Deirdre’s face was as white as a sheet. Hearing both his name and a question about their relationship triggered her. Fortunately for her, Declan knew better than to pursue the thread. “No, never mind. It must have been something deeply distressing from the looks of it, so I won’t press on it anymore.”“Thank you,” Deirdre muttered under her breath. “God, I told Miss Charlene McKinney Mr. Reed’s room by mistake just now. That’s not good,” the first nurse murmured. “I should go up there and inform her of the change.”“You don’t have to,” replied the head nurse. “I’ll inform the nurses on that floor.” “Okay.”Their conversation died.Deirdre bit her lips as a new question took hold of her mind. Should she go up there? Charlene was there right now…“You wanna take a break, Miss McKinnon? I’ll get you a room in a nearby hotel. You can come back in the evening. How does that sound?”Deirdre stiffened for a moment and replied hastily, “T-That’s great.” She felt lucky to have met
“Good call, Dee Dee. It’s a snowstorm here, Dee Dee. The roads have been blocked for the time being! I feel better knowing that Mr. King and Mr. Reed are taking care of you.”Eilis’s lecture went on for a little longer. Her wide-ranging topic included Deirdre’s safety and how she should never run off alone. Finally, the call ended.Deirdre sat on her bed, indecisive. After mulling it over, she punched Tobey’s numbers. The recipient practically answered it on the first beep, “Dee?”Deirdre was still a little surprised at how fast he was. “Toby! You’re… quick. Aren’t you supposed to be resting or something?”“I rested,” Tobey replied, massaging his temples. “I went to work after a short few hours of rest.”Deirdre felt a pang of guilt. “Sorry. I cost you last night, didn’t I? And you still have to work the next day.”Tobey could not help letting out a cackle. “God, Dee. I swear, if you’re calling me just to say you’re sorry, then I wish I didn’t answer you at all.”Deirdre gave a
“Wait, so you two are not…” Tobey froze for a moment before sighing in relief. “Oh my God, Dee! You almost gave me a heart attack!“Listen very carefully. The last thing we common folks wanna do is to find ourselves involved in these nobles’ skirmishes. We don’t have status or wealth to back us, Dee. The only thing that’s gonna come out of this is us being chewed up and torn apart by the chaos.” Deirdre felt her entire body turning into stone. She closed her eyes, her eyelids trembling, and wished someone had told her this earlier. If only someone had told her sooner. God, things would have been so different!“I know what you mean, Toby. But I’m only acquainted with Mr. King because he’s the man behind the plans to develop Alnwick into a tourist spot.” “Oh, so it was him.” A severe look crossed Tobey’s face. He mulled it over for a second and frowned. “It’s a profitable business and all, yet I can’t help but find this a little suspicious. Why does a man with that much power and r
“Miss McKinney is—”The assistant hardly got one more word in before the shrill sound of high heels stabbing the floor reverberated throughout the hall. Its fitful beat was indicative of the wearer’s frazzled concern.“Brendaaaan!” Charlene called out frantically, her fingers gripping her handbag. “Why aren’t you lying on your bed right now?! Did you listen to what the doctor said? You’re in no shape to walk around, darling! You must get on with the operation and take a long break!”Not a hint of warmth surfaced in Brendan’s frigid visage. His icy tone hardly thawed. “Make me stay inside any longer, and I’ll be no different from a corpse.”“But you should at least tell me before you leave! And look at your buttons. They are mismatched, darling. I can’t let you suffer even the weakest winter breeze!” She tossed her bag to the assistant and latched her manicured fingers around his buttons, ensuring they were all done properly. Only after Brendan’s coat hugged tightly around his che
Kyran was panting. Obviously, he had been rushing over.Deirdre woke up, raised her head, and said, "Have you finished the examination?"Kyran paced forward and hugged her vigorously into his embrace.The clothes on his body were cold. As Deirdre smelled his faint aura, she inexplicably felt calmed down and said jokingly, “Why did your full body checkup take so long? Did you come here only after sleeping there?”Kyran released her and took out his smartphone.“I'm sorry to keep you waiting for so long. There was a temporary problem with the equipment, so I waited for a while. Declan told me that you are in the ward, but I couldn’t come over immediately.”“Now worries.” Deirdre cast a comforting smile. She didn’t care about it at all.However, Kyran clenched her hand tightly. He frowned when he felt her cold fingertips, and he took off his coat and put it on her without much thought.Deirdre was shocked. She quickly refused and pushed the coat away. “No, thank you. The last time
“They don't make friends just because you give me extra candy, I smile at you, and they are friends. Since they were born, they will only make friends for the sake of connections, to go higher and farther."If Kyran Reed was a person with no identity, how could he mingle with Declan? As for you saying that Kyran Reed wouldn’t be noticed, don’t you think that it’s ridiculous? People who can mingle with the youngest son of the King family are either rich or noble. As long as the two are together, it is impossible for others not to pay attention. Are you sure you aren’t being deceived?”Following that, Tobey gave another shocking piece of information that there wasn’t any wealthy family called Reed in Eastgene.In an instant, Deirdre’s mind went blank. Everything became pale and white.What was Kyran's identity, and who was he? Declan said that Kyran and he had been friends since childhood, but Tobey’s investigation showed that Kyran did not exist. It was as if Kyran had appeared out
“Aren’t you tired?”“I’ve taken a long rest, so I’m good.”Kyran wanted to say something but stopped and only replied with the word “Okay”. Following that, he went to lie down on the bed.Deirdre switched off the lights. It was already late at night, and the room was very quiet. Deirdre waited until Kyran fell asleep from the sound of his breathing, which became calm, before she got up from the sofa.She walked to the bed. Even though the room was pitch black, it was no different to her. She could even discern Kyran’s position by listening to his breathing.Taking a deep breath to cheer herself up, Deirdre stretched out her hand, and her fingertips slowly landed on the man's eyebrows.She groped bit by bit downwards, from his forehead to his high, straight nose. Deirdre opened her eyes. When her hand was about to reach his lips, a hand suddenly grabbed her wrist. In the dark, she felt the man's eyes were wide open and locked on her face.It was a vigorous hand grab, but when Kyr
Boom!Deirdre seemed to be struck by lightning. She was so shocked that her soft lips couldn't even close together. "What?"She thought she had misheard, but Kyran was extremely sure.“I like you. The first time I saw you, I already liked you.”Kyran typed very quickly, and his eyes were flowing with endless affection. “Actually, if I hadn't fallen sick, you would have known it the day before yesterday. I asked you out to confess to you and formally pursue you.”"How could it be?" Deirdre's mind was completely numb.Kyran liked her? How could it be? How was it possible!?“Why can't it be?” Kyran rebutted calmly. “The first time I saw you, I already got the feeling that it’s you. It must be you. I’ve never had this feeling all these years. I think it’s called falling in love at first sight.”Deirdre gasped and couldn't believe that Kyran had fallen in love with her at first sight.That was simply too ridiculous.“With such an appearance of mine, you can obviously have a better
"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