She finally got to let out the chest-wringing breath she had been holding in since Bliss’ death. She had felt it—the puppy pushing its face close to hers, whimpering with her as she sobbed. It was consoling her. She imagined that was what Bliss would have done too.Deirdre cast her eyes to the ground. The storm clouds that had seemed to be permanent on her mien faded, and Brendan was the sole witness of her subtle transformation. While he managed to observe Deirdre’s change, he was blind to his own. The trademark severity in his visage had softened into meek, wistful joy. They walked for a while until, suddenly, Deirdre stopped. Brendan almost lost her, but he paused and turned around. “What’s wrong?”She scanned her surroundings with a frown. “A child’s crying.”“A child?” Brendan was a little surprised. They were at the fork of a busy street flooded with couples and office workers going about their day. There was not a single child in sight. “Could it be some kind of hallu

Brendan had always thought that Deirdre looked beautiful. He used to believe that he had this thought just because she looked like Charlene. Nevertheless, his thought remained unchanged even though Deirdre had been disfigured for a long time.Deirdre’s mouth was open, but she couldn’t say a single word. She only felt awkward. As she tried to change the topic, the child in her embrace began to cry, grabbing her collar without any intention of letting go.“What is it? Are you feeling uncomfortable?” Deirdre got nervous but she didn’t lose her cool. She patted the back of the child with one hand while touching the child’s forehead with the other.She did it in one go, and the little girl in her embrace stopped crying.Brendan felt rather dazzled while watching Deirdre. He inexplicably wondered how good it would be if this child was theirs!In that case, even if Deirdre learned about the death of her mother, she would live for the sake of the child. He wouldn’t allow her to suffer con

It was obvious that the man had been trying hard to be compensated because he could tell that Brendan was a rich guy.“40,000 dollars is indeed not a big deal,” Brendan said indifferently.The couple appeared to be excited while Brendan fixed his frigid eyes on them. He added in a condescending manner, “But I wouldn’t give it to people like you. Just report this to the police, or I’ll do it myself!”“On what grounds could you do it?!”Brendan took a step forward and replied in an intimidating manner, “You two are abusing your own daughter. This fact alone is more than enough to lock you up!”The man retreated upon seeing Brendan’s imposing manner. Only when the woman pushed him did he pluck up the courage to yell, “We are abusing our own daughter?”Deirdre had a sharp headache, which was only stimulated by the desperate cries of the child. When she heard the irresponsible remark of the man, she was so furious that her lips began trembling. She then reprimanded them. “Is it not ab

Dr. Ginger had a pair of sharp eyes. When he saw Brendan’s hands on the steering wheel and noticed that his sleeves were covered in blood, the doctor’s instinct propelled him to rush toward Brendan. He gasped when he saw bruises and bloody marks on his arms.“Did you smash something against your arms? Why are they full of bruises? D-Do you not want your hands anymore?”In the past, Dr. Ginger wouldn’t have had the courage to speak in this manner. But now that he was so furious and anxious, he ordered, “Go sit in the back. I’ll drive to the hospital. I don’t have any testing equipment here, so I can’t ensure that your bones will stay intact!”“NO—”“Just listen to Dr. Ginger,” Deirdre abruptly chimed in. Her eyes were slack, but she gradually tightened her fists in her sleeves. She couldn’t understand why Brendan had changed so much that he was unlike his normal self. Their priority, however, was to get Brendan to the hospital.She got into the passenger seat and said with downcast

How could she leave just like that?Brendan was so allergic that it had been difficult for him to breathe, a rash had appeared on his face, and he was still in excruciating pain. Yet, she hadn’t even stayed behind to see him?“Bren… are you alright? Just let Miss McKinnon go.” Charlene was excited that the two of them finally had time alone. She sat down beside Brendan. “It’s good that I can stay here with you.”Before Charlene could sit still, Brendan abruptly rose to his feet and pulled out the blood tube.“Bren! What are you doing?” Charlene panicked, but Brendan ignored her. His eyes were red as he desperately rushed out of the ward.He hurriedly stopped a taxi, wanting to go back to the mansion. Because he still felt the allergy symptoms, including an aching arm and breathing difficulty, he was even more furious.‘Deirdre, are you that cold-hearted? I have done so much for you, yet you weren’t touched at all?’…On the second floor of the mansion, Deirdre was in a daze whi

Back to the old days…Deirdre felt a sharp heartache, and tears welled up in her eyes. “We could never go back to the old days.”Although she said it with determination, she was absolutely touched.She would meet her mother again in nine days. And it might be good for her if they treated each other with respect, just like in the old days.It was pointless to torture each other. She thought it would be enough provided she could be emotionally detached from Brendan perpetually.Finally, she gave in.“Brendan, I don’t have anything to pursue in this life. The only thing I care about is my mother. As long as she is safe and sound and you keep your promise, I can, uh, try to go back to the old days.”She mustered up all her courage to say this, but the enthusiasm in Brendan’s eyes had gradually dissipated.As long as Ophelia was safe and sound?It was too late. Ophelia had already…Brendan suddenly felt inexplicable terror about the meeting between that woman and Deirdre in nine d

“No, of course not.” Brendan did his best to deny it. ‘Hate Charlene? That would be impossible, of course. Charlene is my savior, so I would never feel that way for her just because of that particular reason.’Charlene’s expression relaxed slightly when she noticed how determined Brendan was about denying it. She sat closer to him and said, “Why did you leave so suddenly then? Even if there is something important to do at the company, you still need to prioritize your health over anything else, okay?”“Hmm,” Brendan replied nonchalantly, yet his gaze was constantly sweeping over the shut door. Charlene took a glance at the door as well. She felt her heart racing but forced a chuckle. “What are you looking at… Brendan? Do you need something?”Brendan got straight to the point. “Where’s Deidre? Why hasn’t she returned after such a long time? Wasn’t she supposed to fetch me water?”Charlene’s smile froze on her face. “Ms. McKinnon… passed me the glass when she saw me. I suppose she

Brendan could not have forgotten about that, nor would he allow himself to. Charlene had risked her life to save him from the fire that year, so he owed his life to her. “I will honor my promise.” After a long while, Brendan’s gaze dimmed, and he said in a dreary tone, “However, now is not the time. Deirdre went to prison because of us and has not only lost her eyes but the person that she cares about the most, her mother. I must give her another reason to live.”He turned his flawless, gorgeous face to the side. His expression was overwhelmed with emotions. “I want to atone for the crime we committed in the past.”“Bu…” Charlene’s lips trembled, and her breathing quickened. ‘Atone for the crime we committed in the past?’ The remark sounded dignified and sensible, yet Charlene knew that Brendan would not have minded if he really did not care about Deirdre. ‘Does that mean that he has really fallen in love with her?’Her chest was boiling with uneasiness, and she clenched her t

On the other hand, he had compelled her to become so non-confrontational and submissive. Deirdre was about to say something when Dr. Ginger returned from outside. He was stunned for a moment when he found Brendan sitting on the sofa with the transfusion fluid in his hand. “Mr. Brighthall, weren’t you undergoing transfusion on the second floor? Why did you get downstairs so suddenly?”Then, he noticed the blood backflow in Brendan’s transfusion line and felt his heart racing. He ran over and said, “Why is there so much blood backflow in the transfusion line? You shouldn’t be tormenting yourself no matter how strong your body is. The back of your hand is really swollen, and the transfusion site is blocked. Don’t you want to get better?”Dr. Ginger was furious yet speechless, as he had never encountered a trouble-making patient like Brendan. In comparison, Deirdre was a much more obedient patient. “We’re going to set up the transfusion line on your other hand this time. However, don

The man was so strong that she was actually incapable of budging when his arms were wrapped around her slender waist. Deirdre turned her head to the side and said, “Let go of me.”“Answer me first.” Brendan’s gaze was blazing hot. Their relationship had not progressed any further in the past few days no matter how intimate their interactions had been. ‘Is her heart still invested in Sterling? Is she having such a hard time getting over him?’Deirdre took a deep breath. She did not want to resist but she felt her body trying to escape instinctively and she had no control over it. “I don’t know.”“Let me guess.” Brendan’s gaze locked on Deirdre’s face. “Is it because of Charlene or Sterling? Or is it because of the child?”Deirdre’s pupils constricted instinctively at the mention of the child, and Brendan frowned when he noticed that. He was referring to the child in the car, but it was apparent that Deirdre had something else on her mind considering her reaction. It seemed tha