The next morning, Maeve's alarm jolted her awake. Seeing a note that read "Eternal Hope Interview," she suddenly remembered it was Monday. She quickly left a note for Byron explaining her situation, then rushed back to her apartment to change clothes. After grabbing her things, she hurried to Eternal Hope. Her shoulder injury still hadn't fully healed, but she was determined not to miss this hard-won opportunity.

The interview went smoothly, and the interviewer told Maeve to return in a couple of days to complete the onboarding process. Free to go, and unable to contain her joy, Maeve walked out of the building. Noticing it was still early, she decided to stop by a fruit shop to pick up some fruit. Normally, she wouldn't splurge, but today, celebrating her successful interview, she treated herself.

She carried the fruit back to the hospital room, ready to share the news, but paused when she saw Karen and Archer already there. Archer had come to update Byron on something and was just about to leave. Karen, on the other hand, was visiting and sat beside Byron, peeling an apple. The atmosphere seemed pleasant. Maeve suddenly wasn't sure whether she should enter.

Byron glanced at her, then turned to Archer and quietly instructed, "You can head back. Let me know if anything comes up."

"Will do," Archer replied, tucking some documents under his arm as he left.

Byron looked at Maeve and asked, "I had a job interview. Didn't I leave you a note?" Maeve stepped inside, placed the fruit on the table, and said, her eyes shining with excitement, "I passed the interview, so I bought some fruit to celebrate." Byron didn't remember seeing any note, but didn't dwell on it.

"I don't need any. You can have it," he said.

As soon as he said that, Karen chuckled softly. "Ms. Reese, Byron is quite particular about what he eats. He doesn't just eat any fruit bought from a street shop. He usually only eats premium varieties."

Maeve hesitated, her hand hovering over the fruit. She didn't know much about fruit, but she could tell that the apple in Karen's hand was flawless. Plus, the packaging had some foreign writing, making it look very high-end. Her fruit, on the other hand, was from a roadside stall and couldn't compare. Maeve suddenly felt embarrassed.

"I see. Thanks for letting me know," Maeve said. She thought, Well, I can just eat it myself—I'm not picky. She picked out the fruit she wanted and took it to the restroom to wash.

Karen's lips curled into a slight smile as she offered the peeled apple to Byron. "Would you like an apple? I went through the trouble of peeling it for you."

"Karen," Byron said calmly, without taking the apple. He lightly tapped his fingers on the table beside him, his voice calm, "Whether she's a maid or something else, if she's with me, it's not for others to embarrass her. Do you understand?" Karen's smile froze, and her hand trembled.

"I... I was just trying to remind her, since she didn't seem to know your preferences and was acting on her own. I didn't mean to embarrass her..."

But under Byron's steady gaze, Karen found herself unable to continue. She had deliberately tried to make Maeve feel uncomfortable, wanting to put her in her place. But she never expected that Byron would reprimand her in defense of a maid.

"There won't be a next time," Byron said calmly but firmly, looking away. "You should go. Focus on helping Archer when you can, and there's no need for you to come here anymore." Karen stood up, her shoulders trembling, and didn't notice when the apple fell into the trash.

"I understand. Take care of yourself," she said before hastily leaving, the sound of her high heels echoing.

When Maeve returned after washing the fruit, she was surprised to see Byron alone.

"Ms. Booth already left?" she asked.

"Yeah," Byron replied, shifting his gaze from his tablet to the fruit tray. "Bring it here."

Maeve placed the tray on the table, watching as he picked up a grape. Confused, she asked, "I thought you didn't eat fruit? And didn't Ms. Booth say you only eat..."

"Fruit is fruit," Byron replied flatly. "There's no need to rank food like that." Maeve blinked in surprise.

After a moment, she grinned and teased, "Is it because your salary can't afford it? Don't worry, my new job has great benefits. One day, I'll make sure you can eat premium fruit every day." Byron let out a soft scoff. He thought, Yesterday, you were too scared to eat a banana and some grapes, worried the hospital might charge extra.

Maeve puffed out her cheeks slightly. "Don't underestimate me."

Byron ignored her, leaning back in his chair and lazily saying, "Peel me an apple."

"Didn't Ms. Booth just peel one for you?"

"It fell into the trash."

Maeve silently mourned the lost apple—it had looked expensive.

After they finished the fruit, Maeve settled on the couch and pulled out her tablet to look up Eternal Hope's recent projects. Meanwhile, Byron was busy on his computer. Even though he had been in the hospital for a few days, the company hadn't ground to a halt. They both worked in silence, yet the room felt peaceful.

That evening, Maeve had dinner with Byron. She had checked out of her room earlier that morning, so she stayed in his room.

"I start work the day after tomorrow. I'll only be able to visit during lunch breaks and after work," Maeve said. "Did the doctor say when you might be discharged?"

"It could be as soon as two weeks, or as long as two months," Byron replied. "It depends."

Maeve sighed. "Whoever did this is truly heartless, making us both almost lose our lives." She thought, It is fortunate that Byron's boss is understanding and doesn't hold him responsible, allowing him to focus on his recovery. Otherwise, not only will he have lost his job, but he will also be buried under a mountain of debt...

"The person responsible is already in custody; he'll face the consequences soon enough," Byron said, his gaze darkening. Archer had come by earlier to report that Neville had been arrested. Byron had been biding his time, waiting until he had enough evidence. He thought, Hiring a hitman, attempting murder—does Neville really think I have no evidence?

When Maeve heard that the mastermind had been caught, she happily devoured a large drumstick. But her happiness didn't last long. Her smile quickly faded. Byron needed to use the restroom, and she had no choice but to help him. She turned her back and closed her eyes as he took care of his business, her mind a tangled mess.