The Heir's Secret Bride
Secret Bride 449

Chapter 449

"No! I'm sorry, I misspoke. I'm Maeve Reese," Maeve blurted, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks. She wanted nothing more than to sink into the floor. "I was just joking." The Damon couple smiled warmly, their kindness softening the wkward moment. "You have quite the sense of humor. I believe I've seen you at the palace before?" "Yes," Macve replied, forcing a smile. "I used to be a royal designer

Loren chimed in, "She's also a student of my great-great-grandmother."

That little detail wasn't something Maeve shared often, and it clearly caught the Damon couple's attention. Their smiles widened as they handed her a golden business card. "You absolutely have to visit us sometime," they said enthusiastically. With the Damons' endorsement, Maeve suddenly found herself surrounded by introductions and invitations. Business cards stacked up in her hand faster than she could keep track.

Meanwhile, Tom and Loreh stuck close by, flanking her and the two little ones like sentries. Their presence was enough to make anyone with less-than-friendly intentions think twice about approaching.

Not everyone was so welcoming, though. A few people in the crowd recognized Maeve as the daughter of a wanted criminal who had caused Fiora's punishment. They shot her judgmental glances but didn't dare voice their thoughts with Tom around. Will, standing nearby, leaned toward Loren. "Prince Loren, is Princess Fiora here?"

Loren casually pointed to a server across the room. "She is over there, serving drinks. Why?"

Will didn't answer immediately, shaking his head as if brushing off the question.

Even with Sandy's testimony, the police were hesitant to push the investigation. After all, it involved a royal princess, and cases like this always moved at a crawl. There was a real chance Fiora would walk away without any consequences.

It wasn't that Will didn't trust Tom or Loren-they had done everything they could. But Fiora's status complicated everything. Nobody wanted to cross the line and risk the royal family's reputation.

'Unless .... A spark of something sharp and determined flashed in Will's usually calm eyes.

The party picked up pace, transitioning into the ball. As tradition dictated, the first dance began.

All eyes were on Tom as he stepped forward. Loren, along with most of the guests, fully expected him to invite Maeve. But to everyone's surprise, Tom turned to Theo, the young boy by his side. The room went silent for a beat before the whispers it clicked.

1. ed. Loren raised a brow, momentarily caught off guare a ter

The first dance at an event like this was supposed to be with someone special, often a romantic interest. Plenty of noblewomen had been hoping Tom would pick them.

Instead, he completely threw tradition out the window and danced with Theo. Typical Tom. Always doing things his way.

The ladies looked disappointed, but at the same time, they felt relieved. If Tom wasn't going to pick them, at least he hadn't picked another woman either.

After the opening dance, Loren decided to make his move and ask Maeve to dance. Unfortunately for him, someone beat him to it.

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Chapter 449-

Will stepped up to Marve with a polite smile and bowed slightly Mom, may I have this dance?"

Maeve's heart melted on the spot, Will looked so charming and adorable that she couldn't possibly say no. Of course, she agreed it was her son, after all, and she adored him.

As they moved onto the dance floor, Loren stood there like a statue, his jaw clenched in frustration. He felt so abandoned, watching his favorite person leave without him.

'Damn it!' he thought, glaring after them. 'I wanted to dance with Maeve too!

But when a noblewoman approached him and asked for a dance he snapped back to his usual cold self. "Sorry, I don't dance," he said flatly.

She blinked at him, completely speechless, probably thinking, What kind of prince doesn't know how to dance?"

As the night went on, Maeve found herself changing dance partners one after another. By the time Loren finally got his chance, she was completely out of breath, her energy totally spent..

Tom, leaning casually against a pillar, shook his head at the sight "You need to work on your stamina. Maybe take up running. Next time, you might need it to escape something."

Maeve, catching her breath, laughed. "Do you think I haven't tried? I just... can't stick with it."

She couldn't help but think back to when she was first married to Byron. She used to go for nightly runs, full of determination to stay in shape. But in the end, the temptation of the food street always won, and her efforts fizzled out. Tom chuckled, about to tease her further, when someone approached and interrupted. "Your Highness, the Queen has requested your presence, along with Prince Loren, in the study

Tom raised an eyebrow. "What's going on?"

"I'm not sure of the details, but I know Duke Connor and some of the other Dukes are there as

well."

Will, standing nearby, smirked ever so slightly, as if he knew something the others didn't.

Tom sighed, sensing this wasn't going to be a casual chat. He gave Maeve a quick nod, then headed off with Loren.

The study was thick with tension. The Queen sat behind her desk, calmly flipping through a document. Her silver-streaked hair and lined face hinted at her age, but the poise and elegance of her younger years still lingered.

If anything, she seemed even more commanding now, like a calm ocean-gentle on the surface but carrying an unmistakable sense of power.

When Tom and Loren walked in, the room shifted as the gathered Dukes greeted them.

"Mother, what happened?" Tom asked, his tone cautious.

The Queen glanced up, her gaze sharp. "Your uncle Connor and the others are questioning Fiora's status. They claim she's not your sister's biological daughter and doesn't have royal blood. That alone makes her position as a princess questionable. "On top of that, her behavior doesn't meet the standards of the title. What's your opinion?"

"Your Majesty, Your Highnesses, I'm not here to challenge decisions, but a princess should act the part." Connor stepped forward, speaking with calm confidence.

"This," he said, placing a letter on the table, "is an anonymous report detailing Fiora's misdeeds. People are too afraid to speak out because of her title, but keeping someone like her in the royal family only damages its reputation."

Tom frowned, his mind racing. The accusations were shockingly thorough-more so than the results of his own quiet

2/3

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Chapter 449

investigation. Someone was clearly feeding Connor information, but he didn't know who.

0☐☐ 85%°

Meanwhile, in another part of the palace, Will and Theo were happily gathering snacks for Maeve. It wasn't until they turned around that they froze.

"Where's Mom?" Theo asked, his tone a mix of confusion and panic.

Their mother had vanished. In truth, Maeve had wandered off to admire the garden roses. But before she could take in their beauty, someone had grabbed her arm and dragged her into a quiet corner. Startled, she spun around-and found herself face-to-face with Fiora, dressed in

a maid's uniform.

"Bitch! It's bad enough you seduced my brother, now you're going after my uncle too? You can't survive without a man, huh? You're pathetic!" Fiora screamed, lunging at Maeve and grabbing her by the neck. "If you hadn't ruined my life, I wouldn't be in this mess! How dare you even show up here?!"

Maeve's response was a beat too slow, exhaustion from the dance earlier catching up with her. Fiora's nails scraped across her neck, drawing blood, and Maeve winced in pain, pushing Fiora off with whatever strength she had left. "Ah!" Fiora shrieked as she tumbled backward, rolling down the stone steps before hitting thea with a loud thud..

Maeve stared, shocked. She hadn't even pushed that hard.

At the bottom of the steps, Fiora grinned in a way that sent a chill through Maeve. Then, she grabbed her stomach and cried out in pain.

Maeve froze as she realized what Fiora was doing-framing her. The blood drained from Maeve's face. If Fiora died, Maeve would be blamed. Killing a royal family member was punishable by death.

The noise drew a crowd, and the scene turned into complete chaos. Fiora was hauled onto a stretcher, still pointing at Maeve with a shaky finger, accusing her in front of everyone. "It was her... she pushed me... she tried to kill me." "I didn't!" Maeve snapped, fists clenching. "It was you-"

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Before she could finish, someone in the crowd shouted, "She is the daughter of that wanted criminal! She's got a vendet against Princess Fiora! She tried to kill her!"