Maeve looked at herself in the mirror. Her delicate skin made the narrow, one-inch-long crimson scar on her right cheek appear particularly striking. It looked like a crack in a fine gemstone, accentuating her fragility. Although the wound wasn't severe, it looked frightening at first glance. Seeing herself like this for the first time, she curiously inspected her reflection, even brushing aside the strands of hair on her forehead to touch the bandaged wound.

"Previously, when people praised my looks, I didn't really feel it," Maeve said, "but with this scar, I finally realize I'm quite beautiful."

Bonnie and Alex, worried about her, burst out laughing.

"You've always been beautiful, a stunner!" Bonnie exclaimed. "What misunderstanding do you have about yourself? Even if your face were covered in mud, you're still the most beautiful!"

Maeve was amused. "I'm going to get arrogant if you continue," she said.

"I'm telling the truth," Bonnie replied.

After dinner, Maeve rested. Alex gently reminded her to take care of herself before leaving with Bonnie.

Maeve didn't sleep. She picked up the phone and hesitated before calling Linds.

"Ms. Reese?" Linds' voice was colder than usual. "What's the matter?"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Watson. I didn't mean to miss our appointment yesterday," Maeve explained. "I apologize for letting you down."

Linds sounded calm. "Since there's a reason, I don't blame you. However, I've already replaced you for the next designer interview because of your absence. Let's reconnect should another opportunity arise."

The implication was clear. Maeve's fingers clenched tightly on the blanket, then relaxed weakly. "Alright, sorry to trouble you. See you next time," she said hoarsely.

While she had been locked up, she'd prepared for the worst. Regardless of the reason for her absence, it had happened and was irreversible. It was reasonable for Linds to replace her; she had no right to ask for anything. After all, there were many new designers; she wasn't indispensable.

After hanging up, Maeve saw the name "Byron" at the top of her contact list and was stunned. She couldn't believe he was the man in the basement. If Byron were angry, he would simply leave; he wouldn't attack her. But the voice she'd heard… She couldn't figure it out. She dialed Byron's number.

[The number you have dialed is not available...]

Maeve pursed her lips and sent a message: [Where have you been these few days?]

After sending the message, she covered her head with the blanket to calm down, but remembering her wound, she quickly pulled it down, gently touching the still-sore area. She sighed. Even if Linds hadn't replaced her, she probably wouldn't have been able to participate in the Trend Style Magazine interview. She felt frustrated at missing the opportunity.

That evening, Maeve was jolted awake by someone pounding on the door. Rubbing her eyes, she sat up to see Lydia forcefully barging in, ignoring the bodyguards Alex had left on duty.

"Maeve, don't you think you've done enough harm to my daughter?" Lydia glared at Maeve with bloodshot eyes. "You kidnapped her and broke her nose. I haven't settled the score with you yet, and you have the cheek to call the police to arrest her!"

Maeve's eardrums hurt from Lydia's sharp scolding. Her expression turned cold. "Mrs. Booth, let's get something straight. Your daughter kidnapped and illegally detained me, using violence to force a confession. Isn't her arrest well-deserved?"

Lydia pointed angrily. "You're still slandering my daughter? We have witnesses and evidence proving you planned the kidnapping. Let's see who ends up in jail!"

"Then let me ask you," Maeve said, "since you have all the evidence, why didn't you hand it over to the police? Why did you kidnap me and force a confession? Are you afraid the evidence is fake and the police won't believe you?"

"You… I don't know why Byron married a vicious woman like you!"

Maeve sneered. "I don't know why Byron didn't marry your fake gentle, vicious daughter. Could it be that your daughter refused to?"

Lydia's face contorted in rage. She grabbed a vase and hurled it at Maeve. Before Maeve could react, Alex intercepted it, and the vase shattered on the floor.

"That's enough, Madam," Alex said coldly. "If you continue to make a scene, I'm calling the bodyguards."

Lydia recognized Alex. Her expression changed, and she glared at Maeve. "Maeve, just you wait and see. Let's see who ends up in jail!"

Maeve pursed her lips. Thinking of the kidnapper's words and the recording of the call, she felt uncertain. What other tricks did the Booth family have up their sleeves? Why were Karen and Mrs. Booth so sure she was the culprit?

While deep in thought, she heard Alex's worried voice. "Maeve, are you alright? Did she hurt you?"

Maeve shook her head. "No, thanks for your help."

Alex sighed in relief. "I'll have the bodyguards strengthen security."

"There's no need," Maeve said. "Karen, who kidnapped me, has already been arrested. Thanks to her mother. I've confirmed she's the kidnapper."

"It's not Byron, and the two bodyguards who looked for her were most likely Karen's people," Maeve thought.

Alex nodded. "My friend at the police station mentioned she's a key suspect. Given the violence and illegal detention, the police have the right to detain her. As for what you told the police about the other kidnapping, they found something strange. They discovered you were taken by a kidnapper disguised as a taxi driver, but they couldn't trace how Karen was abducted. Her whereabouts during that time seem to have been completely erased." He furrowed his brows. "My friend finds this very strange."

Hearing this, an incredible thought struck Maeve. "Could Karen have kidnapped… herself?"

"What made you think so?" Alex asked. "Did you think of something?"

The final sentence is incomplete and cut off. The text also contains a strange insertion promoting a website. I have removed that.