Deirdre stood up in preparation to head upstairs to rest, but Glenna seized the opportunity to say, “I’ll keep you company!”Deirdre did not decline Glenna’s offer and headed to the bedroom with Glenna.Glenna’s expression changed drastically as soon as the door was shut. She said hastily, “Deirdre, what is going on? How are you… pregnant with his child!?”“How can I not?” Deirdre’s expression was calm. “We have never used any contraception, and we were trying to conceive at one point. It is only normal for me to get pregnant.”“Yet, this is Brendan’s child!”“You’re right.” Deirdre smiled. “Or else? Am I supposed to abort the baby? Will Brendan allow that?”Deirdre knew that she had lost all her freedom from the moment she found out that Kyran was Brendan.Glenna’s face was ghastly pale. She had thought about many things on the way there and figured she could never be as calm as Deirdre if she were to be in the same position and pretend nothing had happened.She wanted to help
Glenna tightened her grip on her phone and concealed her emotions by saying, “We hadn’t met each other at the time, and I didn’t know much about you, so I was bolder.”Declan let out a muffled laughter. “You still can be bold now, you know.”Glenna suddenly fell silent while Declan did not seem to notice her change. He asked, “Who was the man with you the other day?”Glenna’s mind went blank for a moment before realizing the situation. “You mean Whelan?”“Hmm, I suppose.”“He’s a colleague.”“Just a colleague?” Declan said in a meaningful tone, “He looks like he is deeply concerned about you. Is he your suitor?”Glenna furrowed her eyebrows and shifted her gaze back to her phone. She pretended as if she did not hear Declan’s remark for a moment and asked, “What?”Declan smiled. “Nothing.”He changed the topic of conversation by talking about Deirdre’s pregnancy. Glenna raised her head at last. Declan could see Glenna’s reaction, so he stayed on the topic of conversation on p
”Tobey? Is that you? How?! I thought you had returned to Eastgene!” Deirdre still remembered just how glum and dejected Tobey was when he left—that happened merely a week ago! She really thought she would never get to talk to him again.Tobey looked at her in pity. “Silly girl. How could I possibly abandon you and return to Eastgene on my own? My departure was a feint. The clue was the words you used. I understood immediately that you were just saying them because you had no choice, and for that, I’m sorry. “I was such a reckless idiot! I thought things could be solved by laying things bare, but I underestimated Brendan’s power! Think about it. This is a guy who has the power to make me lose my job and my employability through his influence. How easy must it be for him to control you? God. If you didn’t remind me of that with what you said, I would have put you in so much harm!”Deirdre shut her eyes tightly and felt a sob building up. She dared not let it out—lest Fionn noticed he
Fionn proved to be rather trusting and did not press on. He simply replied, “Okay, then.”.Tobey gripped Deirdre by the shoulders. “We don’t have much time, Dee. You know Brendan better than I do, right? You practically live with him. You’ll be the one to vie for the most opportune time, you hear? I’ll never change my number, and I’ll always be around where you live. Anytime you’re ready to flee, you give me a heads-up, and I’ll take you away from all of this. We’ll go somewhere so foreign even Brendan would not know where to look!”Tobey was oozing so much conviction that Deirdre finally yielded. Her mind was a million panicked thoughts rising at once, but she forced herself to think as coherently as she could. “What about Madame Russell?” she asked. “When Brendan’s possessed, he goes all the way through the bottom of the barrel. He’s not gonna let anyone go, not even Madame Russell.”“Don’t worry about that. I’ll send my mom to live in her hometown these few days until all of this
Still, Deirdre could not stop herself from asking, “Why?”Brendan placed his head on where her shoulder and neck met. He twirled a strand of her hair with his fingertip. “Because a baby girl will be an adorable, mischievous, sweet little gremlin. Just like her mother.”“But what if it was a boy?”The light in Brendan’s eyes dimmed. “Then I hope he doesn’t turn out like me.”Had Deirdre still believed him to be Kyran, she would have chalked this up as Kyran being modest as usual. He was perfect! Impeccable! Flawless! Why would anybody hope their son turned out differently?But now, she was simply startled at Brendan’s sudden display of self-awareness. She forced herself to smile and reply, “You’re pulling my leg again.”Brendan responded by squeezing her hand silently. Feeling a little disconcerted, Deirdre made up an excuse, “It’s getting late. I need to take a shower.”She rose, and Brendan suddenly called out to her. “Dee?”“Hmm?”“I love you.”Deirdre was stunned. “How muc
Deirdre took the bouquet, leaned close to the petals, and sniffed it. The flowers were so fresh the air was thick with their scent. Little drops of dew even matted the tip of her nose. Brendan wiped the water away gently. “I didn’t plan to buy roses at first. I would have guessed from your personality that you like baby’s breath better. Still, you wouldn’t be able to see its splendor right now, so I picked a flower famous for its strong scent.”“I love it.” Deirdre caressed the bouquet gingerly. “Every flower is my favorite so long as you’re the one buying it for me.”She managed to find a vase and began to carefully slip each stalk inside. When it was done, Brendan threw his arms around her from behind. “I think it’s time you take a step back and take a break. Here, have some pastries. They’re still warm. A friend of mine suggested it when I asked. According to rumors, this bakery makes delicious desserts that are pregnancy-friendly.”Deirdre had lost quite some appetite these
Brendan had always been a master weaver of lies. “Declan has an ongoing project in Neve, but his project at Alnwick sets him back from finalizing the deal. I’m going there on his behalf.”Deirdre nodded. A moment later, she declared, “I don’t want to go.”She began to shiver. “There are too many traumatic memories associated with that place. I can’t even think about it without feeling fear. I worry that I might not even be able to sleep once I’m there. It’s that stressful.”An expecting mother’s mental health would always be the top priority. The last thing Brendan wanted was for Deirdre feeling too tense and distressed. The excuse not to go with him practically wrote itself, and all Deirdre had to do was to use it. “So, I think you should go alone. I’ll be fine here. Don’t worry. If you’re worried about me, then give me a call every once in a while when you’re free.”Brendan kissed her hair. “What happens if you accidentally kick the table and get injured?”She laughed. “Kyran, p
Despite being visually impaired, Deirdre could still make out who the figure could be. “Tobey? Is that you?”“Dee!”Deirdre was startled. She scanned around cautiously before continuing. “I thought you said we’d contact each other over the phone! Why are you suddenly here, in person? What if Brendan’s moles—”“Don’t sweat it, Dee,” he replied, smiling. “I would only come here in person after being 100% sure both he and his people were gone. It’s just you and me here.”Deirdre breathed a sigh of relief, though some of her anxiety and paranoia refused to go. She unlocked the door hurriedly and stepped inside. Turning around, she called out to him, “We’ll talk inside.”“I’ll pass.” The young man looked at the mud caking around his soles. “I’ll talk here.”Deirdre stopped by the door as Tobey scowled. “Brendan left for Neve, didn’t he? I saw the news. He’s engaged to some woman named Charli McKinsey!”A beat later, Deirdre answered him placidly. “You’re right.”“That crazy b*stard!