Chapter 518

Jaxson Soar's name, etched in faint gold on the black plaque, was striking. Maeve had never encountered the surname before meeting Zephyr and Aeolian. This psychiatrist was almost certainly family. She’d vowed to avoid them, yet here they were. Awkward.

Jaxson noticed her discomfort. "Is something wrong with my name?" he asked, eyes narrowed.

"No, it's nice," Maeve replied quickly.

He studied her. "Do you know anyone from the Soar family?"

She hesitated, then nodded. "A few." He assumed she meant from television and let it drop.

A knock shattered the silence. Assuming it was the next patient, Maeve gathered her bag. Opening the door, a sharp voice pierced the air.

"Jaxson? What are you doing in my brother's office?"

Aeolian stood there, furious. Maeve recoiled. Of course, it was Aeolian.

"Excuse me," Maeve said calmly, "I'm leaving."

"Persistent!" Aeolian spat, her face contorted. "Are you after every man in our family?" The thought, This shameless woman, engaged with children, seducing my brothers, burned in her mind.

Maeve frowned. "Is your brain solely focused on romance? Seriously, if you're this possessive, will you cry at your brothers' weddings?"

"You—" Aeolian sputtered.

"I won't argue with you," Maeve cut her off, her aura shifting. "But don't slander me. Get lost."

Aeolian's eyes widened, but Maeve was already gone. A low chuckle followed Maeve's exit. Aeolian’s rage flared.

She turned on Jaxson, who sat sipping coffee. "You didn't help me!"

"You provoked her," Jaxson said calmly, uninterested in their spat. "Don't act like this around Gale, or you'll be sent home."

"I have a plan!" Aeolian declared, then, suspiciously, "What were you doing with her? Did she trick you too?"

"Too?" Jaxson echoed, catching the key word.

"Yes! She fawns over Gale, hooked up with Zephyr and Alexis. She's manipulative!" Aeolian launched into a smear campaign. She needed Ryan on her side against Maeve.

Jaxson raised an eyebrow. "Overreacting, perhaps?"

Aeolian recounted the events with the Morris family, adding inflammatory details. "So many coincidences—Zephyr, Ryan, now you. It's deliberate." She pleaded, "Jaxson, be careful. She uses you all as backups."

Jaxson listened with disinterest; academics were his only passion. However, as Aeolian’s brother, he had to respond. Maeve wasn't important to him.

"Fine, I won't see her again," he smiled. "Happy now?"

Aeolian cheered, clinging to his arm. "I knew you loved me best!"

"Of course, you're my sister."

Unaware of this exchange, or her ban from Jaxson's practice, Maeve felt relieved. She shopped with Bonnie, dined at a Western restaurant.

Paying the bill, she spotted Serena and Molly exiting a boutique. The pair, from such different worlds, seemed close. Serena gave Molly an expensive gift. Something felt off, but Bonnie’s ice cream distracted her.

Later, they saw Molly again, picking out a silver-gray tie. Maeve barely glanced.

Night fell at Nightfall Manor. Maeve had been swamped with work, as had Byron, who only returned early morning. This explained why he'd caught her sleep-talking. Tonight, thanks to Jaxson's medication, she slept soundly, dream-free.

Then, warmth enveloped her, a familiar presence. Byron. She didn't resist, instinctively moving closer.

"Back?" she murmured.

"Yes," his low voice rumbled above her. "No crying or talking tonight. Improvement."

Maeve mentally scoffed—the medication was the reason. But her body remained perfectly still in his arms.

"I bought you a gift today," she mumbled.