“...I forgot. I believe that I burned myself accidentally when I was drinking warm water.”“You’re lying!” Brendan tightened his grip over her lower jaw. He knew Deirdre so well that he knew she would lower her head subconsciously to avoid him every time she lied. “If you don’t tell the truth, don’t blame me for holding Sam accountable.”Deirdre took a deep breath, shut her eyes, then opened them again. “Charlene did it. Are you satisfied?”Brendan assumed a disgusted expression as soon as she said it. “Deirdre, you must know your limits when you’re trying to frame someone! Charlene was with me all day long on the 19th, so how could she have hurt you! Would it kill you to stop vilifying Charlene?”‘Here we go again.’Deirdre wanted to laugh. He had done everything he could to force her to tell the truth but he refused to believe her when she told the truth. In that case, what was the point of her being honest?“This is the answer you’ll get if you don’t want me to lie. There’s no
“There’s no wound on the patient’s hand?” The nurse was caught by surprise. “There is a wound, though. It’s very serious. It’s not only infected, but the wound will discharge pus at night. That is why we keep the wound bandaged.”“Infected?” Brendan got up from his seat. “When did that happen?”The nurse thought for a moment. “On the morning of the 19th.”Deirdre was actually telling the truth. She had been injured on the morning of the 19th. On the other hand, that morning…Brendan could not help breathing heavily as the image of Charlene showing up that morning popped into his mind. He clenched his fists tightly and asked eagerly, “What does the wound look like?”The nurse was startled but she did not have the courage not to reply. She considered it closely for a moment before she pointed at the back of her hand. “It’s injured here, here, and here. It’s all covered in puncture wounds, and her hand bruised up right away. Her flesh was dug out of her skin, and she was bleeding pro
“It’s done. I helped you to drain the pus completely, and that is why it hurts. Remember not to get your dressing wet and you’ll be fine. As for the scarring, it will depend on your skin type.”“Thank you so much.”The nurse answered smilingly, “Don’t mention it.” She then left, pushing the trolley after she was done cleaning up. As soon as the door was shut, the room turned so quiet abruptly that it felt suffocating. Brendan clenched his fists tightly and braced himself to speak after a few attempts. “If everything you said is true, why didn’t you explain yourself a few more times?”Deirdre’s gaze was empty. He mocked, bantered, and humiliated constantly whenever she made one remark. If she were to explain herself further, she knew that she would be doomed. Brendan realized that he was at fault too. He pursed his thin lips and said, “Deirdre, it’s very difficult for me to trust you because of your history of…”“Are you done? I’m tired and I would really like to rest.”She s
“Show your hands.”Brendan stood in front of the window, his flawless face radiating coldness at that very moment. He was even speaking in a tone deprived of its prior gentleness. “What…. What happened?” Charlene stretched out her hands with a forced chuckle. “What happened… Why are you being so serious? You’re making me nervous.”Brendan examined her nails. It had only been two days since the incident, so her nails had yet to grow much. They had been manicured into a stiletto shape, making them pointy in the middle. If she were to dig her nails hard into someone’s flesh, it would be considered merciful for the victim to experience puncture wounds and not lose chunks of flesh. “Did you do something to your nails?” asked Brendan with narrowed eyes. “Huh?” Charlene pulled back her hands with a guilty conscience. “I’m not really sure. I got a fresh manicure two days ago. Perhaps they have been polished a little?”“Did you cause the injury on Deirdre’s hands?”All the blood drain
“Why would you ask this question?” Brendan’s sharp brows were tightly furrowed, and his eyes were filled with disbelief. Deirdre tightened her grip with all her might. She used to believe that Brendan was a heartless, cold-blooded man who would do such a thing to her, of course. However, she was slightly doubtful now.If Brendan had been involved in that incident in an effort to avenge Charlene, why would he force Charlene to apologize to her? He had been impartial to Charlene, just as he had promised. “You need to answer me, yes or no!”“No.” Even though Brendan was incredulous, he gave her an answer. Soon, he sneered and said, “Is that how you think of me in your heart?”‘No?’Deirdre’s thoughts in her head were a chaotic mess. She could only distract herself from her thoughts to calm herself down by focusing on the intense pain in her hands. “Deirdre, what’s on your mind? If I had abducted you, would I be searching for you in the heavy rain after a sleepless night? Would
Brendan folded the note, his expression filled with agitation and his mind a chaotic mess.“Hey, what are you doing?” Sam suddenly noticed a woman sneaking around in the corridor and called out to her.Brendan looked up to take a glance and saw a woman with a panicked expression standing nearby. Sam was about to approach her, but she was so scared that she almost got down on her knees. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! It was my fault for disappointing Ms. McKinney… Please don’t call the police on me…”Sam was stunned for a moment. “What are you talking about?”The woman muttered to herself with tears streaming down her face. “I knew that I shouldn’t have followed the blind woman’s instructions. I assumed that I was helping someone, yet I ended up putting Ms. McKinney in harm’s way…”Brendan’s pupils constricted. He got up swiftly and approached the woman with an overbearing presence. “Speak properly! Whose instructions were you following?”The woman bowed repeatedly at once because she h
“Sam.” Brendan interrupted Sam, his expression icy cold. “You’ve been deceived by her too.”He sneered through his tightly-clenched teeth. “Deirdre made you come to me because she wanted to use today’s plot to guilt me, of course. Then, she would lead me to put the blame on Charlene bit by bit."She is the kind of woman who uses unscrupulous tactics to achieve what she wants from the start. On the other hand, I’ve also almost caused the death of Charlene for a nobody like her!”The anger of being deceived and the guilt of almost causing his savior’s death filled his chest. He felt his head spinning and clenched his fists tightly. He walked toward Deirdre’s room with swift strides and kicked the door. Deirdre was not asleep, but she tensed up at the commotion of the door. Before she could react to the situation, Brendan’s hands were already clutching her throat ferociously. “Ugh…”The feeling of suffocation flooded her entire body, and her neck would be broken at any moment if
“Brendan? Brendan!”Colors were drained off Deirdre’s face. She pounced at him, throwing her arms around his thigh the exact moment she understood what he meant. He was going to blame it on Sterling again!“I-If you’re mad because Lena almost died, I… I can apologize for that! I will swallow those pills so I can suffer the same pain she’s undergoing right now! But please, stop taking your rage out on innocent people!”“Innocent people?” Brendan scoffed. He lowered himself to her height and grabbed her by her jaw, examining her tears-stricken cheeks. “Here I thought you didn’t believe in concepts like leaving the innocent alone. Isn’t Lena innocent? Christ, Deirdre. You could have come clean with me. Things would have ended much sooner… much better. But you had to accuse her of doing something she didn’t do! You just had to lie to me!”He rose apathetically and kicked her away. Deirdre’s head knocked on the side of the bed. She felt a buzzing shockwave coursing through her brain lik
"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