The Heir's Secret Bride

Chapter 554 An her sighed quietly, gently closing the door behind him before turning to Maeve, who sat looking utterly fost "Mr. Melaniel carried you out of the fire and askednot to tell you about it," he said, his voice almost reluctant. "But now that you've seen it, there's no point in keeping it from you any longer." Maeve slowly lifted her head, her pale lips barely moving as she spoke. "Why? Why did he want to hide it from me? She had almost believed that Aiden had been the one to save her Had she not run into Archer today, she might have never know who had saved her, not even when she left the hospital.

And now, she wondered, How long does he plan to keep it from her?" Tean "Mr. Medaniel didn't say much," Archer continued, his voice soft but steady. But after working with him all these years, I can guess. He probably didn't want you to feel guilty or burdened by t Maeve's temples throbbed as she recalled the scene she'd witnessed at the hospital door. A wave of sorrow filled her chest, and the sting of tears pressed at the back of her eyes.

Archer went on, his voice taking on a more certain tone. "From what I know of Mr. Mcdaniel, he's not someone who acts out of kindness or weakness, nor would he risk his own interests for anyone. He sees everyone equally, without favoritism." "Except for you," he added quietly, almost as if he was speaking to himself. "You should be able to feel it, the way he looks, out for you. It's different, Macve. His care for you is unique. He would put his own safety aside for you without hesitation Maeve lowered her eyes, her heart tightening. Her throat felt constricted, and her voice cout hoarse. "I don't understand." Or rather, she didn't want to understand.

She feared that if she let herself waver, she'd fall back into the complicated web of emotions between him and Molly.

She wanted to trust him, but the haunting fear of falling into another illusion, a dream easily shattered if he ever decided to break the engagement, kept her from fully opening up.

She thought, 'Besides, how can I ever be more important to him than Molly?' Having worked by Byron's side for so long, Archer had mastered more than just impeccable efficiency, he had an unmatched knack for reading people, sharp and perceptive in every interaction.

As he noticed the subtle way Maeve was avoiding the truth, he connected the dots, remembering the earlier investigation into her past.

"Ms. Reese." he said, his voice quiet but serious. "This isn't the first tsomething like this has happened." Maeve blinked, her brow furrowing. "What do you mean?" Archer hesitated, weighing the consequences of his words. Finally, he braced himself. "Do you remember when you were infected with Xasia? It was only because volunteers were willing to test the antidote that you survived, right?" "Of course I remember," Maeve said quickly, the memory still raw and painful.

That was a chapter she could never forget. The agony had been far too intense to fade so easily. Then, a sudden, uncomfortable premonition settled in her gut. She pondered, "Why is Archer bringing this up now? 1/3 14:13 Mon, Jan 13 BG Chapter 354 Before she could voice her concem, the truth hit her hard.

His expression turned grave. "Back then, there was no such thing as a willing volunteer, he said softly. "Mr. Mcdaniel took at huge risk, exposing himself to that virtis, testing the experimental treatment on his own body. He endured the severe side effects every single time, just to pull you back from the brink of leath "Vomiting blood, bleeding from every orilice, ruptured organs, complete blindness... all of it hit Byron simultaneously. I tried to talk him out of it, but he wouldn't hear it." Archer paused, his voice heavy with conviction. Because you share the sblood type, the treatment was exponentially more effective on him. That way, when you took the antidote, the rejection symptoms would be minimal" Maeve froze. The weight of his words pressed down on her like physical force.

Maeve's mind raced. She had been told a different story, one involving willing volunteers and the quick development of the antidote.

But that wasn't the truth.

No one had told her that the person who had risked everything to save her was Byron, the man she had once thought was recovering from a car accident.

She had suspected, had tested him with her questions, but every time, he had built walls around her heart. She thought she was just being paranoid, that it was her own feelings clouding her judgment.

But now she understood.

He had kept the truth from her, not because he wanted to hurt her, but because he thought she couldn't handle it. Her heart pounded as tears threatened to spill from her eyes. She blinked them away furiously, but they kept coming Archer paused before continuing. "I don't know what happened between you and Mr. Mcdaniel, but I saw how he struggled after you left. I could tell he wanted to cto you, but something kept him from it." "He cby yesterday. He only wanted to see for himself that you were okay. He watched from a distance and was going to leave. But when he heard you were heading to that dangerous building, he couldn't just walk away. The rest, you know." Archer didn't want to upset Maeve. He simply wanted to clear up the misunderstanding, to show her that the feelings between them were more complicated than she might have realized.

Maeve chuckled softly, the tears still glistening in her eyes. Her nose was red, and her expression was more vulnerable than he had ever seen her.

"He does this every t He ignores my feelings, thinking that keeping things fromis for my own good. He makes everything worse, and then it always ends the sway, with us not speaking.

"But I'm not as fragile as he thinks. A few bumps in the road won't break me." 'Maybe Byron truly loves me. But I am not the only one, am I? A heart can hold two people at once, that's what I hate most. I don't want to be one of two, she thought.

But in the face of his love, the kind he was willing to risk his life for, all that seemed less important.

She thought. "There probably isn't another man in the world who would charge into a crumbling fire just to save me.

Only Byron Chapter 334 Maeve closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again, she was calmer Archer, thank you for telling or the Archer shook his head. "You're too kind. Honestly, I have my own reasons" Aw her quietly admired Byron's selflessness and unwavering dedication to Maeve, secretly hoping his boss could find happiness by her side.

In the hospital room. Maeve sat beside the bed, staring at Byron handsome, pale face as he slept Her eyes stung with the heat of unshed tears. For the first time, he realized how easily she could cry No. Someone had told her long ago that she was a crybaby, though she never admitted it.

She remembered the ta certain someone had scolded her for always bottling up her feelings, refusing to speak her mind. He had tried to correct that bad habit of hers. She thought. But isn't he the same? No matter what happens, he keeps things from me."

Maeve rubbed her eyes and let out a shaky breath, unable to stop a sob from escaping. Then she heard his voice, a weak. hoarse whisper, "Why are you crying? I'm not dead." She froze, half shocked and half relieved, and looked up. Her gaze met his dark, intense eyes..

The tears that had almost stopped now flowed freely, and her heart skipped a beat. Without thinking, her body moved first She leaned down and kissed Byron's pale, dry lips.

The caregiver made sure to clean him thoroughly every day. There was only a faint trace of mint between his Ve lips, no other strange scent. It mingled with his own scent, creating a feeling that was almost intoxicating. SEND GIFT