**TITLE: Across Quiet Meadows Rise Dreams Waiting For Their Moment 14**
**Chapter 14**
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The night enveloped Maverick in a shroud of silence, and he drifted through it without the slightest hint of a dream.
As dawn broke, the clock’s hands crept toward five, and his internal rhythm stirred him awake, as if summoned by an unseen force.
With a groggy blink, he opened his eyes, instinctively reaching out to either side, hoping to find the warmth of another presence beside him.
But to his dismay, there was only the cold emptiness of the sheets.
She hadn’t returned home all night?
The fleeting sense of calm he had managed to cultivate evaporated, leaving behind a heavy cloak of despair that wrapped around him like a vise.
Driven by a sudden urge, he returned to his own room, his heart racing as he grabbed his phone, desperate to track her down. Yet, as he collapsed onto the bed, something unexpected caught his attention beneath his pillow. Curiosity piqued, he reached under and felt two distinct objects.
Could this be a surprise she had left for him?
The thought flitted through his mind, igniting a flicker of hope.
After all, Beatrice had a charming habit of making amends by hiding little apology gifts under his pillow whenever they had a spat, a silent agreement that spoke volumes about their bond.
He carefully examined the items; one felt like a letter, while the other had the unmistakable shape of a bank card.
The letter, he surmised without even glancing at it, was undoubtedly a love letter.
But the bank card?
Could it be the seed money she had set aside to celebrate his upcoming birthday?
The very notion sent a wave of warmth through Maverick, dispelling the shadows of his earlier gloom.
Regardless of what she had chosen to give him, or the surprise she had orchestrated, none of that mattered as much as the thought that she had remembered his birthday. That alone was enough to fill his heart with joy.
As he traced the card with his fingers, memories flooded back of her tireless efforts to earn money over the past few weeks. Suddenly, everything fell into place.
Had she truly begun planning this long ago?
Was it possible that her absence last night was due to her working late again?
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Chapter
The image of her pale, fatigued face flickered in his mind, and a pang of guilt struck Maverick’s heart.
With a heavy sigh, he tucked the letter back under the pillow, took the card in hand, and stepped out of his room, determined to uncover the truth.

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