Chapter 356

With that last word, the line went dead. Maeve listened to the busy tone, her gaze blank and distant. A strand of hair fell by her ear, concealing her expression and pale face. 'Has he become so impatient with me that he won't even spare a moment to hear me say another word?' she thought.

It was said that relationships had an expiration date. The time Maeve spent with Byron was less than a year, but now, it felt like their relationship had already passed its expiration date.

"M-Ms. Reese?"

Just before Maeve lost consciousness, she faintly heard Daryl's panicked voice. She struggled to open her eyes, but the looming darkness quickly overcame her.

At the same time, in the McDaniel Group's top-floor meeting room, today's meeting was unlike any other. A dozen world-renowned designers had gathered, but the discussion had escalated into a heated argument over the design of an engagement ring. The stern man at the head of the table listened as the debate devolved into personal attacks. His fingers tapped impatiently on the table as he coldly remarked, "How much more of my time are you planning to waste? If you're not up to the task, I'll find someone else."

Byron hadn't hung up on Maeve to waste time listening to these designers' meaningless arguments. A few foreign designers, on the verge of a physical altercation, immediately backed down. None wanted to leave in disgrace, knowing the damage to their reputations. The more famous a designer, the more prideful they were. No matter how arrogant they were with clients, people still placed them on a pedestal. However, their arrogance meant nothing to Byron. Only he possessed the power to make a dozen renowned designers compete without complaint.

"Mr. McDaniel, don't you have a preference for any of our designs?" one designer from Dilitrek asked, indignant. "With so many sketches, surely you must have a favorite?"

The other designers nodded. They had poured their hearts and souls into these designs; surely one would catch Byron's eye.

Byron's expression remained cold. "These designs are utterly boring. I can't even be bothered to critique them. What I want is a ring that will truly impress my girlfriend, not this trash." The designers felt utterly crushed. If he weren't their client, they would have retorted, "If you're so capable, why don't you do it?"

"Mr. McDaniel, if I may ask, when do you plan to propose to your girlfriend?" an older designer asked.

Byron replied, "The proposal date is undecided. The ring is a token of commitment. I'll give you a maximum of one month, from design to completion."

The designers internally wailed. They felt like pulling their hair out. 'How are we going to survive this?' they thought.

The meeting ended, and Byron returned to his office. Archer was about to report when Byron interrupted, "Whatever it is, delay it by fifteen minutes. I'm busy right now."

Catching a glimpse of "Maeve" on Byron's phone screen, Archer understood. 'Seems like both of them have reconciled,' he thought. He left the office.

Byron dialed Maeve's number, but it went unanswered until he hung up. He frowned and redialed. Still no answer. The third time, the call connected.

"Maeve? You just…"

"Maeve doesn't have time to answer the phone now. If you have anything to say, tell it to me. I'll pass on the message."

Jaylen's weak, cold voice came from the phone. Byron's face turned cold. 'They are together?' he thought.

"Where's Maeve?" Byron asked.

Jaylen looked at the unconscious Maeve and said nastily, "It's already so late. Of course, she's sleeping." Byron's eyes were cold. "Pass the phone to her."

"It seems like you don't have anything important to say. In that case, I'll hang up now." Jaylen ignored him and hung up.

Bam!

The loud noise from the CEO's office shocked Archer, waiting outside. 'What happened?' he wondered. He had never seen Byron so angry.

In the villa, Jaylen placed Maeve's phone down. He measured her temperature before leaving the isolated lab. Maeve lay on the surgical table, connected to real-time monitoring devices. Her temperature fluctuated, rising and falling within a safe range, but it felt like walking a tightrope.

Jaylen stood before the research table, looking at the unconscious Maeve with a solemn expression. 'Something's wrong with Maeve,' he thought. 'The early stage of the infection shouldn't be this severe. This mutated virus seemed to have intensified.' S~ᴇaʀᴄh the Find_Nøvel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

In her slumber, Maeve felt caught between ice and fire, her body alternating between chills and fever. Her head throbbed as if cleaved in two, each part experiencing an intense pulling sensation. She was in agony. She felt exhausted, wanting only to sleep and forget everything.

Suddenly, the faces of two children flashed through her mind, causing her to shiver and open her eyes. Although the isolation room had no windows, the clock showed it was 12 a.m.

"You've been unconscious for two days and two nights. It's about time you woke up." Jaylen's voice came from outside the observation glass.

Maeve turned and blinked. "I was out that long?"

"Yeah, I've been monitoring your health." Jaylen gripped the table, his voice tinged with sadness. "How are you feeling now, Maeve?"

Maeve didn't notice his demeanor. After a moment, she replied, "I'm not sure if it's because I've just woken up, but my head doesn't seem to hurt anymore, and the alternating hot and cold sensations have faded. I just feel really sleepy after being out for so long."

She felt sleepy again and looked at Jaylen uneasily.

Jaylen smiled reassuringly. "That's normal; I gave you medication five hours ago. Don't worry, I'll come up with the antidote as soon as possible."

"Are you feeling okay?" Maeve asked, observing his face. "The royal family of Erancia once established a research team for Xasia. If things get really bad, you should just hand me over to them. I'm worried about your health."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. I won't put my health at risk again," Jaylen replied. "Besides, I've been managing well. I'm not as fragile as you think."

Maeve nodded and reached for her phone, realizing her hand was connected to the monitoring devices.

"Jaylen, can you call Will and Theo? I haven't been home for two days. I'm afraid they'll be worried."