Deirdre was ungrateful no matter how well he treated her. On the contrary, she loathed him for meddling in her business and wished that he would leave her.

If Sterling had given her the dog as a gift, he figured that she would have immediately given herself to him as a sign of appreciation.

Brendan felt jealous at the thought of this possibility. He clenched his fists tightly, and his expression turned even colder. “You’re overthinking. A woman like her doesn’t deserve to be treated well by