Chapter 998 As You Wish

“It doesn’t matter now that Charlene is dead.” Deirdre hung her head, sighing. “The fact that I didn’t manage to get any information about my father upsets me. I should have known Charlene had a target painted on her back! If only… If only I stayed there and waited for her answer right there and then instead of giving her a few days to mull it over!” “Nobody would have known someone would silence her. Not even me,” replied Brendan, his fingers gently smoothing the creases in Deirdre’s frown. “Don’t blame yourself. You did brilliantly. At least now we know there’s a mole among us. We can use her.” “I know.” Deirdre nodded tiredly. She wished it was all just groundless conspiratorial thoughts in her head. The last thing she wanted was for it to become real. After calming her nerves down, Deirdre thought about her conversation with Charlene before a thought hit her. “Speaking of which… Brendan, do you know a place called Southedge?” “Southedge?” Brendan frowned. “If I recall correctly, it’s a seaside city not unlike Eastgene, though every single marking of progress from its industries to its urban development lags significantly. Not sure how much has changed over the years, if I’m being honest. What about it?” “Because Charlene kept mentioning this city as a ploy to get me hooked with her information. She said my father is living in this place, and I can’t help wondering whether she was telling the truth. I don’t know a single thing about Southedge.” “Charlene mentioned it?” Brendan’s face turned even more serious. “Southedge lies in one of the more remote regions of the country. It’s practically its own island. It’s about as significant as a footnote in Neve’s relational map, so Charlene couldn’t have known anything about it out of the blue, could she?” Deirdre looked up, her eyes animated by an ember of hope. “You mean she could be telling the truth.” Brendan’s lips curled. “Regardless of how true it is, we have someone to ‘help’ us verify, don’t we?” Deirdre’s eyes twinkled. “Mrs. Engel.” She nodded. “You’re right. If she leaked news about Charlene, then if we reveal that we know about Southedge, she’ll also try to inform those people about it.” She rose. “I’m heading home now.” “Wait.” Brendan removed his hospital gown and declared, “I’m coming with you.” “With me?” Her heart stopped for a second. “But you have not fully recovered yet, have you? You should stay here. I’ll be fine.” “I have almost fully recovered anyway. I just need to take my medicine while I’m home. Besides, after knowing about Mrs. Engel’s deal, there’s no way I’ll feel safe leaving you alone at home.” Brendan took a while to change into his clothes. When he noticed the worry on her face and her furrowed brows, he lowered his head and grazed her forehead with his lips. “Your eyesight is damaged, Dee. With me around, there won’t be a thing that can catch you off-guard, right? Don’t worry about me. I know what I’m doing.” Deirdre mulled over his confident remark and decided he was right. Since she could not see very well, there could be plenty of details around her that eluded her. “Alright.” She finally relented, adding, “But you’re to take your meds when it’s time, and you’re banned from working late into the night!” Deirdre could tell how much toll Brendan’s health had taken by his act of jumping into the sea. He used to be a picture of health and vigor. Now, there was a loss of energy in his voice alone. “Understood.” He breathed in her ear. “As you wish.” His breath tickled her, and her cheeks turned pink. When they got out of the ward, Mrs. Engel exited Ophelia's just in time. Catching Deirdre, she hurriedly approached her and placed a coat she had prepared for the young lady over her shoulder.