Brendan coughed, his tone sounding much more pleasant."Don't bully Emily," he said.The crowd cheered loudly upon hearing Brendan's remark.Deirdre struggled to support her pregnant belly, feeling discomfort and dizziness, whether from the stuffy air in the closet or other reasons.The group of people chatted at the doorway until Emily suddenly noticed Brendan's wrinkled suit. "Brendan, who ironed your outfit? It's so wrinkled. The ironing skill is below par."Brendan lowered his head and examined the wrinkled parts caused by Deirdre's punch. Her blows had left visible marks on his suit, although they hadn't caused any pain.He smoothed his suit and explained, "I rested on the sofa earlier because I was too tired. I forgot to remove my suit, so it became wrinkled."The group at the door jokingly commented, "Mr. Brighthall couldn't sleep soundly last night because he was too nervous, even for the engagement. How will he manage when he's married?"Emily pretended to be shy. "Sto
Brendan pretended to be confused. "What do you mean? I don't understand.""Ms. McKinnon entered the resting area earlier, and I was the one who brought her here. Where is she now..." Ryker paused, his tone meaningful. "Mr. Brighthall, I know about your ill intentions toward Ms. McKinnon. However, she is here with me. If anything were to happen to her, it would be my responsibility."Please hand her over."Brendan remained silent, but Emily's expression turned serious and tense. She glared at Ryker and then turned to Brendan. "Brendan, is Deirdre with you?"Brendan maintained his usual calm expression. "No."Ryker sneered. "Mr. Brighthall, I personally entrusted Ms. McKinnon to you, hoping you would handle your complicated relationship like a real man. I didn't expect that you would not only hide her but also try to cover up this matter.""That's enough," Emily said coldly. She couldn't understand Ryker's motive for stirring up trouble at her engagement party. She had planned to c
At first, Deirdre assumed that Ryker was lying to her, but it seemed there was more to the story. Wiping the sweat from her face, she walked toward the entrance of the resting area, supporting herself against the wall.She opened the door and saw Ryker standing in his eye-catching white suit. Seeing Deirdre, Ryker appeared both surprised and expectant."I've been waiting for you, Ms. McKinnon," Ryker said. "Seems like it's not easy for a pregnant woman to escape from a closet, huh?"Deirdre looked up at Ryker with mixed feelings.Ryker continued. "The engagement party has already started. Don't forget what you promised me.""What did I promise you?" Deirdre asked. "To ruin Emily and Brendan's engagement party?"Ryker raised an eyebrow. "By the sound of your tone, are you backing out of our agreement, Ms. McKinnon?"Deirdre's expression grew tense, and coldness emanated from her eyes, almost giving her a murderous look. "I won't back out of our agreement if you respect me. I will
After hearing the nurse's words, she abruptly ended the call, leaving Deirdre frozen in place with tears streaming down her face. Thoughts raced through her mind."Someone beat up Joseph until... his legs ςεre broken?"But Brendan assured me he could keep Joseph safe. Emily said she would let Joseph leave too!"How did it escalate to this in such a short time?"Joseph had recently become a father and was working at the resort. He was thriving in his life, so how could he now face a future without his legs?Rage surged from Deirdre's chest to her head. She fought back her tears but couldn't contain her hatred.She had already made up her mind to leave. Her priority was to give birth to her child safely, but not only did Emily refuse to leave her be, but she also refused to spare Joseph any mercy.He lost his legs because of her, so how would Deirdre find the courage to face Josie now?"Are you alright, Ms. McKinnon? Why are you crying? I'm sorry we didn't have much information a
Brendan felt a sharp pain through his shirt, causing him to furrow his eyebrows. His face turned pale, and he quickly pushed Deirdre away to prevent her from biting him.Deirdre staggered and fell to the ground, unable to maintain her balance. She instinctively protected her belly by breaking her fall with outstretched arms. However, her emotional state and vigorous actions still caused pain in her belly.Clutching her belly, Deirdre looked up to see Brendan helping Emily to stand. Her eyes were bloodshot with anger.After ensuring Emily's safety, Brendan's furrowed eyebrows relaxed. He turned his fierce gaze toward Deirdre and said, "You must be out of your mind! Call the police and have her taken to the police station!"Deirdre sneered and replied, "You're right. I have lost my mind... I lost it from the beginning! How could I have fallen for you? How could I... I shouldn't have believed your last words, thinking you would protect Joseph!"Panic flickered across Emily's face whi
A floaty voice emerged from the crowd, saying, "However, Mr. Brighthall took Ms. McKinnon to the Kings' wedding a few months ago in Eastgene and publicly acknowledged her as his partner. If the child isn't Mr. Brighthall's, why would he do that?"Emily glanced around but couldn't spot the person speaking. Anger surged within her, and she immediately retorted, "That's because Brendan initially believed the child was his. Who would have guessed it was just an illegitimate child?""If it's an illegitimate child, that means she cheated on Brendan first. Why should he show her any respect?"Deirdre curled up, hiding the hatred in her bloodshot eyes, and lowered her gaze."I can confirm that the child is Brendan's," she said, feigning grief. "I have the courage to get a paternity test, but can you afford to make that bet? Are you willing to announce to the world whether the child in my womb is illegitimate or Brendan's?"Emily staggered back, feeling dizzy, while Deirdre spoke coldly. "
Emily lowered her head, concealing the emotions in her eyes."I had no idea. Ms. McKinnon suddenly confronted me. I thought she blamed me for taking Joseph away, but she mentioned Joseph being disabled. I don't understand..."Brendan's dark eyes reflected her innocence. "So... you were unaware of Joseph's accident?""Absolutely." Emily nodded eagerly. "I only pleaded for Joseph's release. I have no knowledge of anything else. I'm uncertain if something happened to Joseph during his journey...""I understand now."-Deirdre exited the hotel, her stomach pain intensifying. She gnashed her teeth and approached the intersection to hail a taxi."Take me to Crest Hospital, please..."Observing her pale face and profuse sweating, the driver grew alarmed. "Young lady, are you about to give birth? If so, you should find another cab. If my car gets messy, it'll cost me a fortune to clean!"Deirdre took a deep breath and replied with a determined gaze, "Don't worry. My baby is only seven
Deirdre's lower lip trembled as tears streamed down her face, meeting Josie's hopeful gaze. With great effort, she found her voice. "I'm sorry, Josie... I—"But Josie's grip on her arm tightened, cutting her off. "Deirdre, I don't want apologies. I want Joseph to be healthy again. I won't force you, but can you please ask Brendan for help? He's the father of your child. Maybe he'll be willing to assist us."Deirdre's heart ached at Josie's plea. It was a moment of unbearable torment. She couldn't ask Brendan for help, not after what had happened. He had nearly taken her to the police station.Overwhelmed with sorrow, Deirdre sank to her knees, curling into a ball. "I'm sorry, Josie! It's all my fault. I failed to protect Joe. I never imagined that those who hate me would harm innocent people like him. I'm so sorry!"Josie stared at her, her gaze empty. She held her crying child, but her mind was blank.As she stood up, her expression vacant, she murmured, "Joseph... Joseph... He w