Maeve jolted awake, her heart racing as Byron’s handsome face loomed inches from hers. Instinctively, she tried to push him away. Even if this was only a dream, she was acutely aware of her condition. The last thing she wanted was for Byron to catch the virus from her, even while she slept. After all, she’d suffered; the idea of him going through that kind of pain made her shudder.
Byron had meant to steal a quick kiss and retreat, concerned she might be annoyed. But when he felt her body tremble slightly, as if she were scared of something, he paused. Instead of backing away, he rested his warm hand on her back and pulled her close.
“Don’t be scared. You’re going to be okay soon,” he said, his voice low and soothing. “Trust me.”
Maeve clutched his shirt, her gaze drifting over his strong jawline, caught between dream and reality. But one thing was crystal clear.
“I don’t trust you anymore,” she said coolly. “When I needed you most, you weren’t there. You don’t get to show up now. Take your hot-and-cold games and stay away from me. I’ve had enough.”
Even if he visited her dreams a hundred times, it wouldn’t change the fact that he hadn’t cared enough to reach out. If he truly cared, he wouldn’t have let days pass without a single call or text. She could accept the time apart he had suggested, but the icy responses she got whenever she reached out were too much to bear. To her, it felt like neglect—proof that she didn’t matter.
Byron’s dark eyes widened slightly, and his lips pressed into a thin line. He didn’t argue, just held her tighter. Maeve struggled against him, frustration boiling over as she pounded on his back. “Let go of me!”
“I can’t,” he replied firmly. “I let you go once, and I’ve regretted it ever since. I’m not making that mistake again. Even if you had something with Jaylen in the past, and even if you’re not ready to cut ties with him, I don’t care. As long as you’re by my side, Maeve, I’ll accept everything else.”
Whether it was her engagement to Jaylen or even the child, none of it mattered to him. The only thing that counted was that she was alive and by his side. Byron’s embrace tightened, almost suffocating. Her cheek brushed against his warm neck, and suddenly, the icy walls around her heart began to thaw.
“Too bad this is just a dream,” she thought. She believed that only in dreams would Byron say such sweet things. Maeve squeezed her eyes shut, but then a sharp pain shot through her chest. Her heart raced, and her limbs felt like lead.
“It hurts… it really hurts…” she whispered, her lips pale as the words tumbled out between shivers.
Byron heard her weak voice and glanced down, alarm flooding his system. Her face was slick with cold sweat, and she seemed to be fading. His expression darkened as he gently laid her back on the bed and pressed the call button for the nurse.
Meanwhile, in a lab down the hall, Will and Theo were glued to the surveillance monitor, keeping a watchful eye on Maeve’s room. The camera had been set up for her safety, in case the virus flared up and she couldn’t call for help. It also gave the little ones a way to check on their mom.
Right now, they were witnessing a scene of their parents kissing and cuddling. Both kids blushed, quickly covering their eyes with their hands, but they couldn’t help sneaking peeks through their fingers.
“Eww. Dad is so shameless,” they whispered under their breath.
As Jaylen walked past, his gaze fell on the monitor, where two figures were locked in a tight embrace. A frown tugged at his brow in frustration. He thought, Is that why Byron insisted on sharing a hospital room with Maeve? How dare he?
Just as Jaylen contemplated whether he should intervene and have Byron moved to another room, the blaring emergency alarm from Maeve’s room shattered the tense atmosphere.
“Jaylen!” Theo exclaimed, his eyes wide with panic. “Mommy’s having another episode!”
“Stay right here; I’ll go get help,” Jaylen said as he dashed out.
Each flare-up of the mutant variant of Xasia made the situation more critical. If it reached a point where Maeve’s body could no longer endure it, the consequences could be dire. Right now, Maeve was on a modified antidote derived from the X virus. While it helped suppress her symptoms, it did nothing to address the underlying issue. Once the medication wore off, the mutant virus would strike back with a vengeance.
During this third episode, the pain racked her body, leaving her trembling uncontrollably. Her hospital gown quickly soaked through with cold sweat, creating large patches on the sheets beneath her. Even after taking her medication, there was little relief in sight. Meanwhile, Byron was beginning to show symptoms of his infection. It was clear they needed to speed up the administration of the antidote.
With a heavy heart, Jaylen returned to the lab, where Theo rushed up to him, phone in hand. “Jaylen, Rudolf is looking for you!”
“Thanks.” Jaylen took the phone and pressed it to his ear. “Have you managed to gather all the herbs I requested?”
“The last ingredient, the Posa Root, is a rare herb that has become almost legendary, rumored to be worth a small fortune. I’m afraid finding it is nearly impossible,” Rudolf replied, his voice tense, punctuated by the sound of popping sores at the corners of his mouth. “A girl has one, but you know how my relationship with her father has always been; asking her for help is out of the question…”
“What’s her name? Do you have her contact info?”
“She’s Serena Malvis. I’ll send you her details shortly.”
Jaylen frowned, the name sparking a flicker of recognition. “Serena Malvis?”
Will glanced up, curiosity lighting his features. “Jaylen, what did Dr. Malvis say?”
“Do you know Serena?”
“She’s my therapist and a friend of my dad’s.”
Jaylen felt a wave of relief wash over him; that made everything a lot easier.
Not long after, Byron received a message from Jaylen. After considering it for a moment, he decided to call Serena. “It’s me,” Byron said.
“Mr. McDaniel?” Serena sounded surprised. “Why are you calling me at this hour? I was just about to go to bed.”
Byron didn’t beat around the bush. “I need the Posa Root you have. Just name your price; I’ll do whatever it takes.”
Serena glanced at the potted plant on her windowsill, where the Posa Root was growing. After all these years, she only had a small piece left. She had no idea how Byron knew she had it, but she sensed this was her opportunity.
“What if I asked for the entire McDaniel Group?” she teased.
Byron remained unfazed. “I could arrange that. Do you think you could handle it?”
Serena was momentarily speechless. While other companies might use their shares to exert control, the McDaniel Group was a different beast altogether. Byron had taken command long before the chairman’s shares dipped, granting him absolute authority within the organization. Only he could manage the cunning old foxes in the boardroom and fend off all the people vying for a piece of the McDaniel Group’s lucrative assets. It was he who had shaped the McDaniel Group into what it was today, not the other way around.