Chapter 935

Layne had no desire for intimacy. The pain was too suffocating. There was no one he could blame.

He was the one who had agreed with his father to call the cops. He had known his sister was mixed up with some street-level thug.

He had even been the one to assign those bodyguards to her without a second thought. But it had never crossed his mind that his own security detail could be compromised and threatened.

By the time he realized the ten guards had vanished along with Leonie, he had missed the critical window to save them, cementing the tragedy.

Drowning in self-loathing, Layne walked inside and collapsed onto the couch, burying his face in his hands.

Maeve quietly prepared a cup of hot tea and handed it to him. Layne took a long sip, his tense shoulders dropping slightly.

"I'm so sorry I couldn't be at your mother's funeral," Maeve murmured softly, her eyes filled with regret.

Layne pulled her onto his lap, wrapping an arm around her waist. "You don't need to apologize. You're in a difficult position."

Maeve was a foster daughter of the powerful Sterling family. Two years ago, Layne had saved her in a twist of fate. Over time, proximity had bred affection, and they had become intimately involved.

For the past two years, Maeve had lived in the shadows, hiding by his side. She never showed her face in public, terrified the Sterling family would drag her back.

To protect her, Layne had never officially announced her as his girlfriend. Everyone in his circle knew he was seeing someone, but not a single soul had ever seen her face.

"You must be exhausted after everything today. I drew a bath for you. Go soak for a bit."

Layne nodded. He shrugged off his suit jacket, letting Maeve take it, and walked into the bathroom.

Listening to the steady spray of the shower, Maeve walked out onto the balcony, her sweet demeanor vanishing. She pulled out her phone and made a call.

"Where are you guys right now?"

A low voice crackled through the speaker. "We're about to hit The Great Basin Wilderness."

Maeve's tone was entirely detached. "Good. I'm leaving that end to you. Layne's mother was caught in a shootout yesterday. She's dead."

The line went dead silent for a moment before a dark chuckle echoed "Is that so? Talk about terrible timing. If you hadn't told us, we never would have known The Everharts really put a lid on this one."

"We've been monitoring the news for days and haven't seen a single headline about them."

Maeve exchanged a few more instructions before lowering her voice. "Alright, that's all. Layne is out of the shower. I'm hanging up."

She pocketed the phone and seamlessly went back to organizing Layne's clothes. Half an hour later, Layne stepped out of the bathroom.

Seeing the water dripping from his dark hair, Maeve picked up a plush towel and walked over, gently drying the wet strands.

"Let me blow-dry it for you. It's freezing tonight, and you'll catch a cold if you sleep with wet hair."

Layne felt entirely drained. He let Maeve wrap her arms around him, resting his heavy head against her soft thighs.

Maeve had already showered. The heat in the apartment was turned up high, and she was wearing nothing but one of Layne's oversized

button-down shirts. Her barel.ne

were on display an intoxicating mix of absolute innocence and raw seduction.

Layne wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her tight. Maeve stood there quietly, the gentle hum of the

eved nerves

hair dryer soothing his

as she ran her fingers through his hair.

A single tear slipped from the corner of Layne's eye, tracking down his face.

Maeve felt the dampness on the back of her hand. Looking down, she realized this powerful man was sobbing like a heartbroken child.