Byron turned to Maeve. "What are you daydreaming about?"

"Nothing," Maeve said, shaking off her thoughts. Approaching him, she asked, "How come there's a tree here?"

"It's a gift from Ray," Byron replied indifferently. "He decided to celebrate Christmas and went up the mountain with Jarrett to find this fir. He sent one to me, too. Actually," he added, without elaborating, "Ray and Jarrett 'acquired' the trees behind the McDaniel Group resort and got caught. They ended up doing the transplanting themselves." He decided against telling her the full story.

Maeve opened her mouth. "But Mr. McDaniel, Christmas trees are usually small and delicate. Isn't this one too tall?" It was ten feet tall.

Byron frowned. "Are you talking about the disposable kind that's such a hassle to get rid of? This tree is in a completely different league." He silently added, Does this woman have any taste?

The corner of Maeve's mouth twitched at his words, "trash that's such a hassle to dispose of."

A new thought struck her. "Mr. McDaniel, is it okay to plant this in the courtyard? Will the landlord complain?"

Byron's expression froze. "No, the tenants have the right to use the courtyard."

Maeve frowned. "Speaking of which, I haven't seen any other tenants. We're not the only ones in the building, are we?" She was right. Byron owned the entire building.

"I'm not sure. I haven't paid attention," Byron said, looking away calmly. "If you're curious, knock on every door and ask."

"Forget it," Maeve said. Her curiosity wasn't that strong. Looking at the fir tree, she was tempted. "Can I decorate it?"

"Up to you," Byron said indifferently. "I'm not interested."

"Help me hold the ladder, then."

"Sure."

Maeve smiled, but her complicated feelings lingered. Karen's words echoed in her mind: With Byron's high and respectable status, you're not worthy of him. Was Karen referring to his family or him personally? The thought of it caused a pang of anxiety, which she quickly dismissed.

Seeing Byron enter the apartment, Maeve rubbed her temples and followed. A utility bill was posted on the door. She examined it, shocked into silence. "We seriously overspent this month. Mr. McDaniel, why don't we reduce our smart home device usage?" She grabbed a bottle of water. "How much?"

Byron stated the amount. He barely registered it, thinking, But if this were converted into Maeve's cotton candy and junk food…

Perhaps influenced by her recent frugality, he said, "Use the sprinkler less. Your vegetables consume a lot of electricity."

Maeve's eyes widened. "My vegetables don't need constant watering. It's the air conditioner." She didn't want to take the blame. "If we don't use the air conditioner, we'll freeze!"

"What do we do then?"

They argued on the carpet for a while, ultimately keeping the sprinkler and air conditioner, while minimizing other appliance use to avoid another hefty bill. The number on the bill distressed Maeve.

Cross-legged, she tapped on her calculator. "We need to cut costs elsewhere… no snacks, use up existing supplies, buy cheaper groceries… and Mr. McDaniel, your coffee and mineral water are running low. Let's hold off on buying more. Every little bit helps…"

Byron sat leaning against the sofa, watching her meticulous budgeting. He thought, If those old fogies talked like this in meetings, they'd be scolded. Yet Maeve, despite rambling, is incredibly soothing.

"You forgot the Christmas tree decorations," Byron reminded her, tapping her ledger.

Maeve was shocked. "Yes… How about we skip decorating?"

"Are we not celebrating Christmas either?"

Maeve looked conflicted.

"Let me buy them," Byron said, tapping the table. "The money on your card isn't part of our monthly budget, right?"

Maeve's eyes lit up. "If you insist…"

Byron smirked. "I'm just afraid you'll cut back on my coffee and water again."

After finishing the bookkeeping, Maeve went to the bathroom. Looking in the mirror, she chuckled. Mr. McDaniel is just an ordinary guy, she thought. If he were truly so esteemed, as Karen said, why would he worry about utility bills and haggle over the air conditioner? It wouldn't be necessary, right? Relieved, she hummed as she showered.

Byron heard her singing from the living room. He pressed his temples and called Archer. "From now on, you don't pay the apartment's bills. I'll handle it myself."

Archer, sweating, explained, "Mr. McDaniel, the company was busy this month. I assure you it won't happen again…"

"I'm not blaming you. Also, buy some Christmas tree decorations. Choose ones a girl would like."

Archer was stunned.

Byron's phone rang again. It was Gilbert. "Byron, your parents know about your marriage to Maeve and want to meet her. What do you think?"

Byron frowned. "How did they find out?"

"Karen visited your mother," Gilbert said. "Perhaps she told her."

Byron thought, Karen? Does she have too much free time?

"Byron, are you listening?" Gilbert urged.

"Yes," Byron said calmly. "Grandpa, tell them to forget the meeting. They shouldn't bother us unless it's important."