Chapter 114
Frederick reached out to pat her shoulder gently, picking up a tissue from the table and handing it to her.
“Maeve… she has an issue with me, she isn’t targeting you. I’ll talk to her myself. You just focus on taking care of the baby and yourself. Don’t overthink things p>
He had actually mentioned to Maeve that he was going to Havenport with Zoe.
Maeve knew perfectly well that nothing would ever happen between them, yet she still chose to hurl those vicious accusations. It was obvious she was just using this as an excuse because she was still furious about him leveraging her parents to force her back to the Capital.
She was likely the one who had someone take those photos just to manufacture a crisis.
But regardless of how it played out, he knew he had wronged Maeve by forcing her hand, and he planned to find a way to make it up to her.
Whatever was going on in their marriage, innocent Zoe shouldn’t be dragged into the crossfire.
“Frederick,” Zoe cried, attempting to throw herself into his arms.
Frederick snapped out of his thoughts, quickly lifting an arm to block her advance.
“Zoe, I let it slide in the past, but we can’t do this anymore. I’m not Felix, and we need to maintain proper boundaries p>
Zoe froze mid-motion, then obediently stepped back.
“Okay, whatever you say p>
“Yeah. Get some rest p>
With that, Frederick turned and walked out the door.
Staring at the closed door, a dark, venomous glint flickered in Zoe’s eyes.
She couldn’t just sit around and wait for disaster to strike.
The next morning.
Maeve came downstairs to find a neat row of luxury designer shopping bags sitting on the sofa.
A moment later, Frederick emerged from the kitchen carrying two plates of a lavish breakfast.
He set the plates on the dining table, walked over, and asked her,
“These are the gifts I specifically picked out for you in Havenport. Why don’t you open them and see if you like them p>
Maeve shut him down instantly. “No thanks p>
Frederick didn’t get angry. Instead, he pulled an exclusive Amex Black Card from his slacks and handed it to her.
“Maeve, I already gave the other black card to Zoe, and I can’t just take it back right now. So here, take my supplementary card. It has no limit, and the threshold is even higher than Zoe’s. If you don’t like the gifts I bought, just use this to buy whatever you want p>
Maeve didn’t even glance at it. “Keep it. I don’t need it p>
Frederick frowned. “Didn’t you just ask for it the other day p>
“I was joking,” Maeve said flatly. She walked over to the table, sat down, and casually took a few bites of het toast, completely ignoring the elaborate breakfast Frederick had cooked for her.
Taking a seat across from her, Frederick’s voice tightened with suppressed impatience.
“What game are you playing now p>
Maeve lifted her eyes to meet his. “I said I don’t want it. Are my words that hard to understand p>
Frederick’s chest heaved aggressively for a moment.
“Maeve, I’m practically handing you everything you asked for on a silver platter, and you’re deliberately provoking me. If this isn’t a game, what is it p>
“A silver platter?” A mocking smile tugged at the corners of Maeve’s lips.
“You’re only giving this to me now so you can use it against me later. You want the moral high ground to accuse me of spending your money, of being kept by you, so I’ll be forced to follow your orders. Or maybe t’s so you can force me to swallow my pride and bow down to Zoe again. So keep your card. I don’t want it now, and I’ll never want it p>
When she had originally asked for the black card, it had purely been out of spite.
In reality, she knew better than anyone that anything coming from Frederick came with an unbearable price.
A flash of irritation crossed Frederick’s eyes, yet he couldn’t find a single word to argue back.
Finishing her coffee, Maeve wiped her mouth, grabbed her purse, and headed for the door.
Frederick bolted up from his chair.
“Where are you going p>
Maeve’s voice drifted back with absolute indifference.
“None of your business p>
Frederick stood frozen in the dining room, a suffocating knot of anger trapped in his chest. He couldn’t explode, but he couldn’t let it go, either.
He stared down at the meal he had painstakingly prepared, entirely untouched by Maeve, and his brow furrowed so deeply it could have crushed a stone.
It suddenly dawned on him that, faced with a Maeve like this, he was completely and utterly powerless.