Declan was amused. “Why are you being so childish? I’m not going to fight you on this. You can have all the credit. How have you been feeling recently, Miss McKinnon? Are you doing alright after enduring hardships in the detention center during your pregnancy?”“No. I have already fully recovered after resting in the hospital for a few days.”Deirdre had mixed feelings toward Declan because he was an accomplice who had deceived her, but Declan had put his heart and soul into doing things for her other than this particular situation. “Great then.” Declan smiled and said, “My trip is worth it.”Deirdre could tell that Declan was leaving, judging from his tone. “Will you still be returning to Eastgene, Mr. King? Are you not going to stay for a few more days?”“I would like to stay for a few more days too because I’ve been thinking about your cooking constantly these days. However, I’m needed there. I’ll be back to gather with everyone when I’m done dealing with everything.”Declan
Afterward, he remembered the talkative woman who kept Deirdre company when he was still Kyran.“Her? I believe she is still working at the same company. Why?”Deirdre recovered from her surprise and said, “Nothing.”She was aware of Glenna’s feelings for Declan. ‘So, they didn’t end up dating each other in the end, huh?’However, it was also a good thing because they may not necessarily be good for each other. After figuring things out, Deirdre sat on the bed and listened to the sound of water from the bathroom. She suddenly realized Brendan might want to sleep in the same room tonight. Her fists tightened in anxiety. Deirdre felt nervous for no apparent reason, and the sound of water sounded louder.She was not prepared to be with Brendan even if he loved her now… Her badly-wounded heart could not withstand intense love anymore. Yet, what would happen to her mother if she were to reject Brendan and displease him?At the thought of this, Deirdre lowered her eyes and inhaled
‘Out all night, huh?’Deirdre was under the assumption that he was back but sleeping in the next room. She said in frustration, “It’s possible… that I slightly pissed him off…”“Angry with you, Mrs. Brighthall? That can’t be possible.” Mrs. Engel was astonished. “How can Mr. Brighthall possibly be angry with you when he loves you so much? Or… did something happen last night?”Deirdre had a hard time finding the right words. She could not tell Mrs. Engel that she had failed to seduce Brendan and that he found her cheap, right?It would be humiliating.“Nothing much… We got into a small quarrel, and Brendan was angry, so he left.”Mrs. Engel was curious. “Small quarrel? For real? Mr. Brighthall would actually be angry with you…”She muttered to herself while she headed to the kitchen to serve breakfast. Deirdre nibbled on the fork and thought, ‘I’ll just apologize if nothing else works. I can’t just let this situation continue until more conflicts are triggered. If he isn’t fo
Deirdre found his temperament almost too zig-zagging to make sense. In the past, she could ingratiate with him as much as she wanted, no questions asked. But now, the same things suddenly irritated him.She ducked, squeezing her shoulders into herself, and cast her sight to the floor to begin feeling and salvaging the documents.At that moment, Brendan suddenly yanked her arm toward him and, by extension, her entire body. Before she knew it, the force nailed her legs across his lap, her shocked expression facing his visage.It was a…. rather suggestive position to be in.Deirdre froze as she sensed Brendan drawing her into himself before he rested his chin on her shoulder.“God. What must I do, Deirdre?” he asked, surprisingly defeatedly.Deirdre blinked. Her fingers slipped gently before lacing around his strong, firm arm. She did not find their position repulsive—just awkward.“You’re not mad anymore?”Brendan looked up. “What good does my anger do? It doesn’t matter how angr
“Where’s Mr. Brighthall?” Mrs. Engel asked. “Why isn’t here with us?”Deirdre seemingly blinked back to attention. “He, uh, said there’s a lot of things at work pending his attention for the moment, so he’s not going to join us. Just send his portion upstairs.”“That busy, huh?”Deirdre thinned her lips. “The company is going through a massive purge, Mrs. Engel. He needs to ensure that every single position is being occupied by someone reliable and trustworthy, which means he’s now an even bigger micromanager. It’s only normal for him to be so… busy.”“I see,” Mrs. Engel replied noncommittally before muttering, “Gosh, it isn’t easy to found a business, right? I’ll immediately bring his portion upstairs before Mr. Brighthall gnaws on his fingernails out of hunger.”“Alright.”Deirdre finished her dinner alone. Brendan did not step into her room all night.Mrs. Engel later told Deirdre that the man spent his night on the couch in his study. “I was thinking if we should put these
“Here’s the thing. We don’t give a damn who you’ll end up marrying, but since we’ll be staying together for a while, let me give you a piece of advice,” Deirdre said a little apathetically. “Mrs. Engel is going to be your housekeeper and your cook. That means she has plenty of chances to surprise you, don’t you think?”Mrs. Engel caught on. “She’s right, Miss McKinney. Protecting yourself against obvious enemies is one thing, but against someone who you depend on? It would be easy for me to place some pins on your pillow… Or spit in your filet…”Charlene’s expression darkened before the older woman finished. “You dare!?”Mrs. Engel shot a disgusted glare. “What’s stopping me? I’ll quit once Miss McKinnon leaves anyway. You don’t even know where my home is. I am not scared of your petty payback!”Charlene gnashed her teeth for a while before her ire subsided a little. She glared daggers at Deirdre and turned her umbrage back against the latter. “You turn being a doormat into an art
“Where’s Deirdre?”Mrs. Engel’s impression of Brendan had sunk to its nadir. Had he not been her employer, she would have ignored him as though he did not exist. “She’s in her room.”“Hmm.”He sounded so non-committal and nonchalant it irritated Mrs. Engel enough to speak out. “Mr. Brigthall, Charlene McKinney arrived and told me to prepare a guest room for her. She said she’s going to stay here for a few days!”“She’s here already?” Brendan remarked flatly. There was no sign to paint his reaction to lean either joy or disgust. In fact, it sounded as if he had been expecting it to happen. “Her injury hasn’t healed yet, and I’m not usually at home. You should pay some attention to it while you can.”Mrs. Engel was appalled. “And you don’t think this is unfair to Miss McKinnon, Mr. Brighthall? She’s pregnant with your child, sir, while you invite Charlene to stride into a house that belongs to the both of you as if—”“Is dinner ready?” Brendan suddenly interjected. She froze. “Y-
Deirdre emerged from her room, causing Mrs. Engel’s eyes to twinkle before she immediately rushed to greet her. “Mrs. Brighthall! You’re here!”Brendan immediately pulled his arm out of Charlene’s.Charlene glowered. She finally had the chance to be alone with Brendan before this b*tch decided to ruin it! Not that she could point her fingers right now. Deirdre was bearing Brendan’s child. It was only normal that the man was disinclined to show any sign of intimacy with her while the woman he impregnated was standing right there.Thus, Charlene launched back into her well-practiced pretense. “Aren’t you feeling unwell, Miss McKinnon? Why are you here?”Deirdre descended the stairs with Mrs. Engel’s help and curled the corner of her lips. “I got hungry just like you, Miss McKinney. After all, I’m pregnant,” she replied. “Besides, this is your first meal since coming to my house, and it’d be so unbecoming and improper of me not to join in.”Her smile screamed deliberation. She was