Deirdre took a deep breath and said, “I can’t convince you then.”“You can convince me,” Brendan said in a meaningful tone. “Use the advantage that you take the most pride in.”Deirdre’s expression froze on her face. On the other side, Joan Wood and friends were chatting by the poolside. She took a glance past the man before she realized she could not take her eyes off him.She was feeling blue initially and had agreed to her friend’s invitation to join the party. She attempted to recall but could not remember anyone mentioning Brendan Brighthall’s presence here.She became distracted instantly. Could it be that it was fated for them not to end their relationship so rashly?“Joan, what are you looking at? You’re so distracted that you don’t even respond when I talk to you.”“Precisely. Everyone is here to keep you company and cheer you up. Why are you so distracted when you’re the main character?”Joan was jolted back to reality. “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear what you said.”“Did
After all, that man was Brendan Brighthall!Apart from having no concern about living a good life after marrying him, she would be respected and envied by others no matter where she was. She would not need to suck up to the Woods, be subservient to Joan, and live on Joan’s leftovers. “It’s no pity. My family still has a strong hold in Eastgene without Brendan,” said Joan. “I hope that one of you can get on with Brendan. We’re besties, so we can help out each other when one of us marries Brendan. It’s a waste that…”She heaved a sigh. “It’s a waste what?” Zinerva’s interest was piqued, and she grew restless in her heart when she heard Joan’s sigh. “It’s a waste that Brendan is already in a relationship.” Joan looked toward Deirdre. “It’s the woman seated opposite Brendan. She’s beautiful, isn’t she? She is a nobody and blind. Yet, she managed to make Brendan take her to an upper-class party just with her beauty. He is very affectionate to her.”Zinerva stared at Deirdre’s face
‘That must be it. Kyran wouldn’t be gone for two days in a row.’She wanted to seek the help of a waitress to check on the text messages on her phone, but she raised her head to find a woman with a slim figure walking into her visual field.“Hello.” Deirdre got up and passed the phone to the woman. “Would you please help me check if there are any missed calls on my phone? I’m blind and can’t see it.”She spoke in a pleading tone, but the person did not respond at all. Deirdre could not help feeling dejected and forced a smile. “I’m sorry for troubling you.”She walked away in an attempt to seek help from a waitress when Brendan was away. She had just walked past the woman when she tripped over a foot in high heels that suddenly extended under her. Soon afterward, she felt her body being shoved forward and lost her balance before toppling into the water instantly.The intense, ferocious feeling of drowning overwhelmed her. Her body sunk into the icy cold pool water while the pani
Brendan calmed down a little and took the phone. “I’ll get it fixed.”A change finally shadowed Deirdre’s frozen, mortified face. A flash of surprise briefly lit up in her glassy, unseeing eyes before she hung her head and whispered, “Thank you.”It came from the bottom of her heart. The phone meant way too much to her.Brendan could only laugh at himself. He was pushing her to be closer to his own alter ego! Even if… he had always been like this.The waiter quickly brought a dry towel and coat. Brendan took them and wrapped the coat around Deirdre’s head, making sure that the bitter cold would not get to her. And that was the last of any softness in his expression. Almost immediately, he scanned the surroundings with a piercing, vindictive glare. “Who was it? Who did it?”Someone among the crowd said, “She probably fell inside the pool by herself, right? I mean, she can’t see. I wouldn’t think it’s that surprising.”“Yea. It’s a given for someone like her, right?”Brendan kne
“Either you jump, or your family business is wiped out of the face of this city. Your call,” Brendan sneered. He pulled Deirdre even closer in his arms and smirked. “I bet someone who knows I’m a Brighthall would also know who I am, right? I can destroy a small-fry company with a snap of my finger, so maybe don’t try my patience.”“N-No, Mr. Brighthall! No!” Zinerva pleaded, alarmed.Deirdre had almost died just now because nobody helped. Judging by Brendan’s tone, nobody would dare to even rescue Zinerva unless he allowed them to! “I can’t swim, Mr. Brighthall— I’ll die if I go down there! Please, show some mercy! It was just an accident!”Brendan’s tone was as frigid as permafrost. “Three. Two.”Zinerva’s lips trembled. Everything she had worked hard for—her image, her reputation, everything—was going to ruins. If news of this got out… she would become the joke of the circle. She could kiss her dream of becoming a socialite goodbye!But Brendan would punish her family’s company
“Thank you.” Deirdre pulled her collar taut around her neck and cast her eyes to the floor. Her voice was soft. “For both helping to repair my phone and saving me from drowning.”Brendan was far from a good, decent man and was no stranger to all kinds of unforgivable transgressions. But at the very least, Deirdre’s gratitude was sincere at this moment. He had saved her life.“It’s nothing.” Brendan considered the young woman’s pale, half-traumatized mien and fought the urge to just pull her into a comforting cuddle. “Don’t worry about it. Anyone who dares to touch a single hair on your head will all get it. If everything goes exactly as I thought, Zinerva Cole’s life in Eastgene is finished.”Deirdre couldn't care less. Neither did she try to talk Brendan out of it. She simply nodded and said, “Okay.”“Get some rest,” he said as she started toward the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”Deirdre was taken aback. Raising her head, she blurted out, “Wait, did you—”“My room is next door.
”What is it for? To call that man?”Deirdre did not try to deny it. “I haven’t been in contact with him for a while by now, and with my phone going awry… I worry that he might try to call me and get no answer. So, I thought I had to call him first. Tell him I’m doing fine.”Brendan’s thoughts began to clash with one another. The phone he used to roleplay Kyran was damaged as well when he dove into the pool. If Deirdre called it now, Brendan could not answer it. And Deirdre would definitely begin to imagine paranoia-fueling scenarios.He turned to the bellboy. “It’s alright. You can go now.”The bellboy stiffened a little. “Uh, what about the phone?”“Take it away.”Deirdre’s eyes trembled. Grabbing Brendan’s robe by his collar, she protested. “No, don’t do this. Just this one call, Brendan. One call. I just need to tell him my phone is busted. Please…”He frowned. “Have I ever stopped you from talking to that man, McKinnon? I’m not trying to drive a wedge between the two of you.
“Say if I choose to replace this phone with a new one… Do you sell the same model?”The owner shook his head and gave a helpless smile. “You’re asking me for an antique of a bygone era. The type that’s only good for calling and texting and… nothing else. We don’t sell them anymore—nobody will buy them.”Disappointment clouded Brendan’s eyes. To a blind woman like Deirdre, a phone with fewer functionalities might be more helpful than the new-fangled stuff on the market. Besides, if he replaced her phone right now, she would have to relearn how to use it. She would not even know which button to press.“Fix it. I don’t care how much it costs. I just want it fixed.”“Whoa. Are you serious?” The owner was taken aback. This was an answer he did not expect at all. Still, he recovered from his shock quickly. “Okay, then. I’ll do my best. Leave it here with me. I’ll call your number when it’s done.”“Thank you so much.”-Even a full night’s sleep did not manage to repel Deirdre’s headac