Chapter 18
Maeve hesitated before dialing Byron’s number again. She didn’t want to come off as needy, so she decided to just wait it out, hoping he’d get back to her sooner or later.
Almost a full day had passed without a single bite to eat. Her stomach growled and twisted in pain, and eventually. exhaustion took over. She drifted into a restless sleep, too drained and hungry to keep her eyes open any longer.
After what felt like forever, Maeve woke up groggily, squinting at her phone to see it was already past ten in the morning.
She realized she’d been stuck in this room for nearly twenty–four hours, and her phone battery was barely holding on at three percent.
She stared at her phone, her heart sinking as there were no missed calls or messages. A wave of despair washed over her. She shut her eyes and curled up on the cold floor, trying to ignore the gnawing hunger.
Is he too busy to call back, or did he just forget about me? she wondered, pulling her knees closer to her chest, shielding her eyes with her hand.
The hunger was bad, but the endless, crushing darkness was worse.
In the executive office at Mcdaniel Group, the afternoon sun poured through the floor–to–ceiling windows, bathing Byron in a warm, golden light as he sat behind his desk. With his sharp looks and commanding presence, he was every inch the powerful CEO.
“Mr. McDaniel, you just got over a fever and barely slept last night,” Archer said for the third time as he entered the office. “If you keep pushing yourself like this, you’re gonna crash. Plus, it’s time to change the dressing on your wound.”
Byron put down the contract and, with a swift flick of his wrist, signed his name with bold, decisive strokes–sharp and unyielding, just like him.
“What time is it?” he asked.
“It’s already five in the afternoon.”
“And those old bastards?
“They’ve all left. Said they’d talk to your father.”
Byron capped his pen slowly, a cold smile tugging at his lips. “Lethem try. If they think that’ll make me change my mind…” He grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair and stood up. Tave the driver bring the car around.”
“Oh, by the way, Mr. McDaniel, your grandfather called again last night, He’s insisting you visit soon,” Archer added.
Byron gave a brief nod, his thoughts suddenly flashing back to Mheve’s call from two days ago. He picked up his phone and dialed her number.
The call connected almost immediately. “Something’s come up won’t be coming home tonight, Byron said as he stepped out of the office.
He was about to hang up when a faint voice stopped him in his tracks. “Help me.”
His grip tightened on the phone, “Where are you?”
I’ve been locked up by my parents. If you could just Maeve lee cut off abruptly as the phone beeped, signaling the battery had died.
