Deirdre burst out laughing while she was crying. “Brendan, you enjoy regarding me as a fool, right? I believe that you are delighted in your heart that I was deceived by your lowly lie and kept going in circles, right?“Yesterday evening…” Deirdre felt intense pain in her throat. “You told me that I still have you. Were you mocking me at the time? On the other hand, I believed you like a fool!”“No!” Brendan’s face turned ghastly from the pain. He objected so strongly that blood was flowing out of his wound once again. He felt the warm flow of endless blood on his palm. He was scared but he was not afraid that he would bleed to death. He was scared that Deirdre would suffer an emotional breakdown. “The words that I said… I meant them sincerely… Deirdre, I’m sorry…”He had nothing else left to say at that very moment but sorry. It was because he could not do anything to resurrect a dead person. Blood was gushing out of his abdomen wildly. The pain stripped away his strength b
Sam witnessed the scene when he came in after Brendan. He saw the woman standing coldly and Brendan kneeling on the ground, his lips ghastly, his hand covering his abdomen, which was bleeding profusely. “Mr. Brighthall!” He ran over to Brendan in a haste. Deirdre held the knife and went running toward Brendan once again. “Brendan, you will atone for your crime in hell!”“Ms. McKinnon!”Sam roared and stepped forward swiftly to stop Deirdre, striking the knife out of Deirdre’s hand. It landed on the floor, and Sam was incredulous. “Ms. McKinnon! What are you doing?”“What am I doing?” Deirdre raised her head to reveal her face, which was filled with hatred and tears. “I’m avenging my mother!”“Please calm down…” Sam did not care about anything but Brendan’s wound. It was a very deep wound, and the blood had drenched half of Brendan’s shirt. His expression was extremely unpleasant, and he hastily called 911. Brendan’s breathing sounded weak, and he leaned against the end of the
Sam felt his heart racing as soon as he heard the remark. He said with a flattering smile, “What do you mean premeditated murder? Is there some sort of misunderstanding?”The police officer said with a frown, “Do you think that there is a misunderstanding when the stench of blood is so strong here? Can you stop the people outside from talking about this situation? I’m warning you not to interfere with the prosecution of this crime. Deidre is a criminal suspect, and we are taking her to the police station for an interrogation today!”Upon saying that, the man scanned the woman sitting on the floor and noticed that her disfigured face matched the police report completely. He did not comment further. He only said, “Deirdre, you’re coming with us!”The others were stunned. Sam hastily stepped forward and said, “This is a misunderstanding, sir! This must be a misunderstanding. Someone was injured here indeed, but it was definitely not a crime as serious as premeditated murder! The inju
Madam Brighthall was extremely furious and refused to listen to Sam’s explanation. “If you owe someone money, you return the money. If you try to kill someone, you pay with your life. I don’t care what happened between them. Since that woman injured Brendan, she deserves to be punished! Bring me the phone.”…Deirdre regained consciousness when a bucket of cold water was poured on her. She had lost count of how long it had been since she had been detained at the police station. She figured that the people in her surroundings were all criminals. The police officer standing in front of her gave an order in a cold voice. “Come out, Deirdre.”Deirdre followed the police officer and heard her handcuffs clanging when she was pinned against the table. His overbearing voice came from above her as he said, “Deirdre, do you know what your offense is? You broke Criminal Law Act 232 regarding first-degree manslaughter. You’ll be sentenced to death, life imprisonment, or no less than ten years
“I’m sorry.” Brendan propped his forehead and said, “I was only trying to find out how Deirdre is currently. After all, it was my fault her mother died.”“How was it your fault?” Charleen bit her lower lip tightly. “She was the one who committed suicide. Were you going to assign someone to watch over her all day long? On the other hand, Ms. McKinnon is too insensible. You treated her mother so well and you even made an exception to bury her…”“That was nothing.” Brendan interrupted her, his eyebrows furrowed even tighter. “Had I not made her your scapegoat, Ophelia wouldn’t have died.”“So do you regret what you did?” Deirdre was incredulous, and her lips were trembling. Brendan was so agitated in his heart that he could not be bothered to explain himself. Meanwhile, Sam suddenly entered the room in a rush, and his dejected eyes lit up abruptly when he saw Brendan. “You’re finally awake, Mr. Brighthall!”“What happened?” Brendan felt uneasy. “The police came and took Ms. McKinn
Brendan covered his abdomen weakly. He could not feel the pain in his injury anymore, perhaps due to the pain in his heart, which overpowered everything else. On the contrary, he cracked a smile and said, “Mother, bail her out…”He said in a shaky voice, “I owe it to her because I was the cause of her mother’s death. Aside from the fact that she didn’t manage to stab me to death, I’d deserve it even if I were to die for real.”“You…” Madam Brighthall was rendered speechless. She staggered, taking a few steps due to her intense headache. “What on earth has happened between you two?”Brendan felt the warm, moist sensation in his hands. Before he could speak, a doctor came rushing into the room. The sutures of his wound were ripped. The wound would need to be closed up again, and he would need another surgery to stop the bleeding. When he came out of the operating theater, Brendan was still trying to force himself to stay conscious. “Sam, go to the police station to check on Deirdr
Brendan kept quiet for a long time before he answered, “This is the last time, I promise.”Madam Brighthall refused to believe his promise. She left, slamming the door, ready to rush over to the police station. Brendan and Sam were left in the room. It was apparent that Sam had not expected that the situation would progress to this extent. He asked in an exploratory manner, “So what should we do now, Mr. Brighthall?”“Head to the police station and figure out a way for me to speak with Deirdre.”Sam nodded. He turned around to head out when Brendan called out to him. “Also, please help me look into Ophelia’s incident one year ago. Find out what happened after her house was taken back.”“Sure.”Charlene had just arrived at the police station with the lawyer when Madam Brighthall followed her. At the same time, Deirdre was brought in. There was no telling if it was due to the three tormenting days in the holding cell or because she had not met her in a long time, but her appea
Deirdre managed to regain some semblance of composure, but her bloodshot eyes were still as bellicose as a pair of daggers pointing in the direction of the lawyer and the police. “Why… did… you people… lie?! Why did you lie?! You told me you’d help me build a case!!!”Her accusation pushed the captain’s buttons. “You don’t build a case without solid evidence, ma’am. And you’ve got none of that! Did you really think you could decide if a year-old case was murder just because you said so? Gimme a break!”“Enough, please…” Sam exhaled, his hands still pinning her shoulders. This could not continue—he just knew it. Gritting his teeth, he said forcefully, “You have to end this right now, Miss McKinnon! You have to drop all your charges against Mr. Brighthall and just… leave the rest to him, okay? That way, you will leave this station in one piece by the end of the day!”“Drop the charges?” Deirdre’s hollow eyes were somehow made alive by the grotesque force of hate and resentment in them
"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