Emily's face flashed with a shy, angry look. She turned away and grunted, "Jealous? You've overestimated yourself. How could I possibly be jealous?""Is that so?" Ryker smirked, staring at her. Taking his time, he said, "I sense someone's jealousy toward Deirdre. Could it be that you fear she'll steal my heart, just like she stole Brendan's?""You—"Before Emily could vent her anger, Ryker leaned over and kissed her passionately. His technique was exquisite, leaving Emily unable to resist, only clutching his shirt in arousal and breathing heavily.After satisfying Emily with his actions, Ryker dressed and handed her a tissue to clean up. He reassured her, saying, "Don't worry. How could Deirdre ever compare to you? I'm already head over heels for you, so why would I care about a pregnant woman who doesn't even wear makeup?"Emily had her doubts. "Really? Then why did you suddenly suggest switching caregivers and offer to take care of me instead?"Ryker caressed her hair and expla
"You're putting yourself in a dangerous situation if you choose to keep him in the villa. Don't forget that it was him who took me to your engagement party with Emily!"Brendan narrowed his eyes, his tone filled with contempt as he nonchalantly addressed Deirdre, "So, are you suggesting that you have a close relationship with him, and I should be wary?"Deirdre felt stunned by Brendan's words.He leaned in, his dark eyes fixed on her as if trying to peer into her soul. "It's naïve of you to think that way."Brendan continued, his voice filled with scorn. "Ryker is the president of a publicly-held pharmaceutical company. Why would he be interested in a blind and pregnant woman like you?"Embarrassment washed over Deirdre as Brendan insulted her. She braced herself, ready to endure his words, and mustered the courage to speak up. "Yes, he might not be interested in me, but what about our child?"Deirdre noticed Brendan's irregular breathing, a sign that he still cared about the chi
Brendan, true to his nature of keeping promises, had made Deirdre believe that he would uphold his commitment to not allow Ryker into the villa. Deirdre's belief turned out to be correct. Brendan calmly stated, "After careful consideration last night, I realized that it would be a waste of your colleague's talents to solely care for Deirdre. Someone as brilliant as him should be out there exploring the vast world rather than confined to a small home."I will find a suitable caregiver to take care of Deirdre, so Mr. Wight won't be burdened anymore."Deirdre felt a sense of relief while Emily was taken aback.Emily expressed her surprise and probed, "Brendan, didn't we have a good conversation last night? You promised me that my colleague could take care of Ms. McKinnon. Why are you suddenly changing your mind? Did someone else influence you last night?"Brendan remained stoic, not answering immediately, but Emily quickly grasped the situation. She grew furious.It seemed that Dei
"Indulged in wishful thinking?" Deirdre felt slightly dizzy from the anger. "You're a disgrace!"Brendan turned his head to glance at her in contempt and spoke nonchalantly. "Disgrace? Don't blame me. You seemed to have had a good time last night too, right?"Deirdre gritted her teeth and angrily threw the pillow on the floor. She vowed never to believe Brendan again, not a single word.The incident took her by surprise because she had always believed that Brendan would never break his promises. This was completely out of character for him.She had underestimated Emily's influence on Brendan, and that realization hit her hard.Later that day, Deirdre met the female caregiver arranged by Emily. A young and agile caregiver, Frances Ramos entered the house respectfully and introduced herself.Brendan was pleased with Frances and instructed her to take good care of Deirdre's diet and daily routine. But Deirdre felt uneasy hearing this and abruptly left the room.Brendan closed his d
Despite Deirdre's refusal to believe it, Ryker remained firm in his stance. He insisted that she comply with him, or else he would take it out on Brendan."Alright." Deirdre nodded slowly, realizing she had no better choice at this point. She knew Ryker couldn't hypnotize her.As they headed out, Ryker handed her a jacket, draping it over her shoulders. Deirdre felt uneasy with his action, as it breached the safe distance two strangers would maintain."I'll do it myself," she said, putting on the jacket and walking along the roadside.Ryker casually remarked, "Ms. McKinnon, you don't need to be on guard with me. Your mother and I are partners, and I promised to treat you well. So, we're friends."Deirdre's gaze momentarily became distracted at the mention of her mother. She found Ryker cruel whenever he brought up Ophelia."There's no need for you to mention her to get close to me. My mother and I are no longer on the same path."Ryker seemed incredulous. "Ms. McKinnon, your mot
Deirdre's silence was filled with emotions as she looked at Ryker. After a while, she asked, "How can I trust you? There's no trust when working with a man like you.""The trust lies in your mother. We've always shown mercy toward you. Otherwise, you wouldn't be alive today."His wildly conceited speech left Deirdre breathless."She told you not to kill me?""Yes." Ryker nodded. "As allies, it's part of our exchange condition, and we'll honor our promise. So, you don't have to worry about us going back on our word. We won't kill you, and when Brendan is no longer useful to us, we'll eliminate him, of course."Deirdre bit her lower lip tightly, considering for a moment, and asked, "What do you want from me?""To retrieve an item for me.""An item?"Ryker became serious. "What item it is, I can't tell you yet. You'll only need to follow my orders and execute my plan, that's all."Deirdre lowered her gaze. "Alright then. But you have to give me some time to think it through.""H
Brendan's sudden request for Deirdre to go to the room surprised her. They had never done this before and usually maintained a certain distance between them.Deirdre pretended to be unfazed and got up from the sofa. Ryker narrowed his eyes and asked, "Ms. McKinnon, do you often go upstairs alone with Mr. Brighthall?""Yes," Deirdre replied calmly. "Whenever he has free time, he reads bedtime stories to our child upstairs.""Read bedtime stories?" Ryker raised an eyebrow in surprise.Deirdre nodded. "I'm not sure where he got the idea, maybe because this child will be his only one in the future, so he wants to connect with her through prenatal education.""I see." Ryker didn't take it too seriously. Before Deirdre left, he whispered in her ear, "I hope you won't forget our conversation this morning. I'll come tomorrow for your answer."Ryker picked up his briefcase and walked away, leaving Deirdre clenching her palms tightly. She took a deep breath and approached the door of Brend
Was there any difference?Brendan's fist clenched tightly. How dare she question the difference between him and Ryker? It was clear...Anger simmered in Brendan's eyes as he spoke in a low, intense tone, "Is there any difference between me and him? Fine, I'll tell you."Abruptly, he stood up and pressed himself against Deirdre, kissing her forcefully. His strong arms held her tightly, restricting her movement.Deirdre's surprise quickly turned into panic as she pushed hard and managed to push Brendan away, but the lingering sensation of his breath remained between her lips and teeth.Brendan's voice turned icy as he said, "Do you feel it now? That's the difference! If I were Ryker, regardless of your resistance, your clothes would have been torn off by now. With him, you won't find any respect or freedom."You may think you're beautiful, but there are countless women more beautiful than you in this world. He can do whatever he pleases with you. And when he grows tired of you, do