Chapter 986

"Stop worrying. It's totally unnecessary. I'll be fine. Just wait to hear from me.

And remember, whatever you do, do not come looking for me at the Sterling estate. If you show up there, you will never see me again."

In this twisted relationship, Maeve held Layne completely captive. Whatever she demanded, he didn't dare disobey. Or rather, his love for her meant he refused to go against her wishes.

Seeing the unyielding determination in her eyes, Layne had no choice but to surrender. "Okay," he muttered, his voice heavy with defeat.

Maeve didn't have the patience to explain herself to Layne anymore. All she cared about was seeing Quinn. She needed to look him in the eye, tell him she wasn't dead, and demand he honor his promise to marry her. As for Delilah, they were just a mistake.

She figured that as long as Quinn apologized, she would forgive him. She felt a brief twinge of guilt toward Layne. And as for Alastair, she didn't care he had already breached their contract.

He had promised her that once she finished the mission, he would guarantee her marriage to Quinn. In the Sterling house, Maeve only trusted her mother, Mrs. Sterling, and her mother's intel was never wrong.

She was going to fix this. Since Alastair broke his promise, she had every right to tear up their original deal.

Layne and Maeve showered together, and by the time she stepped out of the bathroom, her legs were shaking so badly she could barely stand.

It was a disaster. She shouldn't have let herself completely lose control last night. And she definitely shouldn't have touched that damn wine. Layne had the maids bring breakfast to the bedroom, and they ate sitting right on the mattress.

Perhaps because Layne was in such a fantastic mood, he couldn't stop teasing her, spoon-feeding her every bite of her breakfast.

Maeve looked into his adoring eyes, and for a fleeting second, an unfamiliar pang of reluctance hit her. But her cold logic quickly snapped back.

What on earth was she thinking? To her, Layne was just a pawn. How could she possibly fall in love with a pawn?

Growing up under Alastair's roof had taught her well. She had perfectly absorbed his ruthless, cold-blooded pragmatism.

She would never let Quinn go. That man was her first love. By marrying into the Foster family, she would secure her own status within the Stering family and her mother, would never be bullied again.

Now that Wren was completely off the grid, Maeve knew she was the only one who could save herself.

"Alright, I need to head to the office. Since you refuse to let me go with you, please be careful. I'm assigning two of my bodyguards to you."

Maeve didn't t argue this time. She knew Layne's security detail was top-tier. With them at her side, shez figured even Alastair wouldn't dare try anything crazy. She just wanted an explanation from him it was what he owed her.

Layne reluctantly held her hand, watching her until she got into the car and

disappeared from view. Wearing her favorite dress, Maeve drove out in a cherry-red Ferrari.