Chapter 39
“I understand and appreciate your concern for your grandfather and I don’t mind helping you with the act, Maeve said calmly, her eyes steady as she looked at Byron. “But Mr. Medaniel, I think you’ve forgotten something.”
She paused, her gaze not wavering as she continued, “I’ve thought a lot about what you said to me last time. I just can’t figure out what I did wrong to make you dislike me so much.
“You said I was meddling and overly sentimental. Fine, Ladmit was trying to be kind. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have bothered with saving you, making you soup, or changing your bandages if knew it might go unappreciated…”
Maeve didn’t meet Byron’s gaze as she spoke. Instead, she looked down, a faint, weary smile playing on her lips.
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“At least I can say I acted with a clear conscience. But it seems you don’t see it that way, which is why I agreed to the divorce.” Maeve’s voice was steady, but there was an edge to her words. “But now you’re asking to delay it. What exactly do you see me
The truth was, Maeve knew she couldn’t divorce Byron right now. But the idea of staying with someone who clearly disliked her was unbearable.
More than the fallout from the divorce, she couldn’t stand the thought of being seen as meddlesome when all she had done was try to help.
Byron was taken aback by her words. He remained silent, his lipsa tight line as he processed what she’d said. It was clear now that she didn’t know his true identity or have any ties to Neville.
But he couldn’t wrap his head around why she’d proposed after just one meeting or why she had gone out of her way to please him.
A sudden thought hit Byron like a ton of bricks. He rose from the couch and moved closer to Maeve, his gaze unwavering and intense. In a low, probing voice, he asked, “Macve, have you fallen for me?”
Maeve, still tangled in her emotions, was jolted by his question. “What?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Byron said, recalling Ray’s confident theory. Maeve’s flustered reaction seemed to confirm it. It was as if a secret had slipped out.
“So she does have feelings for me. No wonder she kept finding excuses to be near me, he thought.
Maeve’s mind spun in confusion. After everything she’d said, he focused on something entirely off–base. How did that make any sense?
“No! Absolutely not! How could you even think that? I’d never have feelings for someone who dislikes me!” She shot back. her voice sharp.
But her frustration and defensiveness only made her seem more like she was trying to cover up her true feelings. “Alright, let’s just pretend you don’t,” Byron said, his eyes darkening slightly. “I was out of line that day, jumping to conclusions and saying things that hurt you. I’m sorry.”
Marve bristled at his use of “pretend,” but his apology caught her off guard, leaving her momentarily stunned.
If Byron had confronted her with his usual confidence, Maeve might have held her ground. But his softened tone made her uneasy about pushing the matter further.
“Well, um. it’s okay,” she mumbled, scratching her ear and lowering her voice. “Since you apologized, let’s just forget about
15:06 Fri, Dec 27
Chapter 39
Byron’s lips lifted into aslight smile as he extended his hand. “How about a truce?”
Maeve hesitated for a moment before reaching out to shake his hand, but she pulled back almost immediately.
However, Byron held onto her fingers a moment longer, catching her off guard.
Maeve looked up, startled by his unusually serious expression. “I really am sorry,” he said.
Maeve blinked, then pulled her hand back, her tone deliberate. “A verbal apology isn’t enough.”
Byron raised an eyebrow. “Oh? And what exactly do you want?”
