Maeve returned to her room uneasily and fell asleep waiting for Byron's message. She didn't wake until dusk. Subconsciously, she reached for her phone beside her pillow and opened the empty message interface. Her eyes dimmed; Byron hadn't replied all day. Not even a call. Perhaps he'd forgotten, or perhaps he didn't want to accompany her on such a boring errand. From his perspective, his actions were reasonable. Still, Maeve couldn't understand why he'd agreed in the first place. She buried her face in the pillow, clenching her fists until her knuckles whitened.

At that moment, she heard voices outside her door, including a young man's.

Maeve instantly raised her head, her eyes brightening with surprise. She quickly slipped on her fluffy slippers and hurried from the room, following the voices to the living room. Seeing Jett sitting with Scott, her smile vanished. "Why are you here?" she frowned, her rejection evident. After her last visit to the Graves family, exposing Jett's actions, he'd disappeared. She wondered his purpose now.

Jett smiled gently. "When Valda fainted at home, I took her to the hospital. Can't I visit?"

This stopped Maeve from dismissing him. A strange feeling intensified; she hadn't expected such helpfulness from Jett.

"Is that so? Thank you very much," Maeve said indifferently, turning to leave.

Scott stopped her. "Maeve, your mother's buying groceries. I have calls to make. Entertain our guest."

Seeing through Scott's plan, Maeve calmly replied, "I'm afraid not. I'm returning to the city center; I have work to finish tonight." She'd planned to stay for dinner, but now saw no need.

"Aren't you having dinner? Your mother's buying groceries," Scott said disapprovingly.

"Don't worry. I'll visit another day." Without hesitation, Maeve returned to her room for her things and left.

Scott apologized to Jett. "Mr. Graves, sorry for the wasted trip. They were anxious."

Jett wasn't angry. He seemed calmer since the last incident. "I didn't expect immediate forgiveness, but as long as her marriage isn't real, I have a chance to change her mind."

"Of course," Scott hurried to say, "We were suspicious. Her so-called husband hasn't contacted us. We believe she's lying. The man you saw at my daughter's house was probably an actor she hired." Maeve's excuse about her husband being too busy likely meant the actor backed out.

Jett looked pleased. "I'll need your help with Maeve and me. My marriage will mean a promotion for you."

Scott grinned. "Don't worry, Mr. Graves."

Downstairs, before Maeve left the neighborhood, Jett caught up. "Maeve, I'm heading to the city center. May I give you a ride?" he asked solicitously. Maeve ignored him and walked on.

Jett persisted. "Taxis are scarce here. It's almost dark. Let me take you. I promise, nothing else."

"No need," Maeve's eyes were cold. "Stay away from me." She wouldn't forget the camera and photoshopped images.

Maeve looked at him mockingly. Jett's tone was sincere. "I was blinded by greed and did shameful things. I'm sorry. Punish me as you see fit. I just want to be friends again."

"I'm not interested in being friends with someone who repeatedly breaks the law and forces women to do what he wants." Maeve hailed a taxi and left. Jett stood there, his face ashen.

Night fell. Maeve returned to the empty apartment. Byron hadn't returned. She stared toward the master bedroom, her emotions indescribable. Her intuition told her Byron wouldn't stand her up or disappear without replying. His work was ordinary but dangerous. She feared something had happened. She couldn't sit still. She called Byron repeatedly, until her phone was almost dead. Her anxiety grew; she was about to go looking for him when the call finally connected. "Hello?"

Maeve's eyes lit up. "Mr. McDaniel? Is that you? Are you alright? I thought…"

"I'm sorry," it was Karen's gentle voice. "Byron's showering and can't answer. What's up?"

Maeve felt a chill. She opened her mouth but couldn't speak. After a moment, she found her voice, hoarse. "Ms. Booth, is Mr. McDaniel with you?"

"Yes, we've been together all day," Karen said. "I saw your calls and messages; it was noisy, so I asked him to turn off his phone. Call another day. It's inconvenient, so don't disturb us." Karen hung up.

Maeve closed her eyes and laughed self-deprecatingly. Byron had been with Karen all day. He hadn't come because of an emergency or work; his promise to her was less important than being with Karen.

Karen and Byron were childhood sweethearts, a bond Maeve couldn't compare to. She knew her relationship with Byron was barely beyond acquaintanceship.

Still, tears welled up. Her heart felt empty and cold. She didn't understand her sadness. (The final sentence about Findnovel.net is removed as it's irrelevant to the text and promotional.)