Chapter 112
Memories that should have been sweet now tasted like sugar-coated poison; only the first bite was pleasant, and the rest was meant to kill.
Every time she dragged those memories out of her mind, they relentlessly tormented her, tearing her heart into a bloody mess.
She figured she had no other choice.
She just had to force herself to stop thinking about it, waiting for the day when the pain turned into total numbness.
After applying the ointment, Maeve took a quick shower. By the time she stepped out of the bathroom, she had buried those suffocating emotions deep inside.
*Buzz p>
Her phone vibrated on the vanity. She picked it up and saw a message from Jonathan Giles.
[How are you holding up p>
The lawyer had likely been worrying about her all evening.
Maeve quickly typed a reply.
[I’m doing well. Nothing to worry about p>
Jonathan: [Glad to hear it. Let me know the second you need any help p>
Maeve smiled, her fingers tapping lightly across the screen.
[Don’t worry, Jonathan. When the day comes that I truly need your help, I definitely won’t hold back p>
Jonathan: [Good. It’s getting late, get some rest p>
Maeve: [Goodnight p>
Jonathan: [Goodnight p>
After exchanging goodnights, Maeve decided to scroll through social media to gather some reference materials on perfumery.
To her shock, the moment she opened her account, her notifications read 99 p>
Maeve paused, immediately clicking into her profile.
It turned out the video she had posted the day before—casually sharing the process of mixing a custom fragrance—had blown up with overwhelmingly positive feedback.
[The color of this perfume is stunning! I swear I can smell the ocean right through my screen. Mmm… it looks divine p>
[Right?! The aesthetics pulled me in. It’s genuinely beautiful art p>
[Is no one going to talk about how gorgeous her hands are? That radiant complexion and those slender fingers… absolute perfection p>
Maeve scrolled through the comments one by one, a genuine smile curving her lips.
Being appreciated for something she excelled at was incredibly healing.
After typing out a quick thank-you to her new followers, she stared at her default username. After a moment of thought, she deleted the random string of numbers and carefully typed out a new handle. Iris.
The name held a simple meaning: after a torrential storm, the sky would eventually clear.
And so would she.
Havencrest Apartments.
The doorbell rang, and the maid immediately hurried into Zoe’s room.
“Zoe, Mr. Fairchild is here p>
Upon hearing this, Zoe practically bounced off the bed. She excitedly ran to her closet, flipping through her collection of sheer lingerie.
“Frederick must have brought me a surprise gift! I need to look stunning for him p>
After digging around, she slipped into a delicate white lace nightgown. She ran a brush through her hair, gave herself a twirl in the mirror, and nodded in smug satisfaction.
Innocent yet seductive. Frederick would definitely not be able to resist this look.
Once she was ready, she leaned against the wall, striking a pose that accentuated all her curves. She subtly tugged the low neckline down just a fraction more, then waved a hand at the maid.
“Hurry up and let him in p>
The maid quickly went to open the door. Before Zoe even laid eyes on Frederick, she softened her voice into a sweet, lingering drawl.
“Frederick, you really shouldn’t have gone to all this trouble. Coming over so late just to bring me p>
Suddenly, Frederick stepped into view. The moment she met his icy, murderous gaze it felt as though someone had wrapped a hand around her throat. The rest of her words died instantly.
As Frederick closed the distance, the freezing intensity in his eyes only grew sharper, radiating a suffocating pressure.
Zoe’s legs went weak. All thoughts of seducing him vanished. She hastily pulled her plunging neckline back up, forcing a stiff, awkward smile.
“Frederick… what… what’s going on p>
“Explain yourself.” His face was a mask of dark fury. Skipping the pleasantries entirely, he shoved the phone screen showing the two photos directly into her face.
“Why did you hire someone to sneak these photos of us, and why did you send them to Maeve p>