Chapter 379

Knowing Maeve, Byron wasn't sure he should keep everything from her. But it was just a fleeting thought and didn't sway him at all.

"If that's what you believe, then why are you still helping me keep it from her?" Byron questioned.

Caught off guard, Theo mumbled softly, "I have my reasons. I don't want to see my sister upset."

"Then why are you telling me this?" Byron said, amused.

"It's different for us!" Theo huffed, turning his head away. Before Byron could ask what he meant, Theo turned away with a pout, his hands clasped behind his back, and walked off.

Byron couldn't help but laugh.

To Maeve's relief, Theo had finally packed her suitcase without slipping in any of his odd little weapons. He probably realized things were different at home and in Erancia.

After arriving in Greenhaven, Maeve, Jaylen, and Daryl checked into the hotel Trazir had arranged. Maeve was there for work. As soon as she put down her luggage, she had to go to the exhibition venue. To her surprise, Jaylen offered to be her temporary assistant and go with her.

Hearing this, Maeve hesitated and asked, "Are you sure? Is your body up for it?"

Jaylen tugged at his sweater collar and said, "You've seen it yourself. I'm doing great now, not coughing up blood anymore. Actually, I have to thank Byron for this."

"Byron? What's he got to do with it?" Maeve asked.

"He arranged for a world-class medical team to treat me. Thanks to him, I've been doing well lately, and the disease has been kept in check," Jaylen replied. But his mood grew more conflicted as he spoke. After the antidote was created, Jaylen felt as if his life was slipping away bit by bit. He even collapsed in the lab. When he eventually woke up, he found himself surrounded by a sea of doctors.

When Jaylen learned that the doctors were sent by Byron and had saved his life, he had no idea how to feel. Byron's intention was simply to repay the favor Maeve owed him, on her behalf. Because of that, Jaylen not only didn't feel grateful but instead felt a heavy sense of frustration.

Byron was Maeve's fiancé, even if only in name. Besides repaying a favor, it was also a subtle way of asserting his claim over Maeve. They were both men. Byron's intentions were as clear as water to Jaylen.

Maeve didn't know Byron had intervened. Her eyes widened in shock as she listened to Jaylen.

Seeing her reaction, Jaylen asked, "You weren't aware of this?"

"I didn't know about this," Maeve murmured. Byron hadn't brought it up at all.

Jaylen chuckled and said half-jokingly, "I probably shouldn't have told you. Here I am boosting my rival's image, what a loss for me."

Maeve couldn't bring herself to smile at Jaylen's joke.

The tension between Byron and Jaylen was because of Maeve. Now that Byron had put aside their differences to help treat Jaylen's illness, there was no doubt it was also because of her. Compromise wasn't difficult, but for Byron, it was almost unthinkable. Yet he still decided to help Jaylen, without even letting Maeve know. It was clear Byron didn't expect anything in return.

It didn't seem like Maeve had anything to offer that would be worth Byron's effort anyway. Even when Byron treated Maeve so genuinely, she kept from him that she was traveling to Greenhaven. At the thought of this, a pang of guilt crept over her.

Meanwhile, at First Hospital, Byron casually brought it up to Will over lunch, asking why Maeve hadn't visited, even though it was the weekend.

"Dad, Mom went to Greenhaven for work. She'll probably be back in about a week," Will replied after swallowing his mouthful of rice.

Byron frowned slightly and said, "She'll be gone that long?"

Will responded, "Mom has been under a lot of stress lately, so it's good for her to get away and clear her mind. Theo… I mean Leo and I believe this will help her health improve."

"I know it's Theo, you don't have to hide it from me," Byron said, hearing Will correct himself.

"Dad, how did you find out?" Will asked, his eyes flickering with guilt. He wasn't sure if he'd accidentally revealed it while sleep-talking.

Byron scoffed lightly, "I may be blind, but I'm not deaf. Haven't you two been talking in front of me for days?"

Do they really think I've become so insensitive and unaware after losing my sight? Byron thought silently.

"Just tell me. It's only a name. What's the big deal that you have to hide it?" Byron pressed.

After a moment, Will said, "Leo is a name Mom made up when our great-grandfather was ill. She mentioned it when she was speaking to my grandparents, and that's how it stuck." It was the same explanation Theo gave Byron. [Search the FindNovel.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.]

Byron's expression remained unchanged as he asked, "Why did she give him a fake name?"

"Maybe it's because Theo is the younger miracle doctor, and it's for his convenience while traveling around?" Will speculated.

Byron chose not to push the matter and said, "Let's just eat."

Will agreed.

Byron's brows furrowed as he thought to himself, "Theo and Will. Is this fate? Even their nicknames were matching." Recalling Theo's tiny stature, Byron suddenly felt the nickname suited him perfectly. This reminded him Will and Theo had similar physiques as well. Byron couldn't help but wonder if this was just a coincidence. 413 Tue, Nov 19

"By the way, Dad," Will hesitated but decided to tell the truth, "Mom went to Greenhaven with Jaylen this time."

"What?" Byron asked furiously. The next moment, Will heard a loud snap. He watched helplessly as the fork in Byron's hand broke. He quietly edged away.

On the other side, Maeve had been incredibly busy for the past two days in Greenhaven. Even though Jaylen offered to be her temporary assistant, she couldn't actually boss him around. There were some tasks she needed to handle personally.

Fortunately, the designer from Dreamscape arrived soon after, alleviating much of the pressure. She could avoid getting involved in every little detail. All she needed to do was ensure the overall direction was on track. Warren was also in attendance for the exhibition, which clearly showed how much YOKE valued Dreamscape.

The evening before the exhibition, Warren invited Maeve and her assistant, Jaylen, to dinner at the most iconic restaurant in Greenhaven. Warren was easygoing and humorous. His gentlemanly demeanor made the dinner enjoyable for Maeve.

Jaylen remained mostly silent, only offering brief responses whenever Warren addressed him. He wasn't generally too patient with people he was unfamiliar with. Warren brought up his daughter once more, expressing his desire to leverage his connections after the exhibition to pick out a few outfits she might like.

"You really love your daughter, even though you've never met her," Maeve said to Warren. She thought back about the packages she'd received not too long ago. She hadn't gone to meet the people who were supposedly her biological parents, as indicated on the note that day. After that, there were no more packages. Maeve couldn't quite pinpoint whether it was disappointment or some other feeling stirring inside her. She didn't have any strong feelings for her biological parents. She just wanted to know who they were and why they'd never tried to look for her.

Warren smiled gently and replied, "These gifts are meaningless, to be frank. They are more for my peace of mind."

Maeve shook her head and said, "Some people out there won't even bother with these. You've already done better than most."

Warren seemed touched. His gaze carried a hint of affection as he said to Maeve, "Thank you for your kind words."