Byron tightened his arms around Maeve, his heart feeling bound by countless threads, constricting with each of her sobs.

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice hoarse. "I shouldn't have said those things that frightened you."

If not for this misunderstanding, they wouldn't have missed four whole years. Four years is a long time. Fortunately, it wasn't too late.

After venting, Maeve felt much better. She simply needed an outlet for her feelings.

Even after four years, she had never forgotten that painful past. Now that the misunderstanding was cleared, it felt like a heavy stone had been lifted from her heart. She glanced at Byron's expensive suit, wrinkled and stained with her tears and snot. "Even if I ruin your suit," she said defiantly, "I won't pay for it."

Byron looked down at the damp spot on his shoulder and chuckled softly. "It's its honor."

Maeve smiled.

After washing her face, Maeve and Byron returned to the dining room. Will immediately sensed something was different between his parents. The barrier between them had vanished, closing the gap between their shoulders. His eyes brightened as he noticed Maeve's slightly reddened eyes. His expression turned serious. "Dad, did you make Mom cry?"

Byron glanced at Maeve, not denying it.

Will frowned. "As a man, how could you bully the most precious woman in the family? A real man should be graceful and intelligent. That's what you taught me, Dad."

"I apologized to Mom," Byron replied, his cool demeanor softening. "Recognizing one's mistakes is important, right?"

Will reluctantly nodded and turned to Maeve, who was trying to stifle her laughter. "Mom, did you forgive Dad? It's okay if you haven't. I'm on your side."

Byron's jaw tightened. That little brat was good at charming his mother.

Even if Maeve still felt upset, Will's support calmed her.

"Thank you, Will. You're such a good boy," Maeve said, leaning down to kiss his cheek. "Seeing you makes me happy."

Will wasn't used to such intimacy, but he mimicked her and returned the kiss.

The warm harmony between mother and son left Byron feeling a pang of bitterness.

"Are you going to keep eating here, or should we go home and wait for me to cook?" he asked.

Maeve and Will both turned toward him and said in unison, "Let's go home."

They hadn't forgotten Theo was waiting at home. They wondered if he'd eaten dinner yet. Byron felt happy saying "home."

Theo replied, without fear, "You're basically a hundred-year-old adult. How can you bully a little kid like me?"

Byron was stunned. "Who taught you that math? Is there a rounding system like that?"

"I taught myself. Isn't it impressive?"

"Yes! Since you're almost thirty this year, I won't cook for you. You're on your own."

This time, Theo was speechless. "You're so stingy."

Byron chuckled lightly. "What's surprising about a near-hundred-year-old man being weak and petty?"

Before their playful argument escalated, Maeve quickly picked up Theo and turned to Byron. "Go cook for us. We're hungry!"

Byron didn't know Theo was his biological son. If he had, he would have punished him.

Thinking of that, Maeve shivered. She'd forgotten to tell him about Byron's identity.

Now that misunderstandings were cleared, her initial concerns faded. She only worried about Jason. She feared what Will had gone through might befall Theo.

"What are you thinking about?" A low, magnetic voice pulled Maeve from her thoughts.

She looked up at Byron and instinctively averted her gaze.

"Nothing," Maeve shook her head. "I was just thinking about spaghetti bolognese. Can you make that?"

Byron raised an eyebrow. "Never made it before, but I can give it a try."

He picked up the ingredients and headed to the kitchen, taking Will with him.