The Heir's Secret Bride

Marve set the food on the table before responding to Alexis. "Your son made this dish.".

Alexis frowned. "What are you talking about!"

How could Byron possibly cook?" she thought

Just then. Byron walked out of the kitchen with the final dish, his sleeves rolled up, revealing a slender arm still damp from washing.

Seeing Alexis sitting there with a visibly shocked look, he frowned slightly and spoke in a calm, distant voice. "What brings you here?"

His overly indifferent tone made Alexis heart ache a liule. She forced a smile. "You don't come home often, so I wanted to check on how you've been. I also brought some of Maria's best desserts for you." "I'm not a child anymore. You don't need to go to such trouble, Byron said.

The atmosphere grew cold in an instant.

Alexis stood there, a rare trace of disappointment crossing her usually dignified and composed face.

It was unclear if it was due to Byron's coldness or the fact that hed prepared a meal but hadn't even considered inviting her, his own mother, to join him.

Maeve, though aware that Byron and Alexis didn't have a good relationship, hadn't realized it was this strained,

There was nothing between them but formality-none of the warmth or closeness one would expect between family members.

They were more like distant acquaintances than mother and son,

Alexis took a steadying breath, gripping her handbag tightly before asking. I haven't had dinner yet. Would you mind if I stayed and joined you?"

Byron's eyes flickered with brief surprise at her words.

In the past, Alexis would've made a polite excuse and left, never offering to stay for a meal.

She often expressed her desire to be close to him but only through words, never action.

Though he was surprised, Byron's expression remained unchanged. He said calmly, "Maeve did most of the cooking, so it's not my place to decide. You should ask her." Maeve blinked, caught off guard.

'Could it be that he heard what Alexis said to me just now, so he said this on purpose?" she thought.

Alexis hadn't expected him to respond that way either. Her eyes, filled with complex emotions, turned to Maeve. "Ms. Reese, may I try your cooking?"

Maeve recalled the way Alexis had hesitated, wanting own parents.

to connect with her son but unsure how, and it reminded her of her

Byron was luckier than she had been-at least he had a mother who truly wanted to care for him. "Feel free to make yourself at home if you like," Maeve said, her tone polite but not overly warm,

Alexis glanced at her again, surprised.NôvelDrama.Org owns all © content.

The meal was unusually quiet.

Alexis had every intention of trying to ease the tension with Byron, occasionally offering him food with the communal fork and whispering a few words to him

Although Byron's responses were brief, she found herself extraordinarily happy just to receive them.

It was the first time they had shared a meal since Byron had left the Mcdaniel family.

Only then did Alexis realize that every time she gave Byron a dish, it ended up in Maeve's bowl.

The smile faded from her face.

She thought. Am I hated 177/ doing this on purpose?

so much that he couldn't even eat a single bite of my food? But I'm his mother. Was he

Maeve noticed the dishes piling up in her bowl and couldn't help but say to Byron, "Thank you, but that's too much for me."

"Uh-huh. Byron responded, turning his hand to place a peeled shrimp on her plate.

Maeve, not wanting to complain for the sake of the shrimp, turned her head and saw Alexis looking upset across the table. A thought suddenly occurred to her. Maeve knew why Byron wasn't eating certain dishes, but Alexis, who was still awkward with him, might not understand.

She might even think he was purposely trying to embarrass her

Thinking this over, Maeve's eyes sparkled "Byron, are you just satisfying your craving for seafood by piling it on me, knowing you can't eat it yourself?"

Byron glanced at her, his gaze lifting slightly. "So, you knew it? Six out of ten dishes are your favorites, and you have the nerve to say you're making me a big meal?" "Whose stomach was the real treat for, anyway?" Byron thought.

"And don't blame me?" Maeve shot back, taking a bite of a crab leg. "The truth is that you need to take your stomach medicine later, so you can't enjoy any of this."

Alexis paused a second and then blinked in confusion. "Why didn't you ever tell us about your stomach issues?" she asked. The dishes she had just given him were all raw, cold, and greasy-the worst for someone with stomach problems. And since he had to take his medication soon, he needed to avoid those food entirely.

She hadn't known any of this and had even silently accused him of being hard-hearted.

Byron casually placed the unwrapped crab in front of Maeve and wiped his hands before answering Alexis in a quiet tone. "It's just a minor issue, nothing worth mentioning."

Guilt surged in Alexis' heart, her eyes reddening.

She suddenly remembered when Byron had first returned to the Medaniel family, and how they had all sat around the table, eating in silence.

She had given him a lot of food, and at the time, he ate all of it, which made her feel relieved.

But later, when she saw him vomiting in the restroom, her heart turned cold.

She even began to wonder if he was someone who was hypocrital and was good at hiding his true self.

That day was strikingly similar to today.

The only difference was that now, Byron no longer forced himself to eat the dishes she served, only to end up vomiting. while she watched coldly, still harboring suspicions about his true intentions Alexis suddenly stood up. T'm going home," she said, grabbing her bag and walking out of the room.

Maeve watched her leave, confusion clouding her eyes. "Did I say something wrong?"

Byron, knowing that Maeve just tried to help, reassured her, "No don't worry about her. Besides, she's gone, so you need to be nervous anyway. Just relax and be yourself."

It made no difference to Byron whether Alexis stayed or left.

The only one who seemed affected was Maeve, who now seemed uncomfortable.

don't

Tm not nervous. It's just that people have to eat properly in front of others, Maeve muttered. Then, as if giving up the pretense, she began to eat more freely.

Byron's lips curled slightly at her words.

'Did she mean that she and I are family in her heart?' he thought

"But on a different note, Maeve said suddenly, "your mom looked really sad earlier. Shouldn't you call her to check in It wouldn't be good if something happened."

Byron's expression darkened. He regarded her with a suspicious gaze.

"How much money did his mother give her this time to make her willing to speak favorably of his mother? Was the money his mother gave to her used up so quickly?" he thought. "Maeve, are you short on money?" he asked coolly.

Maeve blinked, confused by the sudden shift in conversation, having no idea what this question had to do with his mother, After a moment, she answered truthfully, "Yeah, I'm running a little low, so I'm doing my best to earn it now," Three women's dresses, one men's suit, plus his custom-made clothing-each order came with a golden commission.

All of it went toward her dream home.

Snap.

A black card with gold-plated edges landed on the table. Byron's voice was icy as he asked, "How about becoming my realy wife? And the card would be yours."