The man inhaled and said in a regretful tone, “It’s truly a…. You have such beautiful eyes.”Soon afterward, the man said, “Where are you going? Do you need my help to send you to the place you want to go?”“It’s fine.” Deirdre pondered closely and declined his offer. “I am used to this and can go by myself.”“Let me send you. The hospital is crowded. You might get turned around if someone were to knock you over, and you might be unable to tell where you are.”Deirdre was about to decline when she suddenly heard a phone’s mechanical voice coming from ahead of her. “Deirdre.”It was Kyran. Deirdre raised her head abruptly. The man’s arms wrapped around her, and the hug was tightened the next moment to protect her. Kyran seemed to be on guard and exuded hostility. The man did not even have time to react to the situation before Kyran took it upon himself to speak through the phone. “Why did you come back by yourself? I could have come for you.”He seemed to be declaring his poss
Deirdre realized that Kyran did not react to her face after they returned to the room. Even though only the upper half of her face was restored, it was very startling to see her current face compared to her previously mangled face. Unexpectedly, Kyran behaved as if he was used to the sight of her.Deirdre was confused about that. After staying in the room for a while, Kyran behaved as if he realized something and asked, “Why are you still wearing the mask?”Deirdre explained softly, “The recovery of my upper face is quite well, but my cheeks are still severely injured. Dr. Engle said that the recovery will be slower and that I will require regular wound dressing. We should be able to see some results in another two weeks or so.”“Alright.”‘Alright? That’s all?’Deirdre could not conceal the disappointment in her eyes. “Kyran, I’ve already sent the staff members to measure and pave the road on the Village Alnwick project. Later—” Declan opened the door and entered the room.
Deirdre’s cheeks burned. If she admitted to it—well, would it not make it seem like she cared a lot about what Kyran thought of her?The end of Kyran’s lips curled. His sincerity bled as he typed, “I’m stoked to hear that you care about what I think.”Deirdre lowered her head, but no amount of searching provided her any good counterargument. “So? Why didn’t you say anything, then? Unless both Mr. Engel and Mr. King were lying…”“Maybe they were, but what about the man who flirted with you? Do you really think he was lying?” Kyran argued, his eyes nailed to the blind woman’s own. They were unfocused and glassy, but her eyes had always been so clear and transparent.He lowered the phone’s volume. “You’ve always been beautiful, Deirdre. I didn’t react back then because—”Silence. His phone stopped speaking for him. Deirdre had not had the time to wonder what had happened when she felt him slowly inching close. She could feel his breath beating on her. She felt a tightening in her c
’G-Grab Kyran’s arm?’Deirdre lifted her fingertip and realized, belatedly, that she had been sitting this close to him the entire time. She could touch his finger from her end!“You misunderstood, sir. We’re not a couple,” she explained hastily.“Are you sure about that, miss? Because your not-boyfriend has been looking at you with goo-goo eyes the whole time!” The driver teased, laughing. “No need to be shy. I’ve been there. I know what it’s like.”Deirdre froze and suddenly felt a pair of burning gaze landing on her. She lowered her eyes, and suddenly, the man’s fingers walked into hers before depositing a firm, solid object in her palm.Deirdre felt it for a moment before realizing it was a pair of Bluetooth earpieces. Perplexed, she plucked them into her ears and heard Kyran’s mechanical voice, “We’re getting close. Remember to stay close to me.”He had opted to use this method as their means of communication in a crowd, but it also meant that she was the only one who could
Brendan had said something similar to her before. He had even put his money where his mouth was, taking her hand and letting it graze the glass as he described where everything was and how beautiful they were.Anxiety swept across Deirdre like a plague. She forced herself to calm down, reining her mind from wilder and wilder imagination. Kyran and Brendan were not the same! They could not be the same person!“No, I’m good. I’m afraid of heights.”Kyran was silent for a moment. Then, he typed, “Okay, so no heights. What about the carousel?”“Mm-hmm.”Kyran held her hand and led her to the line. Nearby, Freya and her friends were munching on some snacks. Her friend sounded incredulous when she asked, “So, you got fired just like that? Because that Kyran Reed guy said so? What an *sshole! Who the h*ll does he think he is? Is he really that big of a hotshot?”“How was I supposed to know? All I know is that even the director treated him like royalty!” Freya snapped and took a big bi
Despite wearing a mask over half of her face, Freya could tell from Deirdre’s beautiful eyes and her smooth, glowing skin that she was looking at a gorgeous beauty. More importantly, there was no way Deirdre McKinnon, the freak, was this same young woman!Arianne saw it, too. She perused the woman among the line-takers and questioned aloud, “Uh… Is this the freak you mentioned?”“Of course not!” Freya snapped. A flood of shock and anger washed over her. She was shocked to see Kyran seeing another woman and angry that he had only used that ugly freak to reject her advance. She knew it! That freak was a nobody from the start!Kyran had gotten his purchase and returned to the young woman’s side. He shielded her from the crowd’s less gentle pushes with such sweet devotion that Arianne could not stop herself from remarking, “I can’t believe I’m seeing this. Mr. Reed, famous for being reserved and quiet and asocial… Being a sweet, caring gentleman to a woman like that! No way around it,
Kyran’s soft and yearning gaze had never once left Deirdre’s face. He brushed messy strands of hair away from her forehead before finally typing, “Yes. Very good.”Deirdre paused and felt belatedly embarrassed. It almost felt as though she was asking for his compliment.“What do you want to play next?” he asked. “I’m all yours.”She was about to suggest something when she heard the snipping sound of a camera’s shutter. She was sensitive to sounds—the sound of a camera, most of all—and immediately turned to the direction of the sound. Kyran followed her gaze and saw a man taking pictures of them. He frowned.The man finally noticed his more outward display of displeasure and realized his mistake. He lowered his camera and began introducing himself, “Oh, I don't mean any offense! I’m a photographer, and my Spidey-Sense just couldn’t overlook the beauty in the way you two interacted and how generally beautiful the two of you are! So… I guess my job persona took hold of me before I k
”No trouble, darling! No trouble at all!” replied the man, scratching his head and chuckling to himself. “I should be the one to thank the two of you! There’s no way I’m the only one contributing to pictures this good. The models did at least half of the work in this case! Anyway, I should excuse myself. I hope I get an invitation to your eventual, coming-soon wedding!”He bolted away just like that. Deirdre hardly had the time to explain her relationship with Kyran. Sensing the young man’s burning gaze laser-focused on her neck, she apologized under her breath, “He fled before I could explain. Besides, I don’t think he’d trust me if I told him we aren’t a couple.”“I know. That is why I don’t think there’s anything to explain. I like the ‘misunderstanding’ better.”Kyran’s smile worsened Deirdre’s embarrassment. She was starting to feel a little sick in her stomach, too, and before she knew it, her hand was pressing against her belly. The man caught her action and asked, “Do you
"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