The Heir's Secret Bride

Maeve tried to keep a straight face. She said, "I don't think I've agreed to be your girlfriend, yet you're taking advantage of me right off the bat. Where's your sense of chivalry?"

Moreover, they were right in front of the studio. Maeve was concerned that someone she knew might spot them.

Byron chuckled and pinched her delicate earlobe. He teased, "Compared to taking advantage of you, chivalry is worthless to me."

Maeve's cheeks instantly puffed up. She was about to retort when she heard someone knocking on the car window.

When she turned around and saw Tom's face wrapped in a scarf, her heart almost stopped.

She thought, 'Were we seen?'

"Tom, can I help you?" Maeve asked guiltily as she lowered the car window.

Tom handed her bag over. He said, "You left this."

Maeve scolded herself internally for being so careless. She said, I forgot. Thank you!"

Tom shook his head slightly. He looked past her, and his gaze met Byron's in the driver's seat. There was a hint of scrutiny.

"Don't stay out too late. Take care of yourself," Tom reminded Maeve in a low voice before turning to leave.

For some reason, Maeve felt like she was being warned by her parents for getting too close with a boy.

"Is he the new bodyguard you mentioned?" Byron retracted his pensive gaze and frowned slightly. "The way he looked at me

odd." just now was very

Maeve asked, "How so?"

Byron said, "He looked at me as though I was the bad boy who wanted to elope with his precious daughter."

Maeve was speechless.

She thought, 'What kind of description was that?'

Maeve chuckled. She asked, "How can Tom be my father at his age? At most, he'll be like an uncle."

Actually, Maeve also felt that there were times when Tom did look at her like a father.

Usually, for trivial things like making coffee and picking up delivery packages, Tom would have done them in advance before Maeve even had the chance to do them. Maeve thought, "This bodyguard I hired is a real bargain deal.

Ring.

When she heard her phone ring, Maeve took it out and glanced at it.

Jaylen sent her a message. [I'll probably reach Kleymond at 10 am. tomorrow morning. Don't forget to pick me up.]

When she saw this message, the problem that Maeve had been deliberately ignoring for the past two days surfaced in her mind again.

Her mood instantly slumped.

She had to repay Jaylen's kindness, but she did not want to hurt Byron.

There was no perfect solution to her dilemma.

"What's wrong?" Byron asked when he sensed that Maeve's mood had shifted.

Maeve smiled and shook her head. She brushed it aside, saying, "It's nothing. Let's go back quickly. Will and Leo are most likely hungry."

She thought, "Tomorrow can worry about itself

She was clearly running away from her problem, but that was all she could do at this point.

At 9:30 the next morning, Maeve drove to the airport to pick up Jaylen.

On her way there, she received a call from Jaylen's assistant. Jaylen had fainted as soon as he got off the plane and was now being sent to First Hospital by an ambulance.

Maeve's heart sank as she turned around and drove to the hospital.

When she arrived, the treatment had ended. Jaylen had been sent to the ward and was still unconscious

While in deep sleep, Jaylen appeared less lonely and cold than usual. He looked no different from before.

However, Maeve noticed that he had slimmed down so much that he could barely hold up his clothes. The clothes looked gigantic on him. Maeve could vaguely see the protruding ribs on his chest. Maeve covered her mouth as her eyes began to tear up.

She thought, 'No wonder he kept himself busy outside. With his current appearance, Rudolf would have immediately noticed that something was wrong with him if they met.

If Rudolf had not discovered Jaylen's abnormality, Jaylen might have died alone overseas.

Maeve realized perhaps, from the beginning, Jaylen had never intended for her to fulfill his wish.

He needed to find a reason to convince himself to persevere.

She was the reason.

Maeve felt burdened and conflicted.

"Why are you crying?" Jaylen's weak voice sounded. "I'm not dead yet."

Maeve raised her head in surprise and saw that Jaylen had opened his eyes. His eyes were filled with weariness of the world that she was familiar with. It was as if he would fearlessly give up on living the next second. "How are you feeling?" Maeve saw that he was breathing slowly and laboriously. She felt a lump in her throat. She said, "If I had known that your condition was so bad, I wouldn't have persuaded you to return to the country." Jaylen fell unconscious as soon as he got off the plane. Maeve figured he might have been holding on while he was on the plane.

Jaylen smiled faintly and said, "There's no difference where I die The hospital can't cure me. I want to go back to my residence."

Maeve wanted to persuade him to stay, but when she heard him say the hospital couldn't cure him, the words got stuck in her throat and she couldn't utter them.

.

A miracle doctor, who could save dying patients, could not save himself.

Maeve thought, 'How ironic is that?'

à0.94%°

Jaylen did not return to the Chatterly family residence. His family didn't even know he had returned to the country.

He didn't want anyone else to know about this, either. He couldn't be bothered to deal with those sympathetic or compassionate greetings.

Jaylen did not say it out loud, but Maeve could tell that he no longer had the desire to live.

He was clearly very worn out after fighting the same illness that had been torturing him since birth for so long.

Maeve was extremely anxious, but she did not dare to show it for fear of burdening him.

Maeve stayed at Jaylen's residence until the sun set before preparing to leave.

With a serious face, she reminded Jaylen, "You have to take your medicine on time and recuperate well. Don't overthink things. Rudolf and Theo are both figuring out a way to cure you. There will be a light at the end of the tunnel. I'll come and see you tomorrow." Jaylen leaned against the chaise lounge. He was covered with a snow-white cashmere blanket.

He nodded lazily and said, "Come on. Why are you as long-winded as Daryl? I'm an adult. I can take care of myself. Daryl, send her home."

Daryl was Jaylen's assistant.

"Yes, Mr. Chatterly," Daryl responded and saw Maeve out of the residence.

At the door, Maeve was worried about Jaylen's condition. She told Daryl to go back to tend to Jaylen. She could drive home herself.

Before leaving, Maeve reminded Daryl, "You must keep an eye on Jaylen and make sure he takes the medicine on time. Rudolf said that those medicines are what's keeping him alive. Don't miss a dose."

Daryl revealed a bitter look. He reported, "Ms. Reese, Mr. Chatterly might promise you that he will take care of himself, but he doesn't take his medicine at all. He just throws it out."

Maeve's heart tightened. She asked, "Is he deliberately asking for death?"

"If Mr. Chatterly wanted to live, he wouldn't have gone abroad when his lifespan was almost up. He wanted to avoid being discovered by Rudolf who would help him extend his life," Daryl said sadly. "Mr. Chatterly said that he has been struggling with this dying body for a long time. Instead of living in such a sorry state, he might as well die."

Maeve had a lump in her throat. She was at a loss for words.

Jaylen had always been an oddball.

Even his view of life and death was unconventional.

However, Maeve wanted him to live. Rudolf, Theo, and all his friends would do their best to let him live.

Maeve clenched her fists tightly and made a sudden decision.

She turned and marched back into the house,