Emily lowered her head, concealing the emotions in her eyes.

"I had no idea. Ms. McKinnon suddenly confronted me. I thought she blamed me for taking Joseph away, but she mentioned Joseph being disabled. I don't understand..."

Brendan's dark eyes reflected her innocence. "So... you were unaware of Joseph's accident?"

"Absolutely." Emily nodded eagerly. "I only pleaded for Joseph's release. I have no knowledge of anything else. I'm uncertain if something happened to Joseph during his journey..."

"I understand now."

-

Deirdre exited the hotel, her stomach pain intensifying. She gnashed her teeth and approached the intersection to hail a taxi.

"Take me to Crest Hospital, please..."

Observing her pale face and profuse sweating, the driver grew alarmed. "Young lady, are you about to give birth? If so, you should find another cab. If my car gets messy, it'll cost me a fortune to clean!"

Deirdre took a deep breath and replied with a determined gaze, "Don't worry. My baby is only seven