Chapter 452

Maeve had no idea Tom was outside the villa, waiting anxiously, caught between excitement and nerves. Meanwhile, while she was in the bath, Byron’s video call came through. She almost ignored it but, in the rush, ended up picking it up by accident. Flustered, she quickly flipped the phone over on the shelf, hurried out of the tub, and started drying off and getting dressed. A few seconds of silence passed before Byron’s voice came through, faint but teasing, “It’s just showering. Can’t I watch?”

Maeve was caught off guard by his teasing tone, nearly dropping her nightdress. Gritting her teeth, she shot back, “Byron, you’re a pervert. You actually want to watch me shower?” “Haven’t I seen it all already?” Byron laughed, bringing up old memories. “Remember when you practically threw yourself at me after your shower, drunk as hell? I didn’t call you perverted then.” Maeve’s face went bright red. She was so flustered she couldn’t even zip up her dress properly.

Byron wasn’t done. “And that time you were sick, couldn’t even stand up, and I had to help you shower?” Maeve didn’t have a comeback for that. “We’ve seen each other at our worst. I just wanna see you shower. Why act like I’m some stranger?” His tone was light, but it carried that same playful, teasing edge. It felt like he was flirting with someone shy, and Maeve definitely was that person. Even after all this time, Byron still had the ability to make her flustered.

“Byron, can you be normal for once?” Maeve muttered, trying to stay calm. After a beat, she finally said, “What’s going on inside your head?” “You,” Byron said, his voice slow and teasing. “Isn’t it obvious?” Maeve’s heart skipped. She didn’t want to let him see he was getting to her, but she could tell he was doing it on purpose, trying to push her buttons. She wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction, though.

However, Byron didn’t mean it that way. He stared at the bathroom floor on the screen, sighed, and said, “Ms. Reese, your boyfriend is stuck in some foreign country, all alone. I’m struggling to adjust, buried in work. Can’t you even give this little thing?” Maeve bit her lip. He had gotten way too comfortable calling himself her “boyfriend.” Honestly, she didn’t even remember when she had agreed to that. But hearing him talk about being alone out there, it tugged at her heart, even though she knew exactly what he was doing. He was good at getting under her skin, and she always fell for it.

“Just this once,” she muttered, barely audible. “Don’t make a habit of it.” Her earlobes were burning red, and she could barely hear herself over the pounding of her heart. Byron, of course, heard her just fine. He chuckled. “Wait for me. Let’s do it together.” Maeve couldn’t handle it. “Why do you always have so many tricks up your sleeve?” “Huh?” Byron replied casually. “Self-taught, I guess.” Maeve was stunned for a moment. What a jerk.

The shower ended up taking way longer than she planned. When she finally came out, her skin was flushed and soft from the warmth, her fingers wrinkled from the water. She walked over to the dresser, sat down, and placed her phone there without even looking at it. On the screen, Byron was lounging in a white bathrobe, leaning against the bed’s headboard with a foreign document in his hand. He looked satisfied, his face relaxed with a lazy, almost sexy look in his eyes. He glanced at the phone and saw Maeve sitting there, carefully applying skincare to her face. She didn’t dare look at him, and for some reason, that made him want to laugh.

“Maeve, are you shy again?” he teased, a grin in his voice. The way he said “again” hit just the right note, making her more embarrassed. She wasn’t in the mood to respond. Byron was worried Maeve might end the call if he pushed her too far. He still had a few days left in the country, and if he upset her, he probably wouldn’t be getting anything tonight. He quickly switched the topic, bringing up what had happened at the party. Will had already filled him in, but he wanted to hear Maeve’s perspective.

“She is not a princess anymore. That’s the worst punishment for her,” Maeve said after a moment. “And now, she can’t hurt me.” That was it. Maeve wasn’t going to waste any more energy on her. Byron’s expression shifted sharply for a second, but it was gone before Maeve noticed. “I almost forgot to tell you something else.” “What’s that?” “I found Henry. I’ve arranged for someone to bring him back to Erancia tomorrow.”

Maeve’s face lit up with surprise. She was already feeling relieved from everything that had happened tonight, but this was even better. Henry had been like a ticking time bomb, ready to explode at any moment. Now, with him out of the picture, she could finally let out a sigh of relief. “Mr. McDaniel, you really have worked hard,” she said with a smile. “You really are the backbone of our family.” Byron straightened up a little, clearly enjoying the compliment, though he tried to play it cool. He shot her a smirk. “That’s it? After all my hard work, that’s all I get?”

Maeve got what he was hinting at. Without asking what he wanted, she leaned in close to the screen and gave him a quick kiss. Her pale face leaned in, and her soft, rosy lips puckered for a kiss. It was a bit over the top, but Byron couldn’t help thinking it was cute. Byron barely managed to keep the grin off his face. When Maeve sat up, he raised an eyebrow and asked, “What was that just now?” “Ki-kiss?” she mumbled. “When did I say I wanted a kiss?” he said, pretending to be surprised. Maeve, realizing she’d probably misunderstood, just stared at him, feeling she actually had been hit by lightning. She wouldn’t make that mistake again.

Byron had played his cards to get her into bed, but now he regretted his actions. Not only had he failed to get some, but he had pissed her off, and now he was missing out on any goodnight messages. The next morning, before Tom got the test results, Henry showed up first. Tom decided to meet him right away.

“My wife died over 20 years ago,” Henry said casually, handcuffed in the interrogation room. “All because of that good-for-nothing girl who couldn’t even make a living. My wife just fell apart because of her.” He shrugged, as if it was no big deal. “I didn’t even ask that loser for money, and she went and called the cops on me. How can a daughter be this cruel?” Anyone who didn’t know Maeve might’ve questioned her after hearing Henry’s words. However, Tom just gave him a cold smile. “You never did your job as a father to Maeve, and now you expect her to give you money? Is she even your real daughter?” “If she wasn’t, why would I keep bothering her?” Henry retorted. “You won’t be bothering her anymore,” Tom said curtly. At that, Henry smiled darkly. “But my daughter’s got a father like me, stuck in prison. I’m sure her future is not gonna be so great.”