Maggie's eyes snapped open in the darkness, her mind clearing as memories of Tom's words danced at the edges of her consciousness. She rolled onto her back, her gaze finding Tom standing in her room in the dead of night.
"Who's there?!" she blurted out, her voice tinged with sleep and confusion.
Tom's eyes burned with an intensity that sent fresh waves of recollection flooding Maggie's mind. She blinked rapidly, trying to clear the fog of sleep.
With a shy rustle of sheets, she pulled the comforter over her head, hiding from Tom's penetrating gaze.
But Tom was relentless, flipping back the blanket. "You've been telling everyone you're hell-bent on marrying me. Have you gone mad?"
Maggie remained silent, turning away from him.
Undeterred, Tom pulled her to sit up. "I said yes."
Maggie's eyes widened in shock. "You said yes to what?"
Tom was dead serious. "To us getting married."
Maggie was bewildered. When exactly had she asked for his consent?
In a daze, Maggie felt like she had won the lottery-everything seemed unreal, floating in a state of disbelief.
"Have you been drinking?" she asked, eyeing him suspiciously.
Tom leaned in close. "Do I smell like booze?"
Maggie shook her head. "Then I must be dreaming."
leg sharply.
"Ouch, yes!"
"Still dreaming?"
silent, her annoyance growing. In retaliation, she slapped Tom's shoulder, leaving her hand awkwardly hovering in the air, unsure
tried to explain, "You hit me, I hit
realized she was not quite on the same
Grandpa have agreed to
incredulous. "No
a couple of years now. You're still studying, and legally,
sleep. "What's my salary? How much does Byrne Enterprises
Enterprises, I couldn't afford a house in Havenbrook within a decade. But now, given my job, I'm not eligible to inherit Byrne Enterprises. If Mom leaves the
response, he continued, "Even if you inherit the company and treat me well, what about when you get married? You'll have kids, and they'll inherit your company. And if I marry and have kids, won't I lose my claim to the company..." "Hold on! Simplify
company from the ground up, and if she hands it over
okay," Maggie said naively. "I'll just
pressed, "No one can guarantee the future. Even if you were a blood relative, which
the harsh reality; after all, her last name was
what's your point,
sighed. It was time
"Marry me."
as if she'd
me would also infuriate Vivian, and... well, I saw more than I should have
got plenty of ways to deal with Vivian without resorting
be Maggie's dark secret, indelible
too late," Tom stated
at
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