Brendan smiled and pulled Deirdre into his arms. He leaned his head on her shoulder, but a shadow shrouded his mien. “Do you remember when I told you that Southedge lags behind Eastgene?”

“Yes?”

“Looks like things have changed.”

Deirdre froze and shot him an aside glance. “What do you mean?”

“Southedge is an island, so its development echoes that of a small country. It’s completely different from metropolises like Neve, especially when its geography and resources could not compare to that of