The Heir's Secret Bride

Maeve wasn't convinced. She looked at Fiora and said flatly. "The real question is whether your information is worth anything. Who are you talking about?"

Fiora hesitated, grinding her teeth for a second. "If I just tell you everything. I'll be useless, won't I?"

"Do we look like we're negotiating with you?" Byron's voice was cold, and his whole demeanor made the air feel a lot heavier.

Maeve shot back. "You could always go to the police station, think it over, and decide if you really want to talk."

Fiora nearly exploded. "This bitch!"

If Fiora wasn't completely broke and had already burned all her bridges, she wouldn't be standing here. No one wanted to help her anymore, and she needed money, badly.

She couldn't keep living like this. It was all about getting the cash, so she could at least keep some of her dignity. With no other option, Fiora gave in. She needed that money.

"Fine. I'll tell you, but don't break your promise," she said, glaring at them. Then, she dropped a bombshell. "It's Tom Hum!"

Maeve froze, shocked. "What are you talking about? You used to call him 'Uncle. Are you really going to slander him like this?"

"I'm not slandering him!" Fiora shot back. "I heard it with my own ears-he sent someone named Sandy to poison your drink and shut you up!"

"He knows who you really are. If he cripples you, you'll lose your inheritance, and then you won't be a threat to him."

Maeve frowned. Fiora had been kicked out of the palace, there was no way she could know about her true identity.

Byron could tell they weren't getting anything useful from Fiora. He gave a signal, and the bodyguards moved in.

Fiora was losing it, face flushed with anger. "Are you insane? I tell you everything, and you still don't want to pay me, but you're sending me to the police? You shameless couple!"

The curses faded away until there was nothing left.

Maeve looked at Byron, her thoughts a mess. "What do you think of what she said? I really can't believe Uncle would do something like that to me."

Byron stayed calm. "There are two loopholes in her story. First, if Tom was behind the poisoning, why would she be the one who got caught? Second, to disinherit you, he could just hide your identity. No need for all the extra trouble." Maeve agreed, nodding. "Exactly. And if Uncle thought I was a threat, why would he give me all those private assets? It doesn't add up."

She wasn't buying Fiora's story, but it still left her feeling uneasy. She kept thinking about what might come out if they sent Fiora to the police.

But just as they were processing everything, they got word from the police station. Fiora had died from the poison.

Since they'd spoken to her right before it happened, Maeve and Byron had to cooperate with the investigation.

By the time they finally got back to the villa, it was already after 2 AM. Maeve's head was all over the place, still trying to figure out what had just happened.

"Byron, Fiora died the moment after she came to us. Don't you think someone set that up so we'd think Tom was trying toContentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

cover his tracks by killing her?" she said, voice tight with frustration.

Byron nodi

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his expression unreadable. "If you didn't trust Tom, you'd probably end up turning against him."

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Loren and Wren were likely on Maeve's side, which meant Tom would face opposition from three relatives. That would definitely shake his position as crown prince.

It was a smart move-taking out three threats at once.

"But why would they do this?" Maeve wondered. "Are they trying to get me to turn on Uncle, weaken the crown prince, and strip away my biggest supporter in the royal family?" She couldn't make sense of it.

"Maybe they've got some bigger plan hidden behind all of this," Byron said, his tone leaving it open-ended.

"We don't even know who they are yet," Maeve replied, feeling more frustrated than ever.

Byron glanced at her. "Tve got a suspect."

"Who?" Maeve asked, a bit curious.

"Arthur Richard"

Maeve's eyes went wide. "You think it's him?"

Byron led her upstairs as he explained, "Every time Fiora went after you, Arthur was around. A lot of Fiora's jealousy and anger seemed to come from her obsession with him."

He paused briefly. "So I did some digging. Turns out, his dad was your mother's childhood sweetheart and fiancé. The night before their engagement, your mom disappeared, and the Richard family became the butt of the joke." Maeve was stunned. "I've never heard Uncle or Loren mention anything like this... So Mr. Warren Richard was actually involved with Princess Wren?"

She had known about Wren's disappearance, but the details weren't very appropriate.

Byron nodded. "The Richard family is one of the oldest, most respected families in the country, so of course, the story stayed quiet. But if Arthur's carrying resentment because of his father's lost love, he might be taking that anger out on you." Marve thought about it for a moment, but she wasn't fully convinced. "Mr. Warren Richard doesn't seem like the type to hold grudges over love."

Byron gave her a sideways glance. "Maybe not, but you still need to be careful around him-and Arthur. You know what they say, the calmest river is the deadliest."

Maeve trusted Byron more than anyone, so she nodded slowly. "Got it. I'll be more cautious and avoid being alone with

them"

As she agreed, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off-like she was missing something important.

Just then. Byron turned her toward the full-length mirror by the cloakroom. He placed his hands on her shoulders and leaned in close, his voice low and steady in her ear. "Do you remember what you promised me before I went on that business trip? Maeve looked up, feeling confused for a moment. Something clicked in her mind. She glanced at Byron in the mirror, and sudderdy, her body tensed.

"It's getting pretty late. How about we just... do it tomorrow?" she stammered, trying to talk him out of it.

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1.

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Maybe it was because she'd missed him so much these past few days, she felt like she understood why he always wanted to

touch her.

The more unsaid emotions he had, the more he seemed to want to release them physically.

So instead of turning him down completely, she hesitated, feeling the same need to be close to him.

Byron's hand was already at her chest, his fingers hooking the belt on her clothes as he said slowly, "Once?"