Despite being afraid of Deirdre, Emily still carried the fear of Brendan waking up again. The consequences could have been disastrous if Ryker hadn't hypnotized him once more.

"Thank you, Bren, for trusting me so much." Emily promised. "I assure you that I will treat this child as my own and protect her from any harm."

Brendan nodded in agreement. "I believe you."

Taking advantage of the moment, Emily suggested, "In that case, it would be better for Ms. McKinnon to live with me. As a woman, I