Chapter 873 Where is She?
âWhatâs that on your wrist?â
Deirdreâs heart skipped a beat. She retracted her hand immediately as if she had touched something hot, her heart racing. âWhatâs what?â
Her reaction was unexpected; Brendan was stunned. âUh, why is it so dirty?
It looks like dust.â âOh!â Deirdre exhaled a breath of relief. He did not see her injury after all. After all the trouble the scandal had brought to him via the Brighthall Group, the last thing she wanted was for Brendan to be distracted by her affair. âEr, the wall was a little dusty when I accidentally rubbed my skin against it.â
Brendan produced a piece of wet tissue. âIâll help with that.â
He gingerly held her wrist with his one hand, but before the wet tissue even made contact, Deirdre suddenly withdrew hers in a state of nervous panic.
âWhatâs the matter?â
Deirdre went quiet, but Brendan thought he understood why she balked.â Sorry. I genuinely only wanted to clean your hand for you. If youâre not comfortable with it, youâre welcome to help yourself.â
He was upset-Deirdre could hear it in his voice. That hurt feeling did not make her loosen her lips, though. She quietly took the tissue and cleaned her wrist under the table. At times, she accidentally rubbed against her injury, and a little of that pain would break out of her face and make her lip twitch.
She finished her meal as quickly as she could and rose. âIâm finished. I should go back.â
Brendan wished God could give him more time, but he had to admit it was getting late.
Besides, he could not risk being too forward in rekindling their relationship by this point. The only way they could get somewhere was through slow, steady, baby steps.
âAlright. You get an early rest, okay? If thereâs anything youâll like me to help with, please donât hesitate. I will help you. I promise.â
A glint flitted through Deirdreâs eyes as she nodded a little anxiously. The warden led her back to the room where the other ten inmates waited in the corner, their eyes boring into her.
When the warden left after a few words, they relaxed. One of them approached her and pulled Deirdre by her hair. âDid you snitch?â
Calmly, she shook her head.
The leader was rather pleased. She clapped Deirdreâs cheeks. âGood girl. You should be proud of yourself for not being a snitchinâ b*tch, darling, â cause you just dodged a bullet there. Anyway, youâre sleeping in the corner but leave your blanket. Iâm going to spread it wide on the floor for myself.â
Brendan cleared the food from the table and got back to his car. He was about to start the engine, and yet his mind kept conjuring scenes of Deirdreâs overreaction.
Something just did not feel right.
She even stayed with him for far longer than she usually did.
He got out of his car and returned to the station.
âMcKinnon? Oh, sheâs not staying in that individual cell anymore.â
Brendan frowned. âWhy not?â âWhy else?â the warden replied haplessly. âThe scandal sheâs involved in has grown so big that the top brass is making sure nobodyâs giving her any preferential treatment.â
Brendanâs heart sank. âThen where is she now?â âSheâs locked up with other female suspects.â âShow me, now!â
It was a chilling night. The cement floor seemed to emanate cold from every inch before prickling Deirdreâs skin as she sat by herself in the corner. She could not stop shaking.
She could not lean against the wall, or the cold would nip at her. The only thing she could do was curl into a ball, her arms protecting her belly.
âI have been through worse,â she told herself.
Her days in prison had been far more tormenting than anything this detainment center could throw at her. She was sure she could survive this if she just steeled herself-but there was no way she would rehash the past.
This time, she would protect her baby.
Sleep overcame her. Slowly, she closed her eyes.
When Brendan ordered the warden to bring him to Deirdreâs new cell, he did not expect he would see something like that.
He did not expect to see the other suspects huddling with one another, snug in their blankets, while Deirdre was relegated to the corner with her arms around her legs.
Her uniform was so thin that she was visibly shivering from the cold.