Brendan’s expression darkened. His motive had always been securing Ophelia McKinnon—that much was true. Still, he asked, “How can I be sure that you’re not going to send me an impostor in exchange for Connor’s life?”“You don’t have to worry about that, Mr. Brighthall,” replied Louis. “You’ll be receiving a spectacular gift at your villa. Once you take a look at it, I’m sure you’ll start to understand.”Exactly at the moment the call ended, they heard the doorbell. Brendan answered it and found only a parcel-delivery guy. He texted Shea, telling her to check all surveillance cameras in proximity remotely before receiving the parcel.Deirdre could not sit still at all. Wrapped in her blanket, she strode straight toward him, her hands shaking. “W-What is it?”“It’s okay. It’s just a delivery,” consoled Brendan. He opened it and found useless trinkets crowding out its true core: a tube of blood. While he held it, though, Brendan suddenly understood what it meant. Deirdre could not

Charlene poised as a long-suffering fiancee who just wanted to vent out injustice, but her word choice was specifically meant to degrade Deirdre’s personality by insinuating that she was only popular with males because she was a flirty pick-me girl.Brendan’s eyes turned cold, but that disappeared almost as soon as it appeared when he appeared to frown. “You’re overthinking it. I’m not interested in any woman who’d make eyes at any man in her vicinity.”Charlene bit her lips. “But… What about today? You…”“When I came home from work, Deirdre fainted from some unknown discomfort, so I brought her to the hospital. She fell asleep in the car while we were on our way back. I couldn't possibly leave her there, so I carried her to her room.”“Oh! So that’s what happened!” Charlene’s eyes twinkled with joy. A faint shadow of smugness—she believed Brendan’s excuse, after all—surfaced to her grin before it faded from new doubt. “But you were staying in her room for a long time.”Brendan ca

”S-Sir—”“Hush now,” the man interjected. “Please, don’t lower yourself by calling me that. You’re Brendan’s b*tch, not mine, remember? You wanted a piece of him so hard, you’d tell him everything about our plan and sell Watson out. You’re so out of my control I can hardly be called your master.”He sounded humorous, but Charlene shuddered. The look in his eyes screamed murder—and it oozed out of his contempt. Charlene’s teeth chattered as she threw her arms around the man’s thigh. “No! It’s not what you think, sir! I’ve always been loyal to you! Always! How could I possibly, willingly, betray you? He forced me to do it during the wedding! I had no choice! I just want Brendan to trust me… And then I can get Connor out of his bind!“Don’t you get it? I’m doing all of this for our plan, too!”The man snickered. Before she had a chance to understand him, someone flanking the man swung his leg at her, sending her flying several meters away. “Who do you think you are, touching our m

Brendan turned to an underling who had just returned from checking outside. He shook his head. “No other passage leading anyone out of here, sir.”Shea had been guarding the only way in or out of the high-rise. Combined with the fact that sawing off Charlene’s leg and treating her wound would require too much time, it was almost impossible that these people could possibly have left before Shea got to the entrance. Brendan mused over the possibilities and asked, “Have you checked upstairs?”“But they are all normal residents. How could they possibly house a syndicate—”Shea left her own answer hanging and bolted out of the room. Brendan immediately brought his people to follow her all the way to the 11th floor. “Here! Over here!” She said, “The rooms here are all vacant. Someone died in these units before, so nobody had wanted to stay here since then. If anyone were to hide in here… the residents here would be none the wiser.”Someone checked the locks and reported, “Sir, the lo

How could that be? She had destroyed every shred of evidence that could implicate her! And… the police knew who Brendan’s wife was, and Deirdre was already sentenced for the crime. Who the f*ck would even care about the truth when everything was already settled!?Who was it? Who the f*ck was it who wanted her dead!?Charlene was hysterical. She started to rip the document with her bare hands like a woman possessed until the police snatched it out of her grip. She turned to Brendan and started to shout for help, “Help me, Bren! Help me now! I don’t want to go to prison! I don’t! Didn’t Deirdre admit to the crime already!? Why the f*ck do I have to be arrested!?“F*ck off! All of you get your f*cking hands off me! That was four f*cking years ago! I’m gonna be Mrs. Brighthall, you f*cking pigs! You can’t do this to me! F*ck all of you to h*ll— Aaaaargghhhhh!”Charlene’s meltdown was indistinguishable from a nervous breakdown, but the police were unfazed. They just hauled her and her w