Charlene’s face was green and purple. She had almost fainted, and her lips were trembling. Deirdre still wanted to throw herself at Charlene but she was stopped by the man. Charlene said, “Haven’t you wondered why Brendan refuses to let you see Ophelia, Deirdre?! It’s because she is dead, of course! Her corpse has been burned to ashes! Hence, you won’t be meeting a dead person no matter how obedient you are. You may ask Brendan personally if you don’t believe me and see how he answers you!”Upon saying that, Deirdre knew that time was running out, so she turned around and left with the man. Deirdre sat on the rug by herself and felt icy coldness spreading through her body. There was confusion and fear in her eyes when she muttered to herself, “It can’t be… It can’t be…”“Brendan promised me that he would let my mother off if I agreed to be the scapegoat. How is she dead? How?”She attempted to convince herself over and over again, yet her mind was filled with past events constan
“You only need to answer me if my mother is still alive or not!” Deirdre was having an emotional breakdown. Her tears seeped into her mouth, and she could taste their bitterness. “Brendan! You promised! You promised me that you’d take care of my mother if I agreed to be Charlene’s scapegoat! If anything bad has happened to her, I will hate you for the rest of my life!”‘If anything bad has happened to her, I will hate you for the rest of my life!’Brendan’s mood was affected, and his breathing pattern changed as well. His voice sounded cold when he said, “No! Ophelia is still well and safe in the hospital! Deirdre, stop believing hearsay and learn to think in every situation. If Ophelia was dead, she’d be dead. Why would I lie to you about that?”Deirdre sobbed soundlessly and shook her head. She was almost hysterical. “I don’t know…”She had no idea why Brendan would need to lie to her, yet she had no choice but to believe the voice clip after everything that had happened recently
She believed that she would not end up the way she had when she had fallen from the second floor if she jumped from here. She had broken a few ribs but she had lived and been discharged from the hospital previously. She would die if she were to fall from this floor. However, Deirdre did not feel an ounce of fear in her heart as she felt the wind. She stepped over and sat on the ledge easily, her feet hanging in the air. It felt as if she had traveled back in time while playing with the water in the pond of the slums. She felt more joyous and relaxed than she had ever felt before. The doctor noticed that something was off and came rushing to the third floor. His expression turned pale with fear. “Ms. McKinnon! Don’t do anything rash! Come down here, quick!”“Don’t come near me.” Deirdre turned her head, her hair blowing in the wind, her gaze so empty that the sight of her was pitiful. “I will jump if you take one step closer to me!”The doctor was almost in tears, as no one wo
“I have something important to attend to. Postpone the meeting!”Sam was stunned, and his face turned pale. “Mr. Brighthall! You’ve been after this project for more than six months…”“I said, postpone it! Get me flight tickets immediately! We’re going back to Neve!”Sam had also noticed that something was off. “What’s going on in Neve?”“Deirdre is threatening to commit suicide on the third floor of the villa.”He wanted to hop on a flight to return to Neve, but doing so was not as simple as he thought it would be. There was no available flight now, and the earliest flight would take off at midnight. He would need to wait five more hours. Forget about five hours. Deirdre might not necessarily be able to withstand three hours in the cold wind given her health condition. Brendan could only arrange for a private jet, so more than two hours had already passed by the time he arrived in Neve. He ran through all the red lights on the way home and found the woman’s emaciated figure
Hence, Sam ran over instinctively with his arm outstretched and grabbed Deirdre’s wrist the very moment Deirdre jumped without the slightest hesitation. He only discovered how absurdly skinny the woman was the moment he grabbed her wrist. She was all skin and bones. “Ms. McKinnon! Give me your other hand! Quick!”Deirdre’s expression, which had been filled with despair, finally changed ever so slightly when she heard Sam’s voice, but it was only a minute change. Tears kept flowing out of the corners of her eyes constantly. She raised her head and said with feigned calmness, “Sam, I treat you well usually. If you really want to do something good for me, loosen your grip, okay? It’s too painful to live. Let me be with my mother and perform my duty as a daughter.”Sam felt an ache in his heart so painful that he could not speak. Brendan ran over with bloodshot eyes and clutched Deirdre’s arm tightly.No one knew this, but Brendan had felt his sinking heart halt to a stop the very
“While there’s life, there’s hope?” This was simply the biggest irony to Deirdre. She had been trying to live with great effort all this time, yet in exchange for her effort, she had been dragged into this hell of despair. “My mother is dead, and I’ve been turned into this creature. You tell me… What else is there to hope for?”She loathed Sam for saying ‘while there’s life, there’s hope’ so easily. ‘Can’t he see that all that is left of my life is darkness?’“Are you still lying to me at this point?” Deirdre looked at him with hatred and despair. “Why didn’t you bring her with you if she is still alive? Brendan, does keeping me in the dark and using my mother to have a hold over me give you a sense of achievement?”Her hysterical episode made Brendan’s eyes redden, and he felt suffocated. He had not wanted Ophelia to die. But if he were to acknowledge her death, he would not only need to admit his mistake, but Deirdre would lose her hope to live too. She would loathe him an
Dr. Ginger ran over to Deirdre as well. He felt Deirdre’s forehead with his hand, his expression unpleasant as he said hastily, “Take her to the room! Ms. McKinnon’s body is too weak. She can’t stand the cold.”Brendan carried Deirdre down to her room and wrapped her body tightly in a blanket. He turned on the heater as well. The knot in the pit of his stomach felt relieved ever so slightly when he felt the warmth returning to the woman’s body. He left the rest to Dr. Ginger. Brendan headed outside for a smoke while Sam guarded the door. He said with difficulty when he noticed Brendan, “Mr. Brighthall…”He kept his head lowered, his expression overwhelmed with emotions. He hesitated for a long time before he finally said, “Is Ms. McKinnon’s mother… still alive?”Brendan turned his head and took a cold glance at him. He had a cold, threatening look in his eyes. “What are you trying to tell me?”Sam pursed his lips. “If Ms. McKinnon’s mother is not alive anymore, this lie won’t l
It was all related to Ophelia. Brendan had known how important Ophelia was to Deirdre for a long time. Ophelia had been sick because of Deirdre, so she had carried the heavy burden of raising Deirdre by herself. She had refused to marry again and taken three laborious jobs to make a living. Deirdre had once whispered to him, “Brendan, you’re the second most important person in my life.”He had been agitated at the time and he had humored her by asking with a cold face, “Who’s the most important person then?”“My mother!” Her tiny face had blushed scarlet because she had misunderstood his reaction for jealousy. She had explained herself in a panic, “Don’t misunderstand.”“What’s there for me to misunderstand?”Deirdre had chuckled before falling silent. “She has experienced way too many hardships for me, so I would die willingly for her if it meant that she’d get to live to see another day.”Deirdre had assumed that she was the happiest girl in the world at the time. She had
"Where is she?"Brendan stared at him, utterly surprised. Sean's voice trembled a bit, but his eyes held a clear and hopeful gaze.Brendan finally calmed down and looked behind him. "There, that's your mother."This was the first time Sean had spoken. Deirdre felt her mind buzzing. When she snapped back to reality, she extended her hand. "Sean, come here."Sean's eyes held gentle amazement. He was intelligent—perhaps he had sensed it on the way there. Thus, his feelings were a blend of happiness and satisfaction.He felt joy that Deirdre was going to be his mother.Being a kid, he took a few steps but couldn't stop his tears, holding onto Deirdre firmly.Deirdre suppressed her own urge to cry and crouched down, wiping away his tears. "Do you... hate mom for not being there and not recognizing you?"Sean shook his head frantically. "As long as you're here… That's enough…"Deirdre hugged him tightly, and Brendan approached, wrapping them both in his embrace.When they brought S
"I was too young back then, still sulking with my father," Brendan replied after recalling his childhood.Arthur chuckled. "Kids will be kids, after all. Besides, your father was an excellent businessman, and you've followed in his footsteps. I've heard about your impressive success with the business in Neve. You're truly talented. With the Parkers under your control, I can finally relax." Brendan thought it was just praise from an elder. He was about to give a humble response when he got surprised by the rest of the statement. This made him freeze in place."The Parkers?" Deirdre was equally surprised."What's wrong?" Arthur beamed. "Don't you both already have children? Although you've divorced, your relationship is still strong. Don't tell me there's no thought of remarriage?""Remarriage? It's not the right time yet." Deirdre blushed from the teasing."It'll come eventually. If that's the case, then you are both part of the Parkers now. You're my only daughter, and he's my s
Beneath the envelope lay the evidence. Deirdre stared at it for a long time, with Brendan by her side, offering silent support.The next day, they boarded a plane back to Southedge. Within three days, news of the top political figure's downfall due to corruption spread like wildfire throughout Southedge, even captivating the interest of other cities.Upon learning the full story in his study, Arthur's aging face was stained with tears of regret. "If only I had known sooner... I wouldn't have let your mother leave like that."Deirdre lowered her gaze and handed the letter to Arthur. "My mother explains in the letter that her departure was a voluntary sacrifice to protect everyone. She never blamed you."Arthur gazed at the letter, struggling to find the right words.Deirdre left silently, shutting the door.-Ryker was also brought to the police station. Under Sterling's methods, he confessed to the murders. Emily faced the same outcome.All of them waited for their trials.-
The distance from Southedge to Village Alnwick was immense, yet Brendan displayed unwavering resolve."Then let's depart today," he said.As Deirdre bid farewell to Arthur, an unexpected glimmer of sadness flickered in his eyes. "Visiting your mother's grave, huh? Okay, go ahead. Take care of yourself, don't overexert.""Yes," Deirdre replied. Faced with Arthur's hesitant gaze, she felt compelled to add, "Dad, I'll be back."Arthur met Deirdre's gaze, hope rekindling in his eyes.Deirdre softly sighed. "You're my father, my family. Of course, I'll return." "Really? You mean it?" Arthur's excitement made his hands tremble slightly. He held onto Deirdre as if wanting to convey something, but all that emerged was a murmur, "Then please return early... Come back as soon as you can...""Sure. I have a friend coming over later today. Take care of him. Oh, and my boyfriend is here, too. Don't worry about the specifics. I'll explain everything upon my return."As she stepped out, Bren
"Brendan Brighthall?" Ryker wiped away his own nosebleed. "How did you manage to come from Neve? Didn't I ask Emily to keep an eye on you? That useless fool who can't even accomplish simple tasks.""Choosing to control minds with drugs all along, you should have anticipated this outcome." Brendan acted roughly. As he got up, he took the key from Ryker and placed Ryker on a chair.Deirdre clenched Brendan's sleeve tightly. Sensing her tension, Brendan embraced her to calm her down."It's okay. I'm sorry for coming back so late, making you go through this.""It's not your fault. Your timely arrival saved me from further trouble. It's my own foolishness... I let him find something to use against me," Deirdre said, shaking her head weakly.Brendan frowned, cupping Deirdre's face. "He wasn't someone easily deceived, to begin with. You've done well. I'm the one who brought you into this danger, which is unforgivable."Brendan's dark eyes were filled with intense emotions. He had arrive
Deirdre hugged Ryker, resting her head on his chest as he patted her back. "By the way, you're not curious about where I went after I left early this morning?"Deirdre realized the hidden meaning behind Ryker's words, retreated from Ryker's embrace little by little, and looked at him.Ryker's eyes, as enigmatic as ever, held a clarity that seemed to pierce through everything. "I went to the hospital."He didn't wait for Deirdre to respond. "Because I was curious why I was so sleepy last night for no reason. Any ordinary person might chalk it up to exhaustion. But I know my body too well. You drugged me."Deirdre felt a sudden chill running down her spine.Ryker took a step forward casually, but his eyes were full of killing intent. "I underestimated you, Deirdre. Your acting skills are far more impressive than I imagined. You nearly had me fooled. You deserve an Oscar. What a pity that you're now in my hands."Deirdre retreated abruptly, but she found a cold wall barring her esca
Deirdre was momentarily stunned as she watched Arthur search around the study. Eventually, he uncovered a rusty key from a drawer.Arthur raised the key. "Is this what your mother desired?"Deirdre's mind raced, thoughts swirling. "Is this from my mother?"A hint of disappointment shadowed Arthur's eyes as he nodded. "This is the only thing she left me before she departed. She didn't explain why. She just made me promise to keep this key and never search for her."Although I agreed, the thought of it weighed heavily on me. So, I hid the key in a corner of the drawer instead of treating it like any other possession. In hindsight, I shouldn't have made that promise. I shouldn't have let her go alone."Deirdre's voice wavered, confusion evident. But as realization dawned, her heart raced. "Can you give me the key?"Arthur earnestly nodded, his expression solemn. "This belongs to your mother. I'm willing to give it to you whenever you're ready. To be honest, I'm relieved to pass it o
The butler nodded and guided Deirdre to the study's door. Gathering her emotions, she pushed it open.Arthur's attention was on some documents, but the door's creak made him look up. He met Deirdre's gaze, causing a subtle flicker of surprise and uncertainty in his eyes."Deirdre..." He set aside the file. "Did you just wake up? Hungry? I'll have the kitchen prepare something."Deirdre shook her head, closing the door gently."Not hungry. I came to talk.""Everything okay?" Concern colored Arthur's expression. Though he seemed worried she might leave, he tried to hide it. "Go ahead. I'm with you."Deirdre found his reaction slightly amusing. "I'm not leaving."A spark returned to Arthur's eyes. "Then what's up?"As Deirdre grew more serious, she said, "I came to Southedge not just for a visit. I want to know if my mother left something with you before she passed. Something significant.""Left something?" Arthur was puzzled. "She left several things. Which one do you mean?"De
Brendan's eyes held a hint of pity as he spoke hesitantly. "Your mother took that item away."He gently touched Deirdre's face. "That man kidnapped your mother years ago. I don't know what happened during that time. Maybe he hurt your mother and wanted to keep her forcibly. Eventually, your mother found a chance to escape back to your father with the man's item."She left suddenly while pregnant with you, not out of hatred for your father, but to protect you. Now, that person is unsure if your mother or Arthur has the item. Thus, he aimed to kidnap both you and your father, taking his time to retrieve them."Deirdre's mind was overwhelmed, flooded with information that threatened to drown her. This unexpected revelation left her in disbelief.'My mother left my father because of me? And the mastermind behind Ryker is responsible for my mother's kidnapping?'"So that item holds significant importance for this person, enough to bring him down, right?" Deirdre forced herself to calm