”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!
For some unknown reason, the uncertain, almost unsettled look on Deirdre’s face summoned a swirl of anxiety. He frowned, and his eyebrows locked together into a knot. He could not tell why or where this anxiety was coming from, but his gut was telling him that something big was about to happen…“Bren!”The door to the lounge opened. Charlene sashayed into the room in tailor-made sartorial finery, decked in jewelry amounting to more than a million dollars in total. She seemed to have made it her mission to become the epitome of a wealthy exhibitionist—one could see it on her face. And her face! The surgery was clearly a success, judging from her recovery. After leaving the detainment center, Charlene had some of her “imperfections” adjusted, and with the right application of cosmetics, she was genuinely beautiful in her own way. Brendan tossed a glance in her direction and felt a surge of disgust shooting into his mouth. His mien was frigid, but Charlene dismissed it altogether wi
This time, however, the elusive Madame Brighthall made her appearance. Anyone who could read between the lines knew what that meant. And so everyone began to treat Charlene as the confirmed Mrs. Brighthall. Charlene had achieved her objective. Deirdre switched off the TV, hung a coat on herself, and went upstairs to her bed. She placed her hand on her abdomen and lay on her back for a while before finally falling asleep. As her dream slowly coalesced, her phone suddenly rang from beside her head. She was startled awake. Feeling for her phone, she pressed the answer button and asked raspily, “Who’s this?”“Dee.”Hearing Kyran’s voice drew Deirdre out of her sleep, though not necessarily out of her dream. It felt as though she was back in those days again when Kyran was just Kyran. But if it were a dream, then why did she feel a chill crawling up her spine?She steeled herself as best she could. “Kyran? Are you finally finished with your work?” “Mm… Hmm…” He sounded drunk. His