The Heir's Secret Bride

Maeve's heart was racing, but she quickly pulled out her phone. Let me see if there's anything nearby that could help us stop the car." The speed at which she regained her composure caught Byron's attention.

He had assumed she was easily frightened-like when she was nearly in tears after being followed.

But t now, in a life-and-death situation, she was remarkably calm. That was just what he needed; she wouldn't get in the way.

"Mr. Mcdaniel, what about that forest at the base of the mountain?" Maeve zoomed in on the map and showed him the

screen.

Byron took a quick glance. "Got it. Sit tight."

The second-to-last sharp turn was just a hundred yards ahead.

"Hold on." Byron's voice remained steady, so calm it betrayed no hint of panic. "Grip the seat."

Maeve did as he she said, squeezing her eyes shut.

Mae

The next second, the car whipped around the turn with such force that it felt like she might be thrown out by the sheer inertia. It was a stark reminder of how dangerous it was to take a turn without using the brakes. After they cleared the turn, Maeve didn't dare relax-one more still lay ahead.

By the time they reached the straight stretch of road, Maeve was so drained she slumped back in her seat, her voice hoarse. "Mr. Mcdaniel, thank goodness you're such a skilled driver."

If it weren't for his control, they might not have made it through the night.

Byron was left speechless.

"How far to the forest?"

Maeve quickly checked her phone. "Turn left at the next junction. It's five hundred yards from there."

"Alright." "Byron's

hesitated,

Maeve "It doesn't

Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he suddenly asked, "Are you scared?"

then answered honestly, "Yes."

"You don't look scared either, Mr. Mcdaniel," Maeve replied, trying to sound light-hearted. "Maybe I've picked up on your confidence-I feel like we'll be okay." Byron let out a low chuckle, his eyes still fixed on the road ahead.

She was clearly still afraid, but she was more concerned about affecting his focus as the "driver," so she didn't say it outright.

Suddenly, Maeve's expression turned serious. "Mr. Mcdaniel, we're almost at the forest."

This was their only chancell

get out of of this safely. They had to make it work.

"Maeve, do you trust me?" Byron asked suddenly.

Macve wasn't sure why he was asking that now, but she nodded. Of course, I trust you."

"Then unbuckle your seatbelt, close your eyes, and no matter what happens, don't open them."

She didn't hesitate and followed his instructions.

As the Maybach hurtled toward the trees, Maeve squeezed her eyes shut.

Amidst her fear, she felt Byron's arm reach across and pull her into the driver's seat, holding her securely against him. She was small enough to fit snugly in his embrace, completely shielded by his body.

Before Maeve could process what was happening, a thunderous crash echoed in her ears.

The

car shook

ook violently, followed by a gut-wrenching sensation as it spun out of control, leaving her dizzy and nauseous.

Just before she lost consciousness, she saw the passenger window shatter, and a thick tree branch smashed through, gouging deep scratches into the seat.

If she had been sitting there, it likely would have severed her neck.

But instead, she felt enveloped in a warm embrace, someone holding her tightly.

It felt like an eternity passed.

When Maeve woke

Byron,

""Mr. Mcdaniel?"

Mr.

up,

she was in a VIP room at the First Hospital, jolted out of a nightmare. Her first instinct was to look for

"Don't move; you're still receiving an IV." A nurse gently pressed down on her hand. "Mr. Mcdaniel is in another room. His condition is more serious, so he needs to be monitored overnight."

Maeve didn't dare move, her eyes filled with worry. "What... what happened to him?"

"He has a mild concussion, a fractured right hand, and his left knee was dislocated from being crushed by the wreckage. He's still unconscious.

"You were luckier-just a sprained shoulder, nothing more serious. The police mentioned that when they rescued you, Byron had you tightly shielded in his arms. It took them quite a while to separate you two." With every word the nurse said, Maeve's heart tightened further, her face growing paler.

She thought, 'So what I had felt before losing consciousness wasn't just my imagination. Byron had truly protected me with his own body.'

She had been confused when he told her to unbuckle her seatbelt. She had thought, 'Why do that when the passenger seat has an airbag?' It wasn't until the car window shattered that she realized he had anticipated the danger. Maeve's strembled as she softly pleaded with the nurse, "Can I see him?"

"You've been unconscious for a full day and night, and your body hasn't fully recovered. It's best not to get out of bed just yet," the nurse advised.

"I'll be fine. Just one quick look, please."

The nurse hesitated before conceding. "Alright, but you can only look through the glass. You can't go inside."

Maeve's eyes brightened. "Thank you."

After her IV was finished, Maeve, despite the sharp pain in her shoulder, followed the nurse to the hallway outside Byron's

room. 71% +5

Through the glass, she could see him lying on the bed, his face pale, eyes closed, the lines of his face even more severe in his unconscious state.

She couldn't see the rest of his injuries under the blanket, but the scratches on his face and the bandage on his forehead were all too visible. Maeve remembered those strong hands that had wrapped around her waist-now encased in thick plaster.

Her eyes reddened as she stood there, staring at the unconscious Byron, unable to look away.

She thought, 'What exactly does Mr. Mcdaniel think of me?"

When the time was up, the nurse gently urged Maeve to return to her room.

"Have Mr. Mcdaniel's family come to see him?" Maeve asked, her face still pale as she settled back onto her bed.

The nurse responded vaguely, "An older gentleman and a few friends have been by."

"What about his parents?"

"I didn't

t see them."Content from NôvelDr(a)ma.Org.

Maeve thought, 'So it seems Mr. Mcdaniel's relationship with his parents really isn't good. And his grandfather is getting on in years...'

Maeve bit

bit her lip in concern, thanked the nurse, and lay back down.

She needed to

ded to recover from her shoulder injury quickly-otherwise, no one would take care of Byron.

Maeve had never stayed in a VIP room before and didn't realize that these rooms came with dedicated nurses and doctors providing round-the-clock care. Worried, she ied, she eventually fell asleep.

In the neighboring room, Gilbert sat on a sofa facing the bed, watching the unconscious Byron, his expression unreadable. "Sir, you've been here all day. If you keep this up, it's going to affect your health," Henry reminded him softly. "There are doctors and nurses here to take care of t of the young master. He'll be fine, so please get some rest." Gilbert closed his eyes briefly. "With Byron hurt like this, how can I rest?"

He often complained about Byron being cold and distant, but blood was thicker than water-he certainly was heartbroken. Henry didn't know what else to say.

"His parents haven't started their journey back yet?" Gilbert wiped the corner of his eye and asked.

Henry replied quietly, "Mr. Mcdaniel said he's too tied up with work to leave, and Mrs. Mcdaniel was busy shopping and didn't even let me finish explaining..."

"Their son nearly died, and they still have the nerve to work and shop?" Gilbert's face darkened with anger. "When Neville got so much as a scratch, they'd be worried sick for days!"