Chapter 48
Maeve was surprised by Jonathan’s request.
But having her custom perfume praised made her genuinely happy.
“I can definitely make one.” She walked over to the essential oil display and turned to look at Jonathan.
“Do you have a preferred scent profile p>
Jonathan stepped up beside her, his gaze sweeping over the rows of glass bottles before finally settling warmly on her.
“What scent do you think suits me best p>
Maeve paused for a second, then picked up a bottle of cedarwood essential oil. “Cedarwood is a woody fragrance. It’s grounded and steady… I think it fits you perfectly p>
“Alright, then cedarwood it is.” Jonathan pulled his gaze away and walked over to sit at the small table.
Maeve gathered the essential oils and fully immersed herself in the blending process.
Yvette plopped down into the chair right next to Jonathan and sharply elbowed him in the ribs.
Jonathan looked at her in confusion.
Yvette continued winking and aggressively raising her eyebrows at him. Jonathan stared back at her with a completely deadpan expression, then calmly looked away and picked up his cup of tea for a sip.
That afternoon, the grand opening finally wrapped up.
Maeve returned to Wisteria Cove carrying a large gift bag absolutely stuffed with premium essential oil kits that Yvette had given her.
The heavy weight of the bag brought a strange sense of comfort and security to her heart.
She remembered what Yvette had said when handing her the gift.
“Mae, haven’t you noticed? When you’re making perfumes, you’re entirely different. It’s like you’ve found yourself again. You smile so much more. I want you to have these oils so you can be happy every single day p>
Maeve truly had felt happy while mixing the scents. Watching her ideal fragrance slowly come to life from her fingertips, and ending up with the exact scent she envisioned, was incredibly rewarding.
The entire process gave her a profound sense of accomplishment.
It was as if she had finally reclaimed a tiny sliver of control over her life, dragging her disastrous reality back onto the right track.
Maeve loved that feeling. She reveled in it.
As she thought about it, a genuine smile touched her lips, and even her footsteps felt lighter.
“You seem happy. Where did you go?” Frederick stood at the top of the stairs, staring directly at her.
Maeve’s smile instinctively faded, and she avoided his intense gaze.
“Yvette opened a perfume studio. Today was the grand opening, so I went to support her p>
Frederick closed the distance with his long legs, dipping his head to sniff her shoulder.
“Oh… No wonder you smell so good. But why did you stop smiling the second you saw me? Do you really hate looking at me that much p>
Maeve’s grip tightened on the straps of her bag. “No p>
“Mae.” Frederick reached out and twirled a stray lock of her hair around his finger.
“Where were you last night p>
Maeve’s heart skipped a dangerous beat. Frederick’s calculating gaze slowly analyzed every inch of her face, before dropping to the fresh light-brown scratch on her calf.
“And how did you get this p>
Maeve’s body went completely rigid, her breathing picking up pace.
Under Frederick’s increasingly oppressive interrogation, her nerves were stretched to their absolute limit Her scalp prickled with sheer panic.
She gripped her bag tighter, desperately regulating her breathing to force herself to stay calm.
Frederick was a dominant, ruthless man. He handled everything with lethal efficiency.
If he knew for a fact that it was her taking photos last night, he would have slammed the evidence right in her face and crushed any chance of a defense.
But right now, he was using intimidation and pressure p>
Which meant he had no idea who took the photo last night. He was only guessing it was her. He was testing the waters.
Maeve took a deep breath and met his gaze fearlessly.
“Shouldn’t I be the one asking you that p>
“You told me you’d be right back last night, and then you disappeared until morning p>
“I step out for a few hours and you interrogate me? Do you seriously think I’m a dog on your leash p>
Perhaps out of his own guilt, Frederick’s oppressive aura slightly weakened. He took her hand and tried to explain.