Brendan frowned and said, “Did you apply a new layer of concealer?Deirdre heaved out a sigh of relief and explained, “I messed up my makeup, so I went to fix it.”“Where is your purse then?” Brendan was cautious. He was not someone who could be fooled easily. “If you didn’t bring your cosmetics with you, how did you fix your makeup? “I borrowed them from someone I met in the washroom.”“Who is it?” Brendan squinted. He had the hunch that Deirdre was lying to him. He decided to follow his instinct and stretched his finger forward to pinch Deirdre’s left cheek. In the next second, the pain that erupted from her left cheek caused her to frown. Brendan let go of his hand and growled, “You’re hurt?” “Yes.” Deirdre knew she couldn’t fool Brendan anymore, so she had no other choice but to admit it.“If you’re hurt, then why didn’t you tell me about it?” Brendan could not hold his anger anymore. “Who did it? Tell me.”Deirdre was stunned for a moment when she realized how angry B
The sharp edges of the photos cut through Declan’s skin, leaving a sharp wound on his cheek.He frowned and looked at the stack of photos on the floor. In the next second, his pupils constricted. Holding Brendan’s arm, Deirdre asked, “What’s the matter?”Brendan looked at the photos and said, “Declan is hugging that woman in the photo.”“What? But how is that possible?” Deirdre was stunned. “Of course, it’s impossible,” replied Brendan. “So something is definitely fishy here, but these photos aren’t photoshopped.”If these photos were photoshopped, then it would be too easy to expose the lie. This was certainly not what Cillian wanted.Declan raised his head and said, “It’s true that the person in the photo is me, but I can assure you guys that nothing happened between us. I was drunk at that time and nearly passed out. There was no way I could’ve done anything. Fionn can be my witness.” “Everyone knows that Fionn is your assistant,” Cillian said impassively. “He’ll only hel
Mr. King Sr. was the first one to come around to his senses. He was overwhelmed by his rage as he covered his chest with his hand and said, “H… How dare you go against my words! If you refuse to do as you’re told, you can get out of the Kings now. You aren’t fit to be known as a King!”Declan said, “I’ve never touched her before, so I don’t need to bear any responsibility, and I’ll not marry her!”Cillian chuckled. “How bold of you to say that, Declan. Look at all the evidence in front of you. There’s nothing you can change, even if you don’t want to admit it. As a man, you should take the consequences of your own deeds. You shouldn’t make our family a laughingstock in the city.”Declan looked at him and clenched his fists tightly. “I can understand other people since they aren’t there when things happen, but you were there too. Look at this picture. This is the private room you brought me to during a celebration. You were also present at that time. Would I have done anything with t
Mrs. King’s expression was dark. Just as she was about to summon the security guard to get her out of there, Cillian spoke. “Miss McKinnon, I think this matter has nothing to do with you, right? You shouldn’t think that you can have everything your way just because you’re Mr. Brighthall’s plus-one. Whether or not there is another story in this matter, we’ll figure it out ourselves.”“She’s Mr. Brighthall’s partner? Is he talking about Brendan?”“I see. No wonder she’s so bold. So, she has someone to back her up.”When Mrs. King heard that Deirdre was with Brendan, she had no other choice but to swallow her anger.As for Brendan, he just dusted his sleeves and said, “Stop it, Deirdre.”Even though he sounded like he was admonishing Deirdre, everyone could see that he was actually supporting her.If he really did not care about her, he would have asked someone to get her out instead of asking her to stop. “No,” Deirdre replied gently. “If it was someone else, I probably wouldn't
“Of course I did!” Cillian smiled coldly at Deirdre as he waited for her to fall into his trap. “If you don’t believe it, you can check the surveillance camera. Wynne, go get the surveillance footage of Mystic Midnight for us.”Wynne went to do Cillian’s bidding. After roughly ten minutes, he came back and whispered into Cillian’s ear. Wearing a shocked expression on his face, Cillian said, “What? The footage has somehow been deleted?”Yes…” Wynne said, “The people from Mystic Midnight said…”“Just say it. Stop wasting our time!”Wynne gnashed his teeth and said, “They all said it’s Declan who ordered them to delete the footage.”Everyone gasped in surprise when they heard what Wynne said. “Isn't this enough to prove everything? If Declan really didn't do anything, why would he ask them to delete the footage?”“Yeah. It seems like he isn’t innocent.”A commotion broke out in the crowd.Deirdre knew that this was what Cillian was aiming for. After all, if he hadn’t struck a de
“What do you mean?” The woman was shaking with anger. “You're saying I'm slandering Declan while disregarding my reputation? He didn't ask to delete the footage on the spot. He did it later!”Declan, who had been silent the whole time, chimed in and said, “You’re wrong. I’ve never visited Mystic Midnight again after I left.”“What?” “Besides, it occurs to me that you don’t know a drunk man well. Based on the video, I was very drunk and could barely stand on my own. There’s no way I could get any reaction in that situation, so how could I have sex with you?”“I…” The woman was stumped. She was so nervous that beads of sweat were beginning to form on her forehead.Cillian frowned. He knew his plan had failed, so he turned around and said to the woman, “How dare you! How could you slander my brother with these photos?”“No! No! I didn’t!”Cillian looked at her coldly and continued. “You didn’t? There are plenty of loopholes in your story. If it hadn’t been for Miss McKinnon, the K
Deirdre leaned on his side and answered, “Nothing much. Mr. King is here to thank me for his younger brother’s incident.”At the mention of Declan, Brendan furrowed his eyebrows and said in an extremely displeased tone, “It was inappropriate for me to speak in the witness of everyone earlier. What is your relationship with Declan that you have to help him like that? You made up a poor excuse even.”He sounded jealous, as if he was extremely displeased about his woman showing herself in public to defend another man. Cillian’s expression was unfathomable, while Deirdre said in a coquettish tone, “What do you mean by I made a poor excuse? You can ask Mr. King whether Declan helped me if you don’t believe me.”“She’s right.” Cillian recovered from his surprise and nodded. “A drunkard charged into the female toilet and behaved unkindly toward Miss McKinnon. My younger brother went to stop the drunkard after hearing the commotion. I immediately sent someone to deal with the drunkard as
Brendan was still as arrogant and proud as usual. His dark, jewel-like pupils were burning with wild anger, yet Cillian was incapable of refuting him. It was because Brendan did have the capability to be all-domineering indeed. “Why do you want to have an extra enemy when you can have a friend?” Cillian chuckled forcefully. “When Mr. Lane comes to realize this, he will acknowledge that he owes you a favor and will certainly figure out ways to compensate you by then! Please do it out of respect for me too, Mr. Brighthall—”In the next moment, Cillian was rendered speechless by Brendan’s cold gaze. “I’m afraid that you’ve misunderstood, Mr. King. I always get what I want with my own capability, and there is no reason I need to do it on someone’s charity. Since he did this, he will need to pay the corresponding price.”Brendan pulled out his phone. Deirdre came to realize the situation and spoke to stop him. “Forget it, Brendan.”She furrowed her eyebrows and did not wish that Br
"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