Brendan kept quiet for a long time before he answered, “This is the last time, I promise.”Madam Brighthall refused to believe his promise. She left, slamming the door, ready to rush over to the police station. Brendan and Sam were left in the room. It was apparent that Sam had not expected that the situation would progress to this extent. He asked in an exploratory manner, “So what should we do now, Mr. Brighthall?”“Head to the police station and figure out a way for me to speak with Deirdre.”Sam nodded. He turned around to head out when Brendan called out to him. “Also, please help me look into Ophelia’s incident one year ago. Find out what happened after her house was taken back.”“Sure.”Charlene had just arrived at the police station with the lawyer when Madam Brighthall followed her. At the same time, Deirdre was brought in. There was no telling if it was due to the three tormenting days in the holding cell or because she had not met her in a long time, but her appea

Deirdre managed to regain some semblance of composure, but her bloodshot eyes were still as bellicose as a pair of daggers pointing in the direction of the lawyer and the police. “Why… did… you people… lie?! Why did you lie?! You told me you’d help me build a case!!!”Her accusation pushed the captain’s buttons. “You don’t build a case without solid evidence, ma’am. And you’ve got none of that! Did you really think you could decide if a year-old case was murder just because you said so? Gimme a break!”“Enough, please…” Sam exhaled, his hands still pinning her shoulders. This could not continue—he just knew it. Gritting his teeth, he said forcefully, “You have to end this right now, Miss McKinnon! You have to drop all your charges against Mr. Brighthall and just… leave the rest to him, okay? That way, you will leave this station in one piece by the end of the day!”“Drop the charges?” Deirdre’s hollow eyes were somehow made alive by the grotesque force of hate and resentment in them

Deirdre remained still as a statue until his yell stirred her. She raised her head and stared at him with what had once been lively, blithe eyes but were now soulless and dilapidated, like two broken mirrors found buried in a casket. Her surface calmness belied intense hate. “I don’t care.” Her voice cracked and croaked, as her throat had fallen into disuse since she had stopped talking. Her words vaguely resembled a vitriolic jab. “Do you really think I give a damn, Brendan? It’s just incarceration. It’s not even my first rodeo, can you believe that? Been there, done that, I’m used to it. I can live in prison again, but you… You’re not getting away with this. I won’t let you!”A deluge of hate broke out of her eyes like a dagger going through Brendan’s chest. “How could you destroy yourself like this, Deirdre?! Because of revenge? What about your dreams? Your future—”“My future is already in ruins!” She howled, eyes forward, tears pouring out. “And you caused it!”Did his chee

Deirdre was writhing despite their hold as she whimpered unintelligibly. Brendan realized what was going on with her and picked up the phone, his pain forgotten as he yelled, “Stop! You’re hurting her!”The cops met his eyes and loosened their grip, causing Deirdre to fall forward on the floor. Her eyes were unfocused, as though the sheer magnitude of her sorrow had made it impossible to pay any attention. “You’re a cutthroat, Brendan. You’re so good at it, aren’t you?” she croaked tearfully. He had treated her love for him as an invitation to use and abuse her. Then, even after all the sins he had committed, he had squawked about pretending none of this had happened. It was all… for nothing. He had always been openly disdainful of her love back then. As it turned out, he was still spitting on it right now. No one abused others quite like Brendan. No one.Deirdre’s heart had turned cold. No, it was broken—shattered and trampled by the b*stard yelling into the phone behind the w

Brendan was strapped for choices. This was the only one he had left. “You’re the one who kept her company for the longest time. She would at least grant you the chance to talk to her, I just know it. So please tell her… That if she keeps this up, none of us will be able to save her from imprisonment.”One more day of Deirdre staying in that cell was one more day of him losing sleep. He could not bear it. It was as Brendan had predicted. She allowed Sam to meet her. She was a blind woman who had discarded any care for personal grooming. By the time Sam saw her, her disheveled hair and dirty clothes painted the picture of a mad woman abandoned in an asylum. Sam’s chest hurt.He picked up the phone, took a deep breath, and began to speak. “Miss McKinnon? Please… Let’s stop this, alright? Of all people, you should know fully well how this might end if you hold on like this. The only result you’ll get is incarceration. And for what?”Deirdre stared through the window nonchalantly. “I

Fear and regret ravaged his mind. He suddenly felt faint. Sam was still with him when he finally recovered his composure. He feigned some semblance of calmness and declared, “No, we just have to wait a little longer. I’ll talk to her again!” He would not let her leave him. Never!Fate had different designs than his, however. Before he had recupared enough to talk to Deirdre, the police came to him and informed him that she had backed down.She had finally agreed to settle this privately. Brendan was elated. The police had come to ask him if she “had shown homicidal intent”, and naturally, Brendan denied it. He expressed no intent to pursue a criminal charge against her either, and so the case was settled. He could not wait to get out of bed as soon as the police left. Alarmed, Sam rushed to stop him. “Mr. Brighthall, sir, stay back! We can’t let your injury break open again!”Brendan was just too fitful. His emotions were in chaos. Gripping Sam’s hand tightly, he ordered, “E

“Shut up!” Brendan bellowed with all his might. His wound vibrated with his growl, making him cry out at the sharp pain in tandem. His vision blurred. His knees buckled. Her car had fallen into the sea? She had died?Impossible! That was insane! She had been so alive yesterday when she had cursed his name, made how much he disgusted her plain, and screamed about avenging her mother! She had been so alive when she’d wished he was dead! And now… her fate was suddenly uncertain?Brendan’s vision turned black and he toppled. A nurse screamed nearby. Before his consciousness faded out, he muttered, “Deirdre… Deirdre…”He had a dream. In the first few days after Deirdre’s incarceration, Brendan had been surprisingly unaccustomed to her absence. As soon as he’d return to the house, he would instinctively call out, “Deirdre, make me some mushroom soup!”He would then stop himself, and the newly-hired cook would smile nervously. “Wow, Mr. Brighthall. This Deirdre girl must mean a

Even though the possibility was slim, Sam kept hoping.Three days had passed, and Deirdre was yet to be found. Even the police had given up on the search.The only kin of Deirdre had passed away a year ago, and Brendan was her husband. Hence, the police went to get his signature to verify Deirdre’s death.Brendan dropped the pen on the ground, unwilling to sign. “It’s impossible!”In an extremely firm tone of voice, Brendan stressed, “How can we conclude that Deirdre is dead when her corpse has yet to be found? Perhaps she never boarded that car. It’s a mistake made during the investigation!” The police officer looked at Brendan with sympathy and sighed. “A policeman witnessed it, and it’s been recorded by the surveillance camera that Miss McKinnon was indeed in the car.”“What about the journey? Did she not get out of the car?!” Brendan pursed his lip, and his eyes reddened. “I don’t believe it. Unless I see her body, I won’t sign!”He not only was unwilling to sign, but he al

“Who did it? When was it?”Sam narrowed his eyes. “The day before Miss McKinnon was jailed. It was also the day you kicked Mrs. McKinnon out of the yard. After she was kicked out, a car came and took her to a mental hospital. The video was also released that day. Perhaps… Miss McKinnon saw it…”Brendan’s mind went blank. He suddenly recalled the phone call from Deirdre that day. For the first time, she had hysterically and desperately bawled that he was forcing her.At the time, he had reacted with a sneer. He had thought Deirdre was trying to gain his sympathy because he had just taken back everything he had given to her.She had eventually agreed to be jailed. And he had thought that she had been reluctant to part with the luxurious life. Instead, her mother had been suffering.She had done it willingly, and he had never forced her. However, he had never thought that someone else might be forcing her.At that moment, Brendan regretted it. As he thought of his condescending atti

“I’m fine.”In fact, Brendan hoped that the wound would never heal so that he would never forget that he used to ruthlessly ruin a person’s life.Quivering, he closed his eyes for a while before he reopened them. “Go back.”Sam drove him back to the mansion. However, a figure at the door attracted Brendan’s attention as soon as he got out of the car.He was rather dizzy when he saw that blurry figure. He thought it was Deirdre, who had come to see him. He hurriedly took a few steps forward, only to see that Charlene was standing there.“Bren!” Charlene went up to meet him while clenching her hands nervously. After receiving the news that Brendan was going to see Steven, she had been so worried that she had rushed there immediately without much thought.It seemed that Steven hadn’t exposed her.For an instant, Brendan’s eyes darkened. Although his face was no longer that frigid, he still didn’t show any emotion. “Why are you here? It’s too cold. Go back.”“If I don’t come again,