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 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

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

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

“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,