Chapter 543
Maeve felt the cool air in the washroom, but as the kiss deepened, the space grew stillingly hot.
Her neck was damp with a thin, sticky sweat, Every time she heard footsteps outside, her heartbeat spiked.
Amid the tension, a rustle of fabric reached her cars.
Byron grasped her hand, guiding it to something firm yet yielding, pulsing with heat as it shifted slightly beneath her palm.
Her dazed mind lagged from the kiss, but when she realized what it was, she instinctively tried to pull her hand back. Byron held her firmly, breaking the kiss only to move his lips to her soft, pale car. In a husky whisper, he asked, “Didn’t you enjoy touching? Go ahead, indulge yourself.”
Maeve’s face burned as a bead of sweat formed at the tip of her nose. Flustered, she retorted, “Who said I enjoyed it? Did you bring me here just so I could touch your abs?”
“You were awfully into it earlier in the office, touching Clem Holland’s abs,” Byron said, his voice low and accusing. “What’s the matter? Am I not enough for you? Is that why you’re thinking about someone else?”
“I wasn’t! Maeve snapped, her tone carrying more embarrassment than anger. Yet, her voice, still tinged with the passion of their kiss, betrayed her, sounding delicate and lacking any real edge.
Startled by her own tone, she swallowed hard and continued, “I was just helping Clem apply some medicine. Are you really .mad about that?”
Byron narrowed his eyes. “What were you planning to do if I hadn’t shown up just now?”
The accusation felt like a stab to Maeve’s chest. A bitter, mocking smile spread across her face. “We weren’t doing anything inappropriate. Unlike you, doing things you shouldn’t be doing.”
“You slept with Molly, didn’t you?”
Byron’s expression faltered, but Maeve’s mocking smile only deepened, now tinged with sorrow. His throat tightened.
think.” “Maeve, it’s not what you
“So you did.” Maeve’s body tensed, her voice barely audible. “Just say it! Yes or no.”
Byron pressed his lips into a thin line, silent for a long moment before murmuring, “I’m not sure.”
“Not sure?” Maeve’s head shot up, her eyes glimmering with unshed tears. “You don’t even know who you’ve slept with? Or is it that there’s more than one?”
“It was a mistake,” Byron finally said, his voice heavy. “It only happened once. I was drugged. I don’t remember anything.” Maeve closed her eyes as the heat from their earlier kiss drained away, leaving her chilled to the bone.
A hollow laugh escaped her lips. “Do men always find excuses for themselves after they mess up? It doesn’t matter why it happened–you did it, and nothing can change that.”
“Her voice wavered, but she pressed on. “I thought you were different. Even if you didn’t love me yet, I believed your body would remain loyal. I guess I was wrong.”
Maeve thought, ‘Byron would never cross that line, not just because of his obsessive cleanliness, but because of his principles.
Chapter 513
Hache slept with another woman? I never imagined he’d do something like that. This kind of breach in principles, no matter the reason, is something I can’t forgive”
Marve. Byron said, his grip on her wrist tightening as his dark gaze bored into hers: “Do you really think I’m the kind of man who loses control at the sight of temptation?*
Byron was confident in his self–control. Even under the influence of drugs, he would never touch another woman.
Besides, when he woke up, Molly’s clothes had been intact. Her words alone weren’t enough to convince him.
And then there
as the missing hangover cure drink.
The surveillance footage showed nothing unusual either.
All the evidence pointed to one thing, his suspicions had no basi
Yet, the undeniable truth remained. He had spent the night with some woman.
The disheveled bed told no lies. And that woman, whoever she was, had felt disturbingly like Maeve. That was why he couldn’t bring himself to trust Molly’s story.
The problem was that Maeve had insisted she’d gone home that night and hadn’t been near his room.
From Byron’s perspective, he had been set up. Everything he saw and thought was filtered through that lens.
Maeve, on the other hand, was dealing with an entirely different storm. She had just endured a face–to–face confrontation – with Byron’s first love, who had flaunted their once–pure, idyllic relationship in detail.
And now, to learn that Byron had been with Molly? All Maeve could feel was anger
and desolation.
“Do you honestly think I see you as the kind of man I couldn’t live without?” Maeve’s voice was sharp, her reddened eyes fixed on him without flinching. “I’m not deluded enough to think that. You’ve never been that into me, have you?”
“So why would I even expect you to stay faithful to me? Isn’t that just ridiculous?”
Maeve moved to climb down from the counter, but the moment her legs shifted, Byron pushed her back with force, his arms locking around her, leaving no room for escape.
“Maeve,” he murmured, his voice low and rough, his lips brushing against her ear. “Do you think I’m ridiculous? Or is it yourself you find ridiculous?”
Maeve lowered her lashes, gripping the edge of the sink, her silence a shield.
Byron’s lips curled into a cold, mocking smile. “You say I don’t care about you much, but are you any different?”
“If that’s the case, what’s the problem? Or…” His voice darkened. Are you just looking for an excuse to throw yourself into Clem’s arms?”
“I am not!” Maeve’s voice cracked with emotion, but she held herself together. “I was only applying medicine for him earlier. I didn’t even touch him. What right do you have to accuse me?”
Byron’s eyes narrowed, his tone frigid. “Shall I remind you how many times you called his name in your sleep? Do you dare say he’s not in your heart?”
“I have nothing to hide, so why wouldn’t I dare? Yes, I liked him in high school. That was years ago!” Maeve shot back, her voice trembling with anger. “You talk like you know me better than I know myself. Do you even know who I care about?”
Byron’s sneer deepened. “If it’s not Clem, then who?”
2/3
Chapter 543
Macve’s chest heaved, her composure cracking under his unrelenting stare. Without thinking, she blurted, “Of course, it’s you?”
The room plunged into stunned silence.
Byron’s sharp, icy expression melted into a faint, teasing smile.
Realization struck Maeve like a blow. He had provoked her on purpose, pushing her to admit her feelings.
Her pale checks flushed a fiery red. Furious, she shoved at his chest, trying to break free. “You did that on purpose! Get away from me!”
Byron didn’t budge. One hand slid around her back, the other tightened on her waist, pulling her firmly against him. His lips brushed against the side of her neck.
He whispered in a deep, soothing tone, “Let’s stop fighting, okay?”
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