‘Everyone is here. Even the one who shouldn’t come is here…’There was a profound meaning behind her remark: ‘Who should be here and who shouldn’t?’Brendan’s expression turned solemn. He was about to speak when Charlene said smilingly, “Look at all of you. I’m saying that I shouldn’t have come today. I didn’t know, and it is such a coincidence. However, since I’m already here, we should have a meal together, right?”Charlene behaved shamelessly as if she was oblivious to the fact that no one in the house welcomed her presence. Meanwhile, Madame Brighthall walked out in a haste with the chicken soup she had made. “Deirdre, this is the soup I had when I was pregnant with Brendan. My body was weak at the time, so I drank this every day—”Her voice stopped abruptly. Madame Brighthall’s expression changed drastically upon seeing Charlene at the door. Charlene moved closer with a gentle expression. “Madame Brighthall, look at you. Why are you carrying something so heavy when your
Deirdre’s words also had a hidden meaning, and Charlene’s expression changed.Meanwhile, Madame Brighthall could not refrain from speaking after noticing Brendan’s lack of action.“Charlene, thank you so much for getting the prescription. How much money did you spend? I’ll get the butler to wire the money to your account. We shall not keep you for the gathering today any longer.”She was keeping her distance from Charlene through her remark. Charlene clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her flesh and loathed the woman on the sofa deep into her bones. She smiled and said, “Alright then, I understand that I’m not welcome here, so I won’t stay any longer. I’ll leave after I finish the soup.”She savored the taste of the soup slowly as if she was attempting to stay longer on purpose. The servants went ahead with their chores while Madame Brighthall seized the opportunity to speak in private with Brendan. Her meticulously-cared face was filled with confusion and anger
Meanwhile, Madame Brighthall and Brendan returned from their conversation in private.Charlene was not planning to stay longer since her goal had been achieved. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and said, “Since I came at the wrong time, I shall make a move first. I’ll come and visit you again another day, Madame Brighthall.”Madame Brighthall nodded uneasily. Charlene walked away for two steps before she turned around and stared at Brendan with gentle eyes. “I’ll wait for you, Brendan.”Brendan stared at Charlene without any expression on his face. Charlene smiled and left. The house’s atmosphere turned awkward all at once. It was Madame Brighthall who broke the silence first. “How do you find the soup, Deirdre? It has been a few years since I cooked personally, so I don’t know if my cooking skill has deteriorated.”Deirdre restrained the emotions in her eyes.“The soup you cook tastes scrumptious. I enjoy it very much, Madame Brighthall.”She felt alienated by Deir
“However, I’m extremely disgusted that you are with me but still get yourself involved with Charlene at the same time.”Deirdre furrowed her eyebrows. It was apparent that she was still thinking about the scene of Charlene in the family mansion earlier.“I won’t.” Brendan immediately stated his true intention clearly. There was only sincerity left on his flawlessly handsome face. “From the moment I decided to become Kyran, I had already made up my mind to only love you in my heart and no one else.”Deirdre wanted to ask, “If that is the case, why are you still deeply involved with Charlene now?” Yet, she could not bring herself to speak. She knew that Brendan was incapable of answering that question for sure. At the thought of Charlene’s meaningful remark before she left, Deirdre asked, “Are you hiding something from me, Brendan?”Brendan’s eyes turned solemn. He thought about the injury on his shoulder and also…He tucked a strand of Deirdre’s hair behind her ear and answered
”How was I supposed to stay asleep after the racket you made? Besides, what are you making? Because something is definitely burning.”“Nothing.” Brendan wore a self-conscious expression, not unlike a thief. In fact, he quickly put the blame on Mrs. Engel. “It was Mrs. Engel! She forgot to turn off the stove before she left, and I smelled it burn. It’s basically coal now.”Deirdre was skeptical. Mrs. Engel would never do something so careless. “Oh, really? Or were you trying to play chef again?”Brendan knew his lie was coming apart in real-time, so he just told the truth. “Fine. I asked my mom for the recipe for the chicken soup she made for you yesterday because you seem to like it. I thought maybe I should make one for you every day. But… I didn’t expect cooking to be so hard.”Deirdre was stunned. Amusement crept into her face. “Why are you so obsessed with something you’re not cut out to do?”Brendan looked down, his eyes transfixed on her slightly plump lips. “It’s not an obs
“Oh, he’s right, Miss McKinnon! I just remembered that I have a lot of work cut out for me. I guess I can only try your cooking some other time.”With that, Sam left. Brendan turned to Deirdre’s deadpanned stare and said placidly, “He knows he’s too busy to quietly and slowly enjoy these simple things in life. I’ll have to do.”Of course, Deirdre knew Brendan had threatened Sam into leaving. “It’s a big pot of soup, for crying out loud. Can you finish it by yourself?”“I can,” Brendan replied under his breath. “If you’re the one who made it, then I’ll drink it all.”Deirdre thought Brendan was exaggerating, but it turned out he made do with his promise, after all. It even shocked Mrs. Engel by the time she returned to the mansion. Brendan was not known for his appetite, which had only grown smaller after his injuries. Deirdre drank about half of her own portion and believed that there was nothing especially delicious about her soup, anyway.Brendan pulled her into his arms when
It took Deirdre shaking out of her stupor to realize she had been smiling.It stunned her. Was she… falling in love with Brendan? Again?“Miss McKinnon? We’re here,” said Mrs. Engel. She nodded and got out of the car. They made their way to the shopping district and visited some interesting places. When they passed by a shop selling baby clothes, Mrs. Engel could not help but stop. “Oh, the clothes inside are so adorable, Miss McKinnon! I want to buy one for your kid. Is that okay?”“That’s too soon, Mrs. Engel! My baby isn’t even born yet.” Deirdre tittered.“But if we wait for that, that adorable outfit will become someone else’s possession, and I’m not gonna let that happen. You know what they say: seize the moment!” the older woman replied excitedly before pulling Deirdre into the store.Helplessly, Deirdre let Mrs. Engel drag her inside.The lighting was warm as it enveloped Deirdre. It eased her tension, and she began to feel the fabric used for those tiny clothes. Their
What is going on? Had Brendan been deceiving her all along!?Mrs. Engel was trying her best to comfort the distraught young woman. “Miss McKinnon, please calm down! You can’t just listen to something she said and immediately believe her, right? Why is whatever she said automatically real? Mr. Brighthall’s gunshot wound is real, you saw that. There was no lie about that!”She was right. Brendan’s injury was real, or he would not have been so hurt he could not sleep. Henry’s sister could have lied just to gain forgiveness and sympathy. And yet, Deirdre’s mind was in disarray. Any mood she had to stay in the shopping district was gone. She hailed a cab and quickly returned to the mansion. She strode into the living room and found nobody there. She rose the stairs to where the study was, and right before she pushed the door open, she heard sounds—a conversation.“Have you found our wanted person?”“We’re close. The mole hides well, so it’s not easy to sniff them out for the time be