The Heir's Secret Bride

Maeve frowned, shaking the delivery box cautiously. It felt light, and even shaking it hard didn't give any clues about what was inside. Hopefully, it wasn't some prank like a dead rat. She'd had enough of those.

Dreamscape was gaining popularity. Its recent collaboration with Eternal Hope and the endorsement from a foreign label, Trazir, had made it a target for envious competitors. Maeze had already received her share of malicious packages with cockroaches and rats. Since she couldn't find a knife, Maeve tore open the box by hand. A few photos slipped out and scattered on the bed.

Maeve picked them up, her brow furrowing in confusion. The photos were of a baby girl. 'Why would anyone send these to me?' Maeve thought. Then, a wild thought crossed her mind. 'Could the baby be me?'

She examined the pictures closely, but the faces of babies tended to look alike. And, as far as she knew, no one from the Reese family had ever taken photos of her as a child.

What disturbed her more was the thought that the man lurking outside the studio might be her biological father.

'But how did he find me?' Maeve thought. 'If he can track me down so easily, why now? Are my biological parents really internationally wanted jewel thieves?'

Maeve rubbed her temples, realizing these were only guesses. Maybe the baby in the photo wasn't her at all.

Over the next few days, Paige delivered several more packages, all containing baby photos. In the final package, Maeve found a note with an address and a cryptic message saying "Only you can come."

Maeve held the note, deep in thought. Whether or not the sender was her parent, she wasn't naive enough to go alone to a place she knew nothing about. 'Why should I trust them when he won't reveal his real identity?' Maeve thought.

A knock on the door snapped Maeve out of her thoughts.

"Come in," Maeve called.

To her surprise, it was Archer. "Ms. Reese, I apologize for disturbing you," he began. "Will has come down with a fever since returning from school. The doctor prescribed medicine, but he's refusing to take it."

Maeve's breath caught. "Is it the virus?'

Archer quickly reassured her. "No, it's just a common cold. The doctor confirmed it."

Maeve exhaled in relief. She didn't want Will and Theo to catch Xasia even if there was an antidote.

"I'll come to take a look," Maeve said, stashing the package in the drawer and followed Archer out.

In the ward next door, the tension was palpable. Will had cocooned himself in his blanket, clearly unwilling to come out. Byron, though unable to see, had positioned himself near the bed with a cold expression. He'd pinpointed Will's exact location by sound alone, yet Byron's words had no effect.

"William McDaniel, come out," Byron ordered firmly.

Will remained silent, unmoved.

"Are

you

refusing to listen to your

father?"

No response.

"Come out and take

your medicine."

III

<Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

GT

Still nothing.

5

Theo, noticing the standoff, chimed in softly, "Will, if you're worried about the bitterness, I can turn the medicine into a pill. That way, it won't taste so bad," For his brother, Theo would go the extra mile. Byron's face remained indifferent. For Maeve's sake, he tolerated Theo, but he kept his distance.

"That won't be necessary," Byron said calmly. Will needed to take his medicine, no coddling.

Theo glanced at Byron in confusion when he noticed something was off with Byron's tone. 'Who could dislike a cute kid like me?' Theo thought.

Just then, Maeve entered. She'd left the wheelchair behind but still moved slowly. Ignoring Byron, she took Theo's hand, walked to the other side of the bed, and gently patted the bundle under the blanket. "Will, come on out. You're going to smother yourself."

Byron pursed his lips, fists clenched at her soothing tone. Gradually, Will poked his head out, his cheeks flushed and forehead slightly sweaty. With big, misty eyes, he looked up at Maeve and mumbled, "Mommy, I don't want to take the medicine." Maeve's heart softened, seeing her usually stoic son looking so small and vulnerable. She almost wanted to agree, but she knew Will needed to drink the medicine.

Maeve pulled Will into her arms and took the medicine bowl from Theo. "How about I feed it to you, Will?"

Will hesitated but then nodded. "Okay."

Byron's brow twitched, slightly annoyed. 'Rascal,' Byron thought

Theo piped up, "Next time, I'll turn the medicine into a pill and cover it with date paste. It'll be tasty and still work!"

Will swallowed the bitter medicine and his eyes sparkled at Theo's words "Really?" Will ased.

"Of course! We're brothers. For you, I'd do anything!"

Maeve patted Theo's butt eliciting a protest from Theo.

"Hey!" Theo protested, rolling his eyes at her. "Why did you do that?

Maeve just smiled. "You're too cute not to!"

Theo offered, "Then go ahead. Spank me all you want!" He turned, proudly presenting his back.

Will nearly choked on his medicine, stifling a laugh. 'He'll definitely need to work on his vocabulary!' Will thought. 'I'll teach him once I'I well.

Maeve chuckled, then brought the bowl back to Will's lips. "Alright, buddy, open wide."

'Will winced at the bitter smell but opened his mouth.

"Good job, Will! Now just hold it in your throat a bit, and it'll make it feel better," Maeve said.