The Heir's Secret Bride

12

Valda stepped

out of the kitchen when she heard the commotion. She glanced at them briefly but chose to keep quiet.

Maeve's face was pale, but she stood her ground. "I've already broken things off with Jeff Who I marry is my choice. We're not in the Stone Age anymore, where parents get to decide who their kids marry!"

Scott was stunned by his usually obedient daughter's defiance. His anger flared. "What the hell is with that attitude? I'm your father!"

Maeve clamped her lips shut, refusing to respond.

Scott sank back into his chair, his chest heaving with barely controlled rage. After a moment, he demanded, "Who is this guy? What's his background? What does he do?"

Maeve hesitated before finally saying, "He's a driver. His family doesn't have much, but he works hard..

"A driver?" Scott exploded, his face twisted with fury, "You're throwing away a future with the Graves family for some random driver? Have you lost your damn mind? You need to divorce him right now!" His voice thundered through the room. making the coffee cups on the table shake. Maeve's hands trembled, but she fired back without a second's hesitation. "No, I won't! What's so wrong with being a driver? If I love him, I wouldn't leave him even if he were a beggar!"

Scot's face turned a furious shade of red. He kicked Maeve sharply in the knee and snarled, "Get out of here and think long and hard about what you've done! Don't come out until you agree to the divorce!"

Maeve's knee buckled from the sharp pain, and she stumbled, but before she could steady herself, Scott grabbed her and shoved her into the storage room, slamming the door shut with a loud click. Maeve gasped from the pain and pounded on the door. "Let me out! You can't just lock me in here!"

From a young age, being locked in a room was common punishment for Maeve, and she had developed a deep fear of confined spaces. But despite her frantic banging, neither Scott nor Valda made a move to let her out

"Is locking her up really the best idea?" Valda asked, stepping out of the kitchen, worry etched on her face. "What if she doesn't change her mind? How are we going to handle returning the Graves family's engagement gift?" Scott's face twisted with uritation. "If she doesn't come to her senses, she stays in there until she does. No food, no water- she needs to learn who's in charge here!"

Valda didn't argue further.

Maeve pounded on the door until her hands ached, but there was no response. Exhausted, she slid down to the floor, leaning her back against the door, her knees throbbing in pain.

Her face was filled with sorrow. "I should have known this was coming she thought bitterly. "They were never going to listen. to me. How could I have been so stupid?" The

storage room was pitch black, and the oppressive darkness seemed ready to swallow her whole.

Maeve turned on her phone's flashlight. The small beam of light brought a tiny bit of comfort, pushing back the overwhelming sense of dread just a little.Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

Hours crawled by, stretching from noon into night, before Valda's voice finally broke through the silence. "Maeve, have you made up your mind? Agree to the divorce, and I'll let you out" Maeve sat huddled on the cold floor, her eyes shut tightly against the darkness. Her voice, raspy and dry from thirst, barely

212

GB

Π

reached beyond the door. I'm not getting divorced. Even if you lock me in here forever, my answer won't change."

56%,

It wasn't that she was head-over-heels in love with Byron. She was just done being controlled by her parents. Her eyes drifted to her phone, its battery dangerously low. Panic started to creep in. She needed to find help before the power ran out.

Maeve scrolled through her contacts, realizing how few friends she had left. Since she'd started dating Jeff, she'd lost touch with her old friends for reasons she couldn't quite pin down. Now, Byron was her only option. After a few moments of hesitation, she finally dialed his number

AVIL AVIL

The phone rang only once before it was answered. "Hello? Who is that!" A soft, unfamiliar female voice came through the line.

Maeve hesitated, double-checking the number on her phone. "Is this Mr. McDaniel's phone?" Karen Booth Karen's

oth Byron's secretary, also paused at the sound of Magyes voice. Phones were prohibited during executive meetings, so Byron's phone was with her to catch any important calls. She glanced at the caller ID and frowned; there was no one named "Maeve" listed among the McDaniel Group's business. contacts. Who the heck is this? she wondered. n's smile faded a little. "Yes, he's currently tied up. May I ask what this is about?" Tmm a

a bit of a bind and could really use his help. Could you let him know when he's available? Maeve asked, her voice. inged with uncertainty. She hadn't anticipated Byron still working at this hour and wasn't sure if he'd come. I'll make sure he gets your message, Karen said with a reassuring smile before ending the call.

Moment

later, the meeting room door swung open. Byron stepped out, followed by a procession of top executives, all trailing behind him like planets around the sun. His commanding presence drew every eye in the room, making him the undisputed center of attention.. Karen's heart pounded as she approached Byron, holding out the phone. "Mr. McDaniel, you had a call earlier from someone named Macve. Byron raised an eyebrow. "What did she say?"

Karen's eyes flickered with nervousness. "She asked what you were up to and wanted you to call her back when you

moment.

had

Byron's brows furrowed in irritation at Maeve's possessive tone. He had little patience for interruptions that disrupted his focus.

"Got it," Byron replied curtly, grabbing the file from an assistant and heading into his office. The call was quickly forgotten as he shut the door behind him.

Karen stood there, letting out a quiet sigh of relief before heading back to the secretary's office.

$8