CHAPTER 10

(Jayce's POV)

I couldn't stop worrying for Mae... She looked upset this morning and I'm pretty sure it's not because I teased her about her cooking.

"Bryce, what did you find out about my wife?" I asked Bryce, he immediately gave me a file about Mae, I scanned through it and noticed how much she covers up about her true identity.

Comparing what she told me and what Bryce found out, it seems she has been living a double life. She appears stupid and gullible in front of her family, but in reality, she's a completely different person.

She's a successful interior designer and she owns MP designs. Something she did not tell her family. From the file Bryce gave me, she finished university in one of the prestigious universities in the city. She graduated as Cum Laude and was actually hired by top companies. She even won awards... but her family never knew. They never saw her potential. Something I cannot imagine.

I felt sympathy for her, but at the same time amazed at how successful she became despite being turned down by her so-called family.

"Bryce!!!" I called, I remembered she's dropping by the BNB and I felt something bad might happen.

"Yes Mr President?" he asked when he popped his head on the door.

"Let's pick Mae up in her office now, cancel all my meetings," I said. I didn't care about what the board will say, I was worried about Mae.

We got to Mae's office quick, when I got there a girl in the reception welcomed me immediately.

"Yes sir, May I help you?" she asked,

"I'm looking for Mae. Is she still here?" I asked.

"Oh, boss stepped out for a while, she'll be back in an hour or so. Would you like to wait for her or leave a message?" she said and looked at me.

"No need, I know where she is," I replied and left immediately with Bryce. I told Bryce to go to the BNB as fast as possible.

When I got there, I saw a guy putting boxes in a van.

"Are you Aiden?" I asked the man. He was surprised but he managed to nod.

"Where's Mae?" I asked he looked at me for a while. "Where is Mae?" I asked again this time more serious.

"Oh you must be boss' boyfriend, she is talking to her family inside. She told me to just put the boxes in the van," he said and placed a box inside the van.

"Does her family know that she owns MP Designs?" I curiously asked him. He shook his head.

"Sorry, I cannot say, we're bound by contract not to disclose any info to anyone," he replied, but by his tone, I can tell that Mae's family doesn't have a clue.

"Never mind," I said, Bryce, followed me but told him to just help Aiden move stuff. I left them and headed to the back office of the BNB.

When I got near the door of the office, I can hear a woman shouting and breaking something, based on her scream I think it's Freya's daughter Miranda. I want to barge in but I stopped myself from doing so. I listened some more and I heard the woman say that I'm hers.

She must be dreaming!

When I finally heard Mae scream, I opened the door and saw her.

"Go get who?" I pretended not to know anything. Mae looked at me with her eyes wide open.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her cheeks were red in color so I know that she was slapped. I was so angered that I shot an evil look at the three people in front of her.

"Mr and Mrs Pearson, may I know why you're giving my wife a hard time?" I asked and grabbed her in the waist then whispered in her ear. "Are you okay?" she nodded but I can see her eyes glisten, she's trying to hold back her tears.

I sighed trying to hold back my anger.

"Mr Conde, I... We... we were just having fun." Mrs Pearson said, I shot a look at her and then to her daughter. They both looked away.

"Having fun?! Hitting my wife is fun? How about I hit your husband and we'll call it even?" I said in a very serious tone.

Mae grabbed me in the arm and shook her head.

"You're lucky my wife still has a heart for you people even after treating her like trash. You should be ashamed of yourself," I said. The three couldn't look me in the eye.

"Oh by the way, if you want a divorce to happen, please remember that we have signed a prenuptial agreement. And that includes paying ten times the investment. If you can produce that much... then go ahead. But I doubt." I added, Miranda gasped and looked at her mom.

"Don't you dare lay a hand on my wife or I will end you." I threatened.

I led Mae out of the office where she finally broke into tears. I couldn't help but feel broken for her.

"Boss, are you okay?!" Aiden rushed to us. Mae nodded and wiped her tears away.

"Aiden, just bring the boxes to the office please. And push all my meetings tomorrow," she calmly said and looked at me.

"Can you drop me to the cemetery?" she asked, I nodded.

We waited for Aiden to leave before we boarded the car. I think Aiden can be trusted, Mae trusts him. So I guess he's safe to be around.

"You sure you're okay?" I asked her but she was silent.

"Thank you," she whispered and leaned on my shoulder. We went to the cemetery in silence, no one spoke, she just closed her eyes and leaned on my shoulder. I guess she lost a lot of energy trying to be strong in front of her family.

"Wanna meet my mom?" she suddenly asked when we parked on the side of the road.

"Are you sure?" I asked. she nodded.

"I trust you," she replied. I felt happy that she trusts me. Without hesitation, I went with her to the mausoleum.

"Jayce, meet my mom. Mom, my husband Jayce," she said and smiled at her mom's photograph.

I felt like I'm in cloud nine, she introduced me as his husband!

"You look exactly like your mom," I said and looked at her.

She's crying again.

I hugged her tighter this time. She hugged me back.

I kissed her on the forehead and she looked at me.

"I know this isn't much, but I hope I can kiss the pain away."