and trying to blend in. Not anymore.


    She wasn''t afraid of their opinions now. She was done letting them dictate her life.


    Something about Henry crossed her mind as they drove back: Unable to shake the thought, she nced over at Byron and asked what happened to Henry.


    At a red light, Byron slowed the car to a stop. He turned toward her, a cold smile flickering across his lips. "He is dead."


    Her eyes widened. "Dead? How? I thought he was locked up in cktomb Prison. What happened?"