"Stop joking around. The cast of the musical is trained professionals, and this is their first show. I'm sure they can't change the story as they please, so it can't be strange."The woman nodded, relieved. "You're right. I must be overthinking it.""Yes, you're definitely overthinking it."With that, they finished washing their hands and left without dwelling on the matter.Deirdre couldn't shake off the thoughts about the musical performance as she sat on the toilet. If she had to pinpoint something strange, it would be the supporting actress. The character seemed to undergo a drastic change midway through the musical. Rubbing her face, she stood up and exited the washroom.Brendan was smoking nearby. He extinguished the cigarette and dispersed the smoke upon seeing Deirdre."Let's go," he said.Deirdre followed Brendan, and he drove as they got into the car. With his assistant gone, Deirdre naturally took the passenger seat and fastened her seatbelt. Just as she did, she aske

"You can be rest assured about this, Ms. McKinnon." Emily said calmly, "I've already made arrangements for a female caregiver who will take care of your diet and daily routines, and she is meticulous in every way. Ryker here will take care of your health and nutrition so that you can stay healthy to give birth to the child."Deirdre clenched her fists tightly. 'A female caregiver who will take care of my diet and daily routine?'"It's fine. I already have Mrs. Wanner—""Oh, right." Emily interrupted Deirdre and said with her head raised in a regretful tone, "Brendan, I've almost forgotten to tell you this. Mrs. Wanner's youngest son has been involved in a motor vehicle accident, and her eldest son is facing bankruptcy of his company. She is so busy and badly battered from dealing with these matters that she won't be returning."Mrs. Wanner packed up her things this afternoon and headed to the hospital to take care of her youngest son. I'm afraid that… she won't be able to care for

"You're putting yourself in a dangerous situation if you choose to keep him in the villa. Don't forget that it was him who took me to your engagement party with Emily!"Brendan narrowed his eyes, his tone filled with contempt as he nonchalantly addressed Deirdre, "So, are you suggesting that you have a close relationship with him, and I should be wary?"Deirdre felt stunned by Brendan's words.He leaned in, his dark eyes fixed on her as if trying to peer into her soul. "It's naïve of you to think that way."Brendan continued, his voice filled with scorn. "Ryker is the president of a publicly-held pharmaceutical company. Why would he be interested in a blind and pregnant woman like you?"Embarrassment washed over Deirdre as Brendan insulted her. She braced herself, ready to endure his words, and mustered the courage to speak up. "Yes, he might not be interested in me, but what about our child?"Deirdre noticed Brendan's irregular breathing, a sign that he still cared about the chi

"Indulged in wishful thinking?" Deirdre felt slightly dizzy from the anger. "You're a disgrace!"Brendan turned his head to glance at her in contempt and spoke nonchalantly. "Disgrace? Don't blame me. You seemed to have had a good time last night too, right?"Deirdre gritted her teeth and angrily threw the pillow on the floor. She vowed never to believe Brendan again, not a single word.The incident took her by surprise because she had always believed that Brendan would never break his promises. This was completely out of character for him.She had underestimated Emily's influence on Brendan, and that realization hit her hard.Later that day, Deirdre met the female caregiver arranged by Emily. A young and agile caregiver, Frances Ramos entered the house respectfully and introduced herself.Brendan was pleased with Frances and instructed her to take good care of Deirdre's diet and daily routine. But Deirdre felt uneasy hearing this and abruptly left the room.Brendan closed his d

Deirdre's silence was filled with emotions as she looked at Ryker. After a while, she asked, "How can I trust you? There's no trust when working with a man like you.""The trust lies in your mother. We've always shown mercy toward you. Otherwise, you wouldn't be alive today."His wildly conceited speech left Deirdre breathless."She told you not to kill me?""Yes." Ryker nodded. "As allies, it's part of our exchange condition, and we'll honor our promise. So, you don't have to worry about us going back on our word. We won't kill you, and when Brendan is no longer useful to us, we'll eliminate him, of course."Deirdre bit her lower lip tightly, considering for a moment, and asked, "What do you want from me?""To retrieve an item for me.""An item?"Ryker became serious. "What item it is, I can't tell you yet. You'll only need to follow my orders and execute my plan, that's all."Deirdre lowered her gaze. "Alright then. But you have to give me some time to think it through.""H