Regretting The Wife He Threw Away

The crowd around them seemed to freeze in place.

Above their heads, paper lanterns drifted into the night sky while farther out, floating candles carried wishes downstream on the river.

A cool evening breeze brushed Briony's cheek, lifting a few strands of her hair.

Her eyelashes fluttered as she pulled her gaze away from the glowing lights and looked up at James. "Let's go."

James glanced down at her, his arm still protectively around her shoulders.

"You didn't get hurt back there, did you?"

"No," Briony replied quietly, eyes lowered. "Thank you."

James swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly. "There are too many people here. I'll help you get out."

That brief scare had left her a little shaken. At a moment like this, Briony couldn't be bothered with propriety; she simply nodded. "Alright."

James guided her through the crowd, one arm shielding her shoulders, the other held out in front to clear a path.

Behind them, an intense, cold stare followed their every move, lingering until they finally broke free of the throng and reached the car.

The door closed, shutting out the noise-and that unsettling gaze.

Briony leaned back in her seat, eyes closed, looking exhausted.

James glanced at her, lips pressing into a thin line. After a moment, he turned and looked toward the back seat. “Where do you live, Hannah? I'll take you home first."

Hannah beamed and rattled

dropping Hannah off, James turned the car toward Dolphin

seemed to have fallen asleep, her eyes closed the entire time,

the gas, driving slower and more

Bzzz-

from inside

opened her eyes, reached into her bag, and pulled out

calling to say a high-profile client had just reclaimed a significant artifact from overseas. The piece needed restoration-an extraordinarily difficult

James could do the job justice, and asked if Briony could return to

up, she relayed the plan to

pick you up tomorrow morning?"

to drop me at my studio first-I left all my

"Alright."

minutes later, the Range Rover pulled up in front of her

him off. "No

...

elevator doors opened on

barely taken two steps

outside her studio door. Briony's brow furrowed.

"Irwin bought

the lantern. "Then let it stay

his dark eyes fixed on her. "It's from Irwin. You shouldn't treat it

deepened. She could tell Stewart was in a bad mood. After all, they'd been married for five years-she knew