The Heir's Secret Bride

Will thought for a second and said, "Maybe this is that father-son bond thing?"

Maeve's heart started racing. She stopped eating and quietly crept over to the bathroom, holding Will close. She pressed her ear against the door, trying to hear

What was going on inside. Besides some splashing water, it was pretty quiet.

Inside, Theo was standing on a little stool, looking up expectantly at Byron, ready to be cleaned up. Byron wrung out the towel, glancing down as he gently wiped the corn juice off Theo's face and collar, rubbing at the tan skin a few times without any hesitation. No color was coming off. The towel was spotless. Byron frowned slightly, wondering if he was just being paranoid.

Meanwhile, Theo was feeling pretty pleased with himself. After the last time, he had changed the powder to waterproof spray tan. No matter how much Byron scrubbed, it wouldn't come off. This was what people meant by staying one step ahead

After lunch, Maeve took Theo and Will back to the other side. About half an hour later, she suddenly remembered her clothes were still there and decided to head back.

As soon as she stepped into the master bathroom, she saw Byron standing at the sink, surrounded by bubbles, washing something.

She squinted to get a better look and realized it was her clothes. Maeve's face heated up. "W-What are you doing? Byron turned to her, foam on his fingers, holding up a little pink thing with lace. The sight nearly made her head spin. She jumped to snatch it back, but he just brushed her aside with his elbow.

"Easy there. It's all foam. Don't get it on yourself," he said, looking a bit annoyed as he continued rinsing it off.

Maeve felt her cheeks burn. She grabbed his arm and jumped up. "I can handle it! Let me wash my own stuff!"

No one knew better than Maeve how much Byron hated doing housework. If it could be done with a gadget, he would never dirty his hands.

Yet, here he was, washing her undergarments. Her heart was pounding, faster than it had even last night on the lazy swing. Byron wasn't letting her get in the way either. He shot her a serious look and blocked her attempts. 'You've got your period coming in two days. Why are you touching cold water? Go on, find something else to do.'

If there had been a heart-rate bar over Maeve's head, it would be spiking right now, ready to burst.

She had been washing her own clothes since elementary school. Never had anyone else done it for her-especially not her undergarments.

She felt so hot, her face burning as her eyes darted around, avoiding Byron's hands. "You don't have to... Next time, just leave it for me, I can use warm water-" she mumbled awkwardly.

"Next time, you can just leave it there next time. I can wash it with hot water..." She tried to find some nourishment.

Byron stopped scrubbing and gave her a teasing grin. "It's just a few clothes. Don't tell me you're embarrassed, my Maeve?"

to her. She felt her heart skip a beat. With a flustered wave of her arm, she turned and bolted like she was being chased by a ghost.

That phrase 'my Maeve'-always

got

Back in her own apartment, she collapsed onto the couch, face buried in her hands. Her heart wouldn't stop racing. She was done-she would be under his spell for the rest of her life. 1/2

07:57 Fri, Nov

19

And just as she was catching her breath, the doorbell rang. Maeve jolted up, still flushed and nervous. The last thing she wanted to do was open that door right now.

8%

Theo had just come out of the bathroom when the doorbell rang. He ran over and swung it open. "Mr. Hum, you're here!" Theo chirped.

"Yeah, sorry to bother you," Tom said with a nod.

Maeve overheard the conversation and let out a small sigh of relief. So, it was just Tom. She had almost forgotten she had asked him to swing by that afternoon. She had something that might help with the burns on his face. Tom stepped inside, following Theo. When he spotted Maeve lounging on the couch, his usually stern face softened.

"Good afternoon. I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" he asked.

"No, not at all! I asked you to come over," Maeve said, getting up to greet him.

Tom gave her a closer look. "Your face is really flushed. Are you feeling alright?"

Maeve felt a bit flustered. "Oh, no. I just got a little overheated. You know, from moving around."

As they chatted, Theo's focus drifted. His little hands were creeping toward the plate of snacks on the table, but Maeve didn't miss a thing.

"You've already maxed out your sugar quota this week. One more now means two less next week," she said, barely glancing in his direction.

Theo quickly pulled his hand back, looking annoyed. In his head, he cursed his dad for taking him to that dentist appointment. If it wasn't for those cavities, Maeve wouldn't have cracked down on his sugar intake. Three sweets a week was brutal. Sulkily, Theo led Tom to his room. Inside, Will was reading. Tom was surprised to see the identical faces but said nothing. Will, curious to see Theo in action, set down his book and moved closer.

Theo grabbed his tools, disinfecting a golden needle before getting to work. He first pricked the pustules on Tom's face, then carefully removed the blood clots from the burns. Afterward, he applied crushed herbs to reduce inflammation. Despite his chubby little hands and how cute they looked, Theo's technique was steady and precise.

Some seasoned doctors with years of practice might not be as steady as Theo was.

Will watched closely, picking up on everything after just one go, and handed Theo each tool exactly when he needed it. The two of them moved in sync, wordlessly, like they'd done this routine a hundred times. Tom kept his eyes open, observing how Theo treated him, and was genuinely shocked.

There was no doubt-these two boys were Maeve's. Their intelligence was clearly inherited from her. He figured their father must've been the guy he had seen leaving the apartment across the hall not too long ago.

A sudden feeling of unease hit Tom. It was like something important had slipped away-the woman he'd quietly admired all this time seemed further out of reach. He couldn't shake that sense of loss and strange sadness. The boys, oblivious to Tom's thoughts, continued working. Tom's burns were severe, and the improper treatment he'd received before had only made things worse, with more areas ogzing pus. Healing would take time. Theo had school, so he couldn't be around to treat Tom every day. Instead, he instructed Tom to come by regularly to pick up medicinal powder Theo had carefully ground for him. Tom would need to apply it himself. As for acupuncture and