The Heir's Secret Bride

Chapter

327<

Maeve sighed, feeling reluctant to answer Byron's increasingly sharp questions. Instead, she opted for a different approach. I choose a dare."

The person holding the big wildcard wore a look that seemed to say they had been waiting for her to say that. "You have to kiss Byron for two minutes right here!"

The people nearby instantly became more excited than if they had drawn the big wildcard themselves, repeatedly shouting and cheering enthusiastically,

She thought. "Kiss him for two minutes in front of all these people Maeve's cheeks flushed bright red, and she could hardly believe what she had just heard. "Why not just kiss the pillar instead?" Byron narrowed his eyes, looking at her with a dangerous expression. Kay, relishing the drarna, chimed in, "Mae, do you. prefer kissing the pillar? We're talking about that one right at the restaurant entrance! "Not really, it's just that this is a bit. Just as Maeve felt awkward, Byron suddenly stood up and casually said. Tm going outside for a smoke. He then stepped out of the private room.

As Maeve sighed with relief, she also felt a twinge of disappointment. She was too shy to do something so bold in public, but after being turned down by him, an inexplicable sense of loss washed over her. "Mac, did you and Byron fight?" Ray pushed the fruit platter before Maeve and leaned in, lowering his voice. Just tell me secretly, like you would tell your best friend. Don't act like a stranger with me." Feeling frustrated, Maeve replied, "You noticed, huh? It's not that we fought; we broke up."

Ray thought, 'Broke up? That serious?

"Byron made you angry? He shouldn't have," Ray said, raising his eyebrows. "He waited over four years for you. There was a time when he got drunk and kept shouting your name." With a teasing grin, he added, "I told him that, but he didn't believe me. So, I got smart and recorded his drunken ramblings, but he got so embarrassed that he deleted the recording"

Maeve opened her mouth in disbelief, 'No way!" Byron was always very restrained when drinking and would never let himself get drunk. The idea that he would shout her name while intoxicated sounded more like a tall tale.

Four years ago, they were almost at a breaking point. Byron probably thought she had abandoned Will, so he had been cold towards her after reuniting. She thought, "How could he...

"Really, why would I lie to you?" Ray said, noticing her skepticism. He pulled out his phone, found the recording, and held it to her. "I have a backup in the cloud. He deleted it, but I recovered it." He laughed as he continued, "If you don't believe me, just listen for yourself!" Maeve hesitantly pressed the play button. A crackling sound filled the air, accompanied by the clinking of bottles. Then, a voice, hoarse and tinged with the haze of alcohol, came through, struggling to contain some indescribable emotion, reaching Maeve's ears. "Maeve... the heartless woman who abandoned her husband and child. The voice continued, "Maeve.. Maeve..."

The last repetition of "Maeve" sounded tender and affectionate, like a lover's whisper. It struck Maeve's heart like a heavy blow, breaking through a wave of tingling sensations that spread to her fingertips.

It turned out that she hadn't been in unrequited love after all these four years. While she was unaware, her feelings had once received a response. Maeve felt her eyes warm, and a sweetness seeped into her heart, filling every cell in her body. She event felt a bit overwhelmed.

She thought Byron's feelings for her stemmed entirely from her resemblance to his first love. But in that moment, that

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notion began to waver.

"How about that? I wasn't lying to you, was 1" Ray asked with a cheerful smile.

Maeve shook her head. "And could you send me that recording?"

* 97%

"Of course, I can send it to you, Ray said. Noticing her slightly red eyes, he thought momentarily and added thoughtfully. "Maeve, I've known Byron for over ten years, and I've never seen him so infatuated with any woman. He's never been in a relationship before, so he doesn't have much experience. If there are any issues between you two, I hope you can take the time to communicate properly"

He concluded. Just don't do anything you both might regret. Not like him and Ronnie, once a chance was missed, it often became impossible to reclaim.

Maeve nodded with mixed feelings. Thank you, I'll remember that."

However, the issues between her and Byron couldn't simply be resolved through communication. As Maeve stepped out of the private room, she saw Byron leaning against the railing at the end of the corridor, his long fingers holding a half-burned cigarette. The thin smoke blurred his profile, making it difficult to discern his thoughts.

Maeve hesitated for a few seconds before walking up to him. "Didn't you quit smoking a long time ago

Byron lifted his eyelids and casually glanced at her. I'm not smoking: I'm just holding it."

"Why light it if you're not going to smoke?" Maeve asked, confused. She thought, What's the point of lighting it then?"

guessed you would come out, Byron replied softly, then tossed the cigarette butt into a nearby trash bin and slowly walked toward her.

His tall, slender figure exuded intense pressure, causing Maeve to take a step back instinctively. Byron gently lifted her chin, compelling her to meet his gaze. "During the game earlier, why did you keep fixating on my first love?"

"Can't I just be curious?" Maeve replied, her bright eyes sparkling

"Being someone else's fiancée and still being curious about my matters-do you, Ms. Reese, find that amusing?"

Hearing this, Maeve shot back defiantly, "Mr. Mcdaniel, you seemed to ask me quite a few personal questions earlier, too. Do you find that interesting?"

Byron chuckled. "I advise you, Ms. Reese, that I have no sense of morality and could easily steal someone else's fiancée. If you're not afraid of waking up one day to find yourself trapped by me, then feel free to keep trying to entice me."

She thought, Who is trying to entice him?" Maeve glared at him annoyed. "You were the one who brought me here and. agreed to let me play that game. So isn't it you who's trying to entice me?"

Byron chuckled, leaning closer to her face, his deep-set eyes locking onto hers. "If I were trying to entice you, what would you do about it?"

As he spoke, he lowered his head and kissed Maeve, one hand gripping her neck firmly. When she tried to pull away, he pressed her back with strength-His strong arms locked around her slender waist, leaving no room for retreat. The shadows reflected on the wall showed their upper bodies closely intertwined, resembling lovers nestled against each other.

Maeve knew that this was a one-sided takeover. His kiss left her bips tingling and her lungs slowly running out of air. After struggling for a long while, she decided to go for it. Since they were already kissing, claiming it was wrong would only make her seem pretentious. When Byron finally loosened his grip on her, she stood on her tiptoes, wrapped her arms around his neck, and planted a kiss on his beautifully shaped Adam's apple: With a teasing and bold smile, she said, "Mr. Mcdaniel, this is what you call enticing. Thu, Nov Chapter 328Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g