Deirdre found herself torn between laughter and tears. "He was just being polite. It was all in good fun, nothing serious. Besides, he's already married."Even if he is a flirt, can he compete with you? Don't think I didn't notice how you scared him off with your gaze before he could say anything else."Brendan's breath tickled the nape of her neck as he spoke in a righteous tone. "Your boyfriend was right there, yet he seemed oblivious.""That's enough." Deirdre pretended to be angry, puffing up her cheeks. "Joe stayed up late and came all the way here to bring us a blanket. If you're not grateful, at least be kind with your words, okay?"Sensing Deirdre's displeasure, Brendan paused, hugged her, and asked, "Does he really have a wife?""Yes, they've been high school sweethearts for over ten years. They have a strong relationship," she replied."Good." Brendan playfully nibbled on Deirdre's neck. "Otherwise, I wouldn't feel at ease seeing him so friendly with you."Brendan's je
"You're right." Deirdre perked up, pulled away the blanket, and got out of bed. As Deirdre was brushing her teeth, Brendan informed her, "Joe came and invited us to breakfast this morning."Deirdre, not surprised, asked, "How did you respond?""I told him that you were exhausted from being with me last night and needed to sleep in a little today, so he left," he replied.While gargling with water, Deirdre choked and coughed repeatedly.Brendan patted her back, grabbed a towel, and wiped away the foam from her lips. Teasingly, he said, "You're an adult, yet you get choked while gargling. Luckily, you didn't swallow the water."Blushing, Deirdre retorted, "It's all your fault!""My fault?" Brendan raised an eyebrow. "How is it my fault?"Too embarrassed to say it, Deirdre muttered, "What do you mean by 'exhausted from being with you last night'? Joe will surely misunderstand...""Misunderstand what?"Deirdre couldn't voice her thoughts, but Brendan continued. "Deirdre, differe
Deirdre wasn't a crowd favorite, yet Brendan made her appear highly sought after.They walked to the yard near Deirdre's previous residence and noticed that weeds had taken over in less than a year, reaching half a meter in height. Subconsciously, Deirdre started looking for tools to remove the weeds, and Brendan joined in to help.As Brendan looked up, he saw Deirdre gazing at him with a gratified expression. "What's going on?" he asked.Deirdre smiled and replied, "Nothing. I was just reminded of how you used to be when you were Kyran. Back then, you would take charge of all the tasks and assist me, just like you're doing now."Brendan felt a twinge of jealousy. "I can still do that now. You don't have to dwell on the past and Kyran."Caught between laughter and tears, Deirdre replied, "Don't you think you're being childish, Brendan? You and Kyran are the same person, after all."Uneasily, Brendan turned his head away. "But I can't remember anything now, so Kyran feels like a s
Deirdre patted Brendan's hand, and he loosened his grip around her waist. He spoke in a righteous tone. "Be more careful next time.""Don't listen to his nonsense." Deirdre glared at Brendan as a warning. "We were just fooling around."Joe, you're here so early. Is lunch ready?"Joseph nodded. "Yes, yes. My wife works quickly, and she has already finished cooking lunch. We're just waiting for you to come and eat."As the three of them headed to the Talbots' home, they noticed a pregnant woman getting water from a hand pump. Joseph quickly stepped forward to stop her, concerned about the situation."Josie, didn't I tell you to leave these back-bending chores to me? What if you hurt yourself?"Josie Schooler appeared frustrated. "This is the time for me to exercise. Besides, I can't stand doing nothing. Why would pumping water be bad for me?"Joseph tried to appease her. "But you're already going through so much. You purposely prepared lunch for my friend and her boyfriend today.
Josie cupped her face and expressed her concerns, "I'm not pretty, and I worry that he will dislike me when I gain weight from the pregnancy. But he treats me just as well, if not better, and he's even more affectionate now."Curiosity piqued, Josie asked Deirdre, "How is Mr. Brighthall during your pregnancy?"After a moment of thought, Deirdre replied, "He's almost the same as Joe, I suppose. But his temperament is not as good as Joe's. He can be quite arrogant and self-conceited."He acts differently when another man shows kindness to me. He becomes ill-mannered and rude."Josie was astonished. "Mr. Brighthall behaves that way too? Oh my! Deirdre, you must be so charming that a man of Mr. Brighthall's status fears losing you."Deirdre was unsure whether to cry or laugh. "It's not that he's afraid of losing me, but he doesn't like it when others try to take what is his.""No, no, no!" Josie shook her head seriously. "I don't think so. I'm sure Mr. Brighthall behaves this way bec
Joseph also recovered from his surprise and furrowed his eyebrows tightly. Previously, he had looked at Brendan in fear, but now his gaze held pity."It's no wonder Mr. Brighthall is so guarded against me. So, it turns out that you... have a history, Deirdre!" exclaimed Joseph.Joseph continued. "When did you have a relationship with Tobey? But let it be! You shouldn't think about other men since you've decided to be with Mr. Brighthall. Mr. Brighthall is good-looking and rich. He treats you well too. Where else would you find a man like him?""That's right, Deirdre." Josie chimed in, her heart melting as she looked at Brendan's grievous yet dejected expression. "Since you're pregnant, it means that the past is in the past. As the CEO of Brighthall Group, Mr. Brighthall is still willing to come to our humble place for you. He helps with the dishes and removes the weeds. What more could you ask for? Be good with Mr. Brighthall, and don't talk about leaving him anymore!""Right, don'
Before Deirdre could speak, Brendan made a suggestion. "Perhaps Joseph and his wife have already had dinner. Can you ask them if they would like some? We can send it over to them as a token of appreciation for cooking us lunch this afternoon."Deirdre was surprised. Given Brendan's personality, she had assumed he would rather throw away the pasta than share it with others like a food-guarding dog. She didn't expect him to behave differently today.Curious, she asked, "Why would you think of sending the pasta to them?"Brendan responded nonchalantly. "To indirectly appease them and make them less likely to interfere if there's any progress between you and Tobey. It's a win-win situation."Deirdre was rendered speechless. It seemed Brendan had lied when he talked about considering Tobey as her older brother and treating him the same way. Afterward, Brendan brought over the pasta, and Deirdre wondered what he had told Joseph and his wife.Josie took the opportunity to engage in an
Brendan smirked and nodded. "Sure, noted. I can provide the funding for the tram in the name of the Brighthall Group."He then added, "However, I have a request."The village head's excitement turned to nervousness, anticipating a difficult request from Brendan.With a hint of fear, he asked, "May I know what your request is, Mr. Reed?"Brendan glanced inside the house before answering. "You will persuade Deirdre to visit the resort when she wakes up. Just be careful not to mention the hot spring."When Deirdre woke up, the village head used every means possible to persuade her. He pulled out all the stops, using his seniority, boasting, and various tricks. Deirdre, in a state of confusion, agreed to go.It wasn't until later that Deirdre realized something and questioned Brendan, "Why is he so enthusiastic today? He's determined to make me agree to go to the resort. It's not a trap, is it?"Brendan quickly refuted her suspicions. "How could it be a trap? As the village head, he