The Heir's Secret Bride

Chapter 356

With that last word, the line went dead.

Maeve listened to the busy tone on the phone, her gaze blank and distant. A strand of hair fell by her ear, concealing her expression and her pale face.

'Has he become so impatient with me that he won't even spare a moment to hear me say another word?' Maeve thought.

It was said that relationships had an expiration date.

The time Maeve spent with Byron was actually less than a year.

But now, it felt like their relationship had already passed its expiration date.

"M-Ms. Reese?"

Just before Maeve lost consciousness, she faintly heard Daryl's panicked voice calling out to her. She struggled to open her eyes, but her awareness was quickly overtaken by the looming darkness.

At the same time.

In the McDaniel Group's top-floor meeting room, today's meeting was much different from the usual meetings.

A dozen world-renowned designers had gathered, but the discussion had escalated into a heated argument over the design of an engagement ring.

The stern and aloof man sitting at the head of the table listened as the debate shifted from reasonable suggestions to personal attacks. His fingers tapped impatiently on the table as he coldly remarked, "How much more of my time are you planning to waste? If you're not up to the task, I'll find someone else."

Byron did not hang up on Maeve just to waste time listening to these designers' meaningless arguments.

A few foreign designers, who were on the verge of getting physical, immediately backed down.

None of them wanted to leave in disgrace, knowing it would damage their reputation.

The more famous a designer, the more prideful they were. No matter how arrogant they were toward their clients, people would still place them on a pedestal.

However, their arrogance meant nothing in front of Byron.

Only this esteemed man had the power to make a dozen renowned designers compete against one another, without anyone daring to voice complaints.

"Mr. McDaniel, don't you have a preference for any of our designs?" one designer from Dilitrek asked, feeling a little indignant. "With so many design sketches, surely you must have a favorite?"

The other designers nodded quietly to themselves.

They had poured their hearts and souls into these designs, so surely one of them would catch Byron's eye.

Byron's expression remained cold and indifferent. "These designs are utterly boring. I can't even be bothered to critique them. What I want is a ring that will truly impress my girlfriend, not this trash." The designers felt utterly crushed by his remarks.

If he were not their client, they would have loved to retort, "If you're so capable, why don't you do it?"

"Mr. Mcdaniel, if I may ask, when do you plan to propose to your girlfriend?" an older designer asked.

Byron replied, "The proposal date is undecided. The ring is a token of commitment. I'll give you a maximum of one month, from design to completion."

The designers internally wailed in despair.

They felt like pulling their hair out in frustration.

'How are we going to survive this?' they thought.

The meeting ended and Byron returned to his office.

Archer was about to report on his work when Byron interrupted, "Whatever it is, delay it by 15 minutes. I'm busy right now."

Catching a glimpse of the name "Maeve" on Byron's phone screen, Archer immediately understood the situation.

'Seems like both of them have reconciled, Archer thought to himself.

He did not linger anymore and left the office.

Byron dialed Maeve's number, but it went unanswered until he hung up.

Byron frowned and redialed her number.

There was still no answer.

The third time, the call finally went through.

"Maeve? You just..."

"Maeve doesn't have time to answer the phone now. If you have anything to say, tell it to me. I'll pass on the message."

Jaylen's weak and cold voice came from the phone. When Byron heard that, his face turned cold.

"They are together at this time?' he thought.

"Where's Maeve?" Byron asked.

Jaylen looked at the unconscious Maeve and said in a rather nasty tone, "It's already so late. Of course, she's sleeping." Byron's eyes were cold as he said, "Pass the phone to her."

"It seems like you don't have anything important to say. In that case, I'll hang up now." Jaylen ignored his order and hung up.

Bam!

The sudden loud noise from the CEO's office shocked Archer, who was waiting outside the door.

'What happened?' Archer wondered.

He had never seen Byron so angry before.

In the villa, Jaylen placed Maeve's phone back down. After that, he measured her temperature before stepping out of the isolated lab.

Maeve lay on the surgical table. She was connected to real-time monitoring devices on her temples, neck, and limbs, which would immediately sound an alarm at the first sign of any abnormal readings.

Maeve's temperature fluctuated repeatedly, rising and falling but remaining within a relatively safe range.

However, it felt like walking a tightrope. One misstep could lead to irreversible consequences.

Jaylen stood in front of the research table in his white coat. He looked at Maeve, who had yet to wake up, with a solemn expression.

'Something's wrong with Maeve,' he thought. 'The early stage of the infection shouldn't be this severe. This mutated virus seemed to have intensified.'

In her slumber, Maeve felt as though she was caught between ice and fire, her body alternating between chills and fever. Her head throbbed painfully as if it had been cleaved in two, each part experiencing an intense pulling sensation. Maeve was in agony.

She felt exhausted.

All she wanted to do was fall asleep and forget everything.

Suddenly, the adorable faces of two children flashed through Maeve's mind, causing her to shiver and open her eyes.

Although the isolation room had no windows, the clock on the wall indicated that it was 12 a.m.

"You've been unconscious for two days and two nights. It's about time you woke up." Jaylen's voice came from outside the observation glass.

Maeve turned her head to see him and blinked in confusion. "I was out for that long?"

"Yeah, I've been monitoring your health during this time." Jaylen gripped the edge of the table tightly, his voice carrying a hint of sadness. "How are you feeling now, Maeve?"

Maeve did not notice his unusual demeanor. After taking a moment to assess, she replied, "I'm not sure if it's because I've just woken up, but my head doesn't seem to hurt anymore, and the alternating hot and cold sensations have faded. I just feel really sleepy after being out for so long."

After saying this, Maeve felt sleepy again and immediately looked at Jaylen uneasily.

Jaylen gave her a reassuring smile. "That's normal because I gave you medication five hours ago. Don't worry, I'll come up with the antidote as soon as possible."

"Are you feeling okay?" Maeve asked, observing Jaylen's face. "The royal family of Erancia once established a research team for Xasia. If things get really bad, you should just hand me over to them. I'm worried about your health."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. I won't put my health at risk again," Jaylen replied promptly. "Besides, I've been managing well during this time. I'm not as fragile as you think."

Maeve nodded and turned to grab her phone, only to realize that her hand was connected to monitoring devices.

"Jaylen, can you call Will and Theo? I haven't been home for two days. I'm afraid they'll be worried."