The Heir's Secret Bride

Chapter 452

Maeve had no idea Tom was outside the villa, waiting anxiously, caught between excitement and nerves.

Meanwhile, while she was in the bath, Byron's video call came through.

She almost ignored it, but in the rush, ended up picking it up by accident. Flustered, she quickly flipped the phone over on the shelf, hurried out of the tub, and started drying off and getting dressed. A few seconds of silence passed before Byron's voice came through, faint but teasing, "It's just showering. Can't I watch?"

Maeve was caught off guard by his teasing tone, nearly dropping her nightdress in the process. Gritting her teeth, she shot back, "Byron, you're a pervert. You actually want to watch me shower?" "Haven't I seen it all already?" Byron laughed, bringing up old memories. "Remember when you practically threw yourself at me after your shower, drunk as hell? I didn't call you perverted then." Maeve's face went bright red. She was so flustered she couldn't even zip up her dress properly.

Byron wasn't done. "And that time you were sick, couldn't even stand up, and I had to help you shower?

Maeve didn't have a comeback for that.

"We've seen each other at our worst. I just wanna see you shower, Why act like I'm some stranger?"

His tone was light, but it carried that same playful, teasing edge. It felt like he was flirting with someone who was shy, and Maeve was definitely that person.

Even after all this time, Byron still had the ability to make her flustered.

"Byron, can you be normal for once?" Maeve muttered, trying to stay calm. After a beat, she finally said, "What's going on inside your head?"

"You," Byron said, his voice slow and teasing. "Isn't it obvious?"

Maeve's heart skipped. She didn't want to let him see he was getting to her, but she could tell he was doing it on purpose, trying to push her buttons. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction, though.

However, Byron didn't mean it that way. He stared at the bathroom floor on the screen, sighed, and said, "Ms. Reese, your boyfriend is stuck in some foreign country, all alone. I'm struggling to adjust, buried in work, can't you even give this little thing?"

Maeve bit her lip. He had gotten way too comfortable calling himself her "boyfriend." Honestly, she didn't even remember when she had agreed to that.

But hearing him talk about being alone out there, it tugged at her heart, even though she knew exactly what he was doing. He was good at getting under her skin, and she always fell for it.

"Just this once," she muttered, barely audible. "Don't make a habit of it." Her earlobes were burning red, and she could barely hear herself over the pounding of her heart.

Byron, of course heard her just fine. He chuckled. "Wait for me. Let's do it together."

Maeve couldn't handl

you always have

casually. "Self-taught, I

a moment.

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way longer than she planned. When she finally came out, her skin was flushed and soft from the warmth, her fingers wrinkled from the water. She walked over to the dresser, sat down, and placed her phone here without

was lounging in a white bathrobe, leaning against the bed's headboard with a foreign document in his hand. He looked satisfied, his face relaxed with a lazy, almost sexy look in his eyes. He glanced at the phone and saw Maeve sitting there, carefully applying skincare to her face. She didn't dare look at him, and for

are you shy again?" he teased, a

way he said 'again' hit just the right note, making

Maeve might end the call if he pushed her too far. He still had a few days left in the country, and

at the party. Will had already filled him in, but he wanted to hear

the worst punishment for her,"

me."

Maeve wasn't going to

on her

shifted sharply for a second, but it was

forgot to

"What's that?"

for someone to bring him back to

relieved from

moment. Now, with him out of the picture, she could finally let out a sigh

you really have worked hard," she said with a

it cool. He shot her a smirk. "That's

at. Without asking what he wanted, she leaned in close to the screen

and her soft, rosy lips puckered for a kiss. It was a bit over the top,

barely managed

now?"

"Ki-kiss?" she mumbled.