The Heir's Secret Bride

Chapter

12

Valda stepped

out of the kitchen when she heard the commotion. She glanced at them briefly but chose to keep quiet.

Maeve's face was pale, but she stood her ground. "I've already broken things off with Jeff Who I marry is my choice. We're not in the Stone Age anymore, where parents get to decide who their kids marry!"

Scott was stunned by his usually obedient daughter's defiance. His anger flared. "What the hell is with that attitude? I'm your father!"

Maeve clamped her lips shut, refusing to respond.

Scott sank back into his chair, his chest heaving with barely controlled rage. After a moment, he demanded, "Who is this guy? What's his background? What does he do?"

Maeve hesitated before finally saying, "He's a driver. His family doesn't have much, but he works hard..

"A driver?" Scott exploded, his face twisted with fury, "You're throwing away a future with the Graves family for some random driver? Have you lost your damn mind? You need to divorce him right now!" His voice thundered through the room. making the coffee cups on the table shake. Maeve's hands trembled, but she fired back without a second's hesitation. "No, I won't! What's so wrong with being a driver? If I love him, I wouldn't leave him even if he were a beggar!"

Scot's face turned a furious shade of red. He kicked Maeve sharply in the knee and snarled, "Get out of here and think long and hard about what you've done! Don't come out until you agree to the divorce!"

Maeve's knee buckled from the sharp pain, and she stumbled, but before she could steady herself, Scott grabbed her and shoved her into the storage room, slamming the door shut with a loud click. Maeve gasped from the pain and pounded on the door. "Let me out! You can't just lock me in here!"

common punishment for Maeve, and she had developed a deep fear of confined spaces. But despite her frantic banging, neither Scott nor Valda made a move to let her

worry etched on her face. "What if she doesn't change her mind? How are we going to handle returning the Graves family's engagement gift?" Scott's face twisted with uritation. "If she doesn't come to her senses, she stays in there until she does. No food,

Valda didn't argue further.

no response. Exhausted, she slid down to the floor, leaning

"I should have known this was coming she thought bitterly. "They were never going to listen. to me.

the oppressive darkness seemed ready to swallow

light brought a tiny bit of comfort, pushing back the overwhelming sense of

by, stretching from noon into night, before Valda's voice finally broke through the silence. "Maeve, have you made up your mind? Agree to the divorce, and I'll let you out" Maeve sat huddled on the cold floor, her eyes shut tightly against the darkness. Her voice, raspy and dry from

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the door. I'm not getting divorced. Even if you lock me in here forever, my answer won't

56%,

was head-over-heels in love with Byron. She was just done being controlled by her parents. Her eyes drifted to her

how few friends she had left. Since she'd started dating Jeff, she'd lost touch with her old friends for reasons she couldn't quite pin down. Now,

AVIL AVIL

"Hello? Who is that!" A soft,

hesitated, double-checking the number on her phone. "Is this Mr. McDaniel's phone?" Karen Booth

phone was with her to catch any important calls. She glanced at the caller ID and frowned; there was no one named "Maeve" listed among the