Deirdre felt a tinge of sadness upon hearing his words, yet she maintained a calm expression. "If you hate me so much, we do no need to have this conversation, Brendan. Let me go."

They shouldn't have been in such a position. Deirdre struggled to free herself from Brendan's lap, but he held onto her tightly, unmoving.

"Don't leave," he said with a frown, his voice soft. "Stay like this for a while."

Deirdre found his words amusing. "Brendan, you claim to hate me, yet you're embracing me at th