Byron quickly averted his gaze, his dark eyes deepening. After a moment, he replied, "My grandpa set up that stall just to meet you." He thought, Now that he's met you, there's no need for him to keep doing it!

"Why didn't you tell me sooner that your grandpa wanted to see me? Making an elderly man go through all that trouble for me feels a bit embarrassing," Maeve mumbled. "I was planning to tell you after he got out of the hospital, but he was too impatient to wait."

Hearing the slight frustration in his tone, Maeve smiled. "By the way, Mr. McDaniel, since I'm staying here, how much should I pay you in rent each month?" Byron's brows furrowed at her question. "Who said anything about you paying rent?"

"I can't just live here for—"

"I'm not in need of money. You can pay with your cooking skills instead."

Maeve pressed her lips together, thinking, The vase in the living room is practically falling apart, yet he claims he doesn't need money? Still, does this mean he actually likes my cooking now? Remembering how he used to refuse her food, she found it amusing.

Noticing her slight smirk, Byron shot her a sideways glance. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," Maeve quickly denied, then asked, "Mr. McDaniel, did you buy this apartment or are you renting it?"

"I bought it."

She thought, No wonder the place has so little furniture, and what's here is so outdated. He probably poured all his savings into buying this place. Even if he wasn't charging rent, she felt she should contribute to making it feel more like home.

"I'm going to sleep now. There's a lot to do tomorrow. Goodnight, Mr. McDaniel." She pulled the blanket up and closed her eyes.

A flicker of something unreadable crossed Byron's eyes as he watched her. He replied quietly, "Goodnight."

The next morning, Maeve woke up early. Finding only bottled water in the fridge, she went downstairs and bought some pasta.

When Byron was ready, they ate breakfast before heading back to Pinehurst Apartments. The plants from her balcony filled the entire trunk of his car, requiring a second trip. After returning her keys and getting her deposit back, Maeve felt the move was finally real.

"I need to head to the office soon. You can organize things however you like, just stay out of the study," Byron said, glancing at his watch.

"Got it." As Maeve arranged the plants, she noticed him dressed in a suit and asked, "Mr. McDaniel, aren't you a driver? Why do you go to the office every day?"

Byron paused. "It's what my employer requires."

Maeve nodded, understanding. So, he's following his employer to the office. It sounds like an easy gig, but considering how busy he always is, it's probably not as simple as it seems. "Drive safely and take care."

"I will."

After Byron left, Maeve organized everything and cleaned the apartment thoroughly. The previously bare balcony was now filled with lush greenery. But something felt missing. She went to the mall and returned with several bags.

She laid a cream-colored rug in the living room, replaced the sofa covers, added placemats, and placed a new vase with roses beside the water. The furniture delivery arrived shortly after. After the movers left, Maeve stood in the bedroom, admiring the cream-colored round bed and matching furniture.

"This bed is so cute! It's exactly my style!"

Byron didn't charge her rent and even got her new furniture. She decided to repay him with delicious meals.

"This is so comfy," she muttered, rolling around on the bed. She quickly sent Byron a picture:

Maeve: [The new furniture arrived. Thanks for going through the trouble, Mr. McDaniel. I love it!] Maeve: [What do you feel like having for dinner tonight? Feel free to request anything.]

When the messages arrived, Byron was in a meeting. A senior executive was droning on about a new project. Byron's patience was wearing thin. His phone buzzed. Curious, he checked the screen—it was Maeve.

She'd set up the guest room, and it looked much cozier. Her excited tone pleased him. The corner of his lips curved as he scrolled—then he froze. Instead of another room photo, there was a picture of Maeve from a summer trip.

She was sitting on a bridge, wearing a light green dress. Her legs dangled in the water, droplets sparkling on her skin. She was smiling.

Byron's gaze darkened. He saved the photo. Then:

Maeve: [Sorry, Mr. McDaniel. I accidentally sent an extra photo.] Byron: [Really? I didn't see anything.] Byron: [Whatever you make for dinner is fine with me.]

After sending the reply, he deleted the saved photo and tossed his phone back in the drawer with a loud thud. This silenced the arguing executives. He glared at them. "I'm here to hear your insights, strategies, and market analysis—not meaningless bickering. If anyone still feels like arguing, hand in your resignation and go do it at home."

The room fell silent. After the meeting, Byron instructed his assistant to summarize the key points and returned to his office.

"Mr. McDaniel, here's your coffee," Karen said, placing his cup on his desk. "Thanks," Byron replied flatly.

A flicker of joy crossed Karen's face, then faded. They had been childhood friends. She was the only woman who could stay close to him, and she believed it would always be that way. She quietly left.

Meanwhile, Byron frowned at his documents, but his mind drifted back to the photo. He thought, Why would she send something like that? Was it deliberate? Maybe that is her plan all along—to get my attention. If I fall for it, what kind of fool would that make me?

The final sentence about FindNovel.net has been removed as it is promotional and doesn't belong in the narrative. Numerous small grammatical and punctuation errors have been corrected throughout. The story now flows much more smoothly.