As Mrs. Engel laid the food on the table, Deirdre beckoned to her. "Come on, eat with us.""M-Me?" Mrs. Engel was apprehensive. "I, uh, don't think that's appropriate! Domestic workers like me don't eat with their employers on the same table like that, Mrs. Brighthall. I'll just have my meal in the kitchen…""Oh, it's nothing. Brendan cares about these rules because it's part of his upbringing, but we don't. Since he's not here with us today, just join us at the table. Makes cleaning up easier, too.""Exactly!" Ophelia chimed in. "You're not some servant or domestic worker to us. You're family. And family eats together, so join us already! Where are your fork and knife?"Mrs. Engel's eyes reddened. "T-Thank you."Mrs. Engel and Ophelia chatted after dinner while Deirdre rose the stairs and went into her room. She had not slept well last night and needed an early rest. Unfortunately, even as she lay on her bed, her eyelids too heavy to even be opened, she could not sleep. Her bra
"Isn't Mr. Brighthall there at the mansion?""No, he's not here, and I can't reach his phone either. I don't know what happened!"Sam leaped up from bed and put his coat over himself. "Alright, Miss McKinnon, calm down, okay? The last time he called me, he told me he was going to eat with Miss Collins. It's late now, but they could still be eating together somewhere. I'll look for him immediately and tell you the moment I find him.""Okay. Thanks, Sam."Deirdre ended the call, her heart on a grill. She did not mind Brendan not coming home, but to do that without any news or even answering her call? That was just fuel for her worries, especially since she had no idea what had happened on his end!What if those people had laid their hands on him!?Deirdre sank into the couch, determined to wait for his return. Consternation shadowed Mrs. Engel as she watched until finally, she suggested softly, "Mrs. Brighthall, I really think you should go back to your room and sleep. You're pregn
Ophelia's blood boiled while Deirdre looked on, apologetic. "I'm sorry, Mom! I just… couldn't help but feel a little worried, okay? Brendan has never not answered my call or not left me a message somewhere before, so…""Worried?" Ophelia snickered. Mrs. Engel knew what that meant. She swooped in immediately. "Wait, Mrs. McKinnon! We need to wait until Mr. Brighthall is back so they can settle it themselves!""What's there to settle, huh? Especially after what he did! Who does he take my daughter for!?" Ophelia's voice shook with fury. "I can't believe you, Simone. You're acting like he's your master you must defend just because he pays you? Think about it! Ask yourself honestly. Is it fair to sweep this under the carpet instead of letting Dee know!?"Mrs. Engel was flustered. "No, Mrs. McKinnon, that's not what I'm doing here! He pays me, but it doesn't mean I don't know who's the one looking out for me the most. I only answered his call for a housekeeper because I wanted to care
"Oh really? Then how did Deirdre go blind?"Mrs. Engel froze. Deirdre's lips turned pale as though someone had run a knife through her chest.Ophelia was right. Brendan had always been a cold man. Others had the luxury of remaining ignorant of it, but she was his victim. She should have that carved in the crevices of her brain, yet she had allowed herself to forget all of the pain and agony she had gone through over the years. She had forgotten about the things he had done to her.He was being nice to her now, but was it for her or for the child he fathered?Her faith in him was shaking. A thought—one that should not have come to form—dawned on her. If she had not gotten knocked up, would he still treasure her so lovingly and gently? Would he love her?It was true. Brendan had changed a lot since Emily showed up. He hugged and touched her less. Maybe all he ever cared about was his offspring, while the mother? The mother had always been nothing more but a dispensable placeholder f
"Sorry. I wanted to send you home, but the mansion is so far away from Delicioso, and it was really late at night. As such, I thought of letting you rest in a hotel instead.""It's alright. It's not all your fault."Brendan immediately called Sam, who answered him at the first second. "Finally! You're finally on your phone!" he cried out frantically. "I saw what happened on the Internet," said Brendan. "Come to the hotel and settle the surveillance camera footage. PR work is in need."Sam gave a hum of affirmation before adding, "Oh, and sir? Miss McKinnon called in the wee hours. The scandal happened so quickly and got viral so soon that I've been busy coordinating censoring work and getting a sense of what happened, so I haven't told her anything yet. You should get back to the mansion and… Well, you have to explain it to her."Brendan's heart stopped for a second. He hung up the call and immediately raced to the elevator, leaving his suit behind in his room. "Wait, Mr. Brigh
Deirdre raised her head and looked at him apathetically as though Brendan was just some random guy on the street. She would not even spare him anything more than that."Let me go to sleep, Brendan. I'm tired.""Dee…" Brendan took a deep breath. "Please let me in. Just sleep, okay? In the meantime, I'll explain everything to you."Deirdre turned away from him and pulled the door a little more ajar. Brendan's eyes brightened up before Deirdre declared, "I'm going to count to three before I slam the door shut, so take your hand away. If the door catches your hand in between, though, it's not my fault."As it turned out, she had only opened the door a little wider so he could withdraw his hand. "Three."Two."One."Deirdre did exactly as she said she would—she swung the door back to its frame. But the door stopped shy from being shut completely. Something was blocking it—and then she heard a soft gasp escaping him.Deirdre froze. Did he just… let his hand stay there? Was he cra
"I was completely unconscious from the beginning, and I only woke up about half an hour ago. And only then I realized I have gone viral." He continued. "Miss Collins and I had never been alone in the same room before. Do you really think her assistant would be there to watch us doing it together?"He sounded grim, his words weighed by the gravity of his sincerity. It even stunned Deirdre. Brendan took a step back from her and turned around. Before he left, he added, "I'll settle this thing to the best of my abilities, so don't… cast me away just yet."He left as hurriedly as he came. Only his words remained, echoing in Deirdre's brain over and over. 'I'll settle this thing to the best of my abilities, so don't… cast me away just yet.'Somehow, she sensed an undercurrent of forlornness in his voice. She breathed hard. It felt like her chest was stuffed with cotton. Brendan drove to the nearest store. Emily was already there, talking with Sam, though she quickly greeted him the
Ophelia put on a cardigan and a coat before leaving the villa to get some baking ingredients.Seizing this chance, Mrs. Engel stepped forward, ready to offer consolation to Deirdre, when the latter suddenly said, "Sorry to trouble you, but can you wait for my mom's return in the living room? I'm a little sleepy since I didn't get any rest yesterday and slept only half an hour this morning. I'll go for a nap."Deirdre looked so worn out that the light in her eyes seemed to have dimmed. Feeling a pang in her chest, Mrs. Engel immediately replied, "Of course! Please, go for it."Deirdre rose and walked up the stairs. Mrs. Engel balked for a second and added, "If… If I receive any news from Mr. Brighthall, I'll inform you straight away, okay?"Deirdre paused in her tracks a little, but she ultimately said nothing before continuing her journey into her room. She closed her door.It had been half a day. There had been no news from him, so… there would not be any news of him anymore, s