Before Deirdre’s voice died away, Kyran’s lips kissed hers. Deirdre wrapped an arm around his neck and sobbed for the last time with her trembling lips. When the kiss ended, she said calmly, “I’m leaving tomorrow.”Kyran took a deep breath, and his astounded, dark eyes turned bleak. “Stop joking with me.”“I’m not joking with you.” Deirdre was solemn. “I’m telling the truth.”“I shall believe you didn’t take it upon yourself and do it on purpose.” Kyran wiped away the tear streaks on her face affectionately. “Deirdre, I won’t let you go. I’ll never do that again.”Deirdre was stunned. Soon afterward, tears streamed down her face uncontrollably, and her shoulders were bouncing from how profusely she cried.Kyran wrapped his arms around her while Deirdre asked in a muffled voice, “Why? Why do you trust me so much?”Kyran said, “It’s because you’re Deirdre, and that is all the reason I need.”He loosened his embrace and asked when she grew tired from crying, “So, are you going to
“It’s fine!” Deirdre said quickly. She wished she could bury herself in embarrassment and said softly, “I can walk… I haven’t touched the ground for a long time, so my legs are slightly weak…”“Is that so?” Kyran held back his laughter when he spoke. “It must be because I was too hard on you last night. I didn’t know that you were so fragile. Should I be more gentle next time?”Deirdre was extremely embarrassed. “What do you mean next time? I don’t understand.”She wanted to run into the bathroom, but Kyran wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her into his embrace first.“Why are you running away?” He kissed her forehead smilingly. Deirdre bit her lower lip. “You’re mean. You tease me when you know I’m shy.”“What’s there to be shy of when you’re going to be my wife in the future, and it’s only perfectly justified for us to do this?” Kyran bit her lip once and said, “Or are you telling me that I didn’t please you enough?”Deirdre had a hard time speaking. She had no id
”Why are you so careless?” Glenna heaved a sigh and could not refrain from asking, “Have both of you reconciled?”“Us?” Deirdre was confused. “Who? Kyran and I? Haven’t we always been very good with each other?”“But—”“Glenna, come with me outside. I have something that I would like to talk to you about.”Declan caught Glenna by surprise by interrupting her such that her words were stuck in her throat.Deirdre was utterly confused. She could only feel Kyran’s grip on her hand growing stronger without his notice.“Kyran, my hand hurts.”Kyran loosened his grip abruptly after he was reminded by Deirdre and said gently, “I’m sorry.”Deirdre shook her head smilingly and said to Declan and Glenna, “Why do you have to talk outside? It’s so cold outside. You should come inside and talk. It’s almost time for lunch anyway. Stay so you can have a taste of my cooking together.”Declan said smilingly, “It seems that I came at the right time today. I’m in luck for a feast.”“Yes.” Deirdr
“Is that all?” Kyran stared at Deirdre closely with his dark eyes and felt relieved when he noticed there was nothing strange about her expression. He hugged her tightly. Deirdre wrapped her arms around his back and felt the man’s wide, muscular back shaking ever so slightly.She asked, “Are you shaking, Kyran?”Kyran did not answer, but the door of the room opened up. Glenna and Declan did not express any surprise after seeing them, as if they had already heard the commotion outside the room.Deirdre explained shyly, “I wasn’t eavesdropping on purpose, but I came for some flour. However… Since I’ve already overheard your conversation, I won’t beat around the bush anymore. Are you… quarreling? Are you okay?”Glenna’s expression was ghastly pale and very unpleasant. Her red lips were tightly pursed, and she took a glance at Kyran before she asked with her fists clenched, “Deirdre, you and him… Him being Mr. Reed, are you happy being with him?”Deirdre had no idea why Glenna wou
‘Kyran… Brendan…’Charlene’s pupils shook violently. “Get someone to keep watch on Deirdre, quickly! Look into the man named Kyran, who is always with her while you’re at it!”“Uh…” Mitch leaned against the chair and expressed his amusement. “Charlene, you must be joking with me, right? Do you know that someone is protecting Deirdre? Let alone keeping watch on her. I don’t even f*ck*ng know where she is.”“I know you have your ways of doing it!” Charlene was extremely agitated and struck the table while she shouted, “Mitch! We’re in the same boat. Don’t you dare be unappreciative after helping you frequently in Brendan’s name!”Mitch had his legs crossed and said in a cynical tone, “It seems that you’re of no use to me now. Brendan has left you, so why should I stay? Besides, do you think that you can still seduce me with your beauty like you did in the past? Eight out of ten of the hostesses at the club have a plastic-surgery face like yours.”“You!”Charlene was furious that Mi
“Handsome man?” Glenna was stunned for a moment. She thought about her recent suitors and figured that it could only be that unshakable rich kid and said shyly, “You’re kidding me. How is that a handsome man… I shall buy you dinner tonight if you can get rid of him for me. Thanks!”“You can’t be getting rid of a fine, handsome man like that, right?” The colleague covered her mouth, chuckled to herself, and said, “Can I have him if you don’t want him?”“Hold on…” Glenna called over the colleague because she knew her colleague’s beauty standard for men. “It’s not Joshua West?”The colleague said in contempt, “What? How can you compare that man to my Adonis? Ms. Glaser, I highly advise you to apologize to my Adonis at once. Otherwise, I’m going to punish you for slandering my Adonis!”It was possible that Glenna would become a harmonious whole in the past, but she was not in the mood to do so recently. However, she had come to realize immediately that the incoming person was not Joshu
Glenna had just realized that Declan was really waiting for her downstairs.She could not bear to go through the reports anymore because she could not figure out Declan’s goal in coming here.‘He’s not going to choose to let Deirdre find out the truth, nor is he going to change anything. Is he here to convince me, then? Am I really that important?’At that thought, Glenna patted her face and suppressed the ineffable feeling in her chest. She headed to the restroom to wash her face. It was already time to get off work by the time she returned to the office. A group of colleagues were discussing the dinner location and asked for Glenna’s opinion.She shook her head and said, “Count me out. I still didn’t get around to amending the project, so I’m going to put in the extra hours for a while. You guys can go ahead.”“You shouldn’t trouble yourself too much either. If you really can’t finish it, you can do it tomorrow morning. We will only need to hand it in next week anyway, so ther
Declan came up with a rather standard answer. “Miss McKinnon needs you still.” He said, “She called me today and told me about how you’ve been acting off recently. She’s very worried about you as a friend. I feel that we shouldn’t affect her usually calm life anyhow, don’t you think so?”Glenna felt her heart sink. She had naively assumed that Declan perhaps cared about her at the very least, which was why he would try to explain the painful topic to her willingly. “So…” Glenna’s voice was shaky when she said, “So, you’re only here to see me to solve this issue. You’ve never found yourself to be at fault, right?”“A deceit will always be wrong. However, as I’ve said, we don’t have a right to intervene as outsiders.”Declan looked at the tears she held back in her eyes calmly. “Glenna, you’re an adult and a childhood friend of Fionn. I hope you won’t ruin your friendship with Miss McKinnon because you’re doing it out of momentary spite.”Glenna clenched her fist tightly and lo
"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