Resent, Reject, Regret

Chapter 21 You’ll Beg Me

Charlene dug her nails deep into her palm, her face going pale. “Bren!” she called out as she stepped forward. “The media is here! We have to go-now-before someone notices you here in the hospital and we have no idea how to explain it!

A storm of impatience and frustration pooled in Brendan’s eyes. Why were the media here?

He turned to Deirdre sharply. “Come back to me. There’s still time.”

“No, thanks, Mr. Brighthall,” Sterling parried pointedly. His back-his entire body, in fact-still hurt from the impact, but he would not compromise when it came to protecting Deirdre. He hugged her even more tightly.

He shot Brendan a steely glare, his eyes sharp as daggers. “You have no reason to trouble yourself, Mr. Brighthall. I’ll take care of Dee just fine.”

“Sterling Fuller! You son of a b*tch! You think you’re worth jacksh*t to be able to defy me?!” Brendan

bellowed. He was livid.

Then, the media broke inside, getting stuck on the backdoor in a stampede. They wielded their camera sticks like javelins; and right here, right now, was the spiciest drama du jour: Brendan Brighthall and his ex-wife!

Charlene tugged at Brendan, holding the cuff of his sleeve as the man roared, “One last chance, Deirdre McKinnon! You leave with me now and I’ll let you go back to the life you used to have!”

Despite his volume, he spoke with understated difficulty, as though he had made the biggest concession he ever had in his entire life. And yet, it only sounded like an insult to Deirdre’s face. He was essentially saying, ‘This is it, right? The only thing you could have possibly wanted?’

revulsion filled her eyes. She tugged on Sterling’s shirt and

She… She would not even

at him!

as she tugged on his shirt

afford to do this at Brighthall Group’s expense, but what about me? The media … They are

had another

finally snapped Brendan out of his single minded rage. He cast one last glare at Deirdre, despite the

with Charlene in

blind, Deirdre could feel the death-like chill in his eyes. She could hear his callousness. Cold sweat broke out on her spine, and she

to do this time? Hire another gang of thugs to torment her? Descend upon her even more

could sense Deirdre’s panic, so he hugged her even more closely.

tugged on his sleeve hard until the worst of her dread ebbed away. She

“I know.”

worst of all…” she added, her

eyes and opened her heart. The truth then poured out of

you to go to prison in Charlene’s place!” Sterling growled through gritted teeth. He was shaking from fury. “That son of a-God knows calling him a .

back into control. “Your face? Your eyes? What

a deep breath. “It