Regretting The Wife He Threw Away

"I'm heading out, too." Cedric Clarke left the office with Lawyer Hughes.

Ferdinand turned to his own attorney. "Wait for me downstairs."

The lawyer nodded, then slipped out, leaving the door to click softly behind him.

Briony crossed to her desk, settled into her chair, and opened her laptop. Without looking up, she said evenly, "If there's nothing else, Mr. Ellsworth, you should go. I have work to finish."

Ferdinand lingered, his gaze flickering with emotions she couldn't quite name. "Bryn, will we ever see each other again?"

Briony met his eyes, calm and unflinching.

"Ferdinand, I don't think there's any reason for us to stay in touch."

Something in Ferdinand's expression tightened. "You're still upset with me, aren't you?"

"I'm not angry," Briony replied, her tone steady. "I just don't want any more involvement with the Wentworth Group. We all make our choices, Ferdinand. Becoming CEO was yours. Cutting ties-that's mine."

For a moment, Ferdinand couldn't breathe. He stared at her, lips pressed tight, fists clenched at his sides. But he didn't argue.

...

After that day, life seemed to drift quietly back to normal.

Ferdinand took the contract with him and left behind a hundred million.

Neither Fred nor Ferdinand showed up in Briony's life again.

filled up easily: inspecting renovations, restoring artifacts, making trips to Starlight

With Stella and Aster around to keep them company, their days were

home late, but Briony noticed that the lines of worry on his brow had started to smooth out. She figured things

enough, on Mario's eighth day at Skybreeze Retreat, Stewart's

the sound of his father's car. His big, dark eyes went wide. Forgetting all about his half-built Lego tower, he

him, standing up. Then she caught sight of

abandoned her Barbie, flung her arms wide, and

and swept both of his children into

his father's shoulder, eyes

asked, "Daddy,

to look at his son's

instant, it felt like a blade twisted in his

had known

hand, Stewart ruffled Mario's hair, then pressed a

fine now, buddy.

bottom lip trembled. He clung tight

Nina watched

and stomped her foot. "Daddy, that's not fairlyYou're whispering secrets to Mario, and you kissed

then hurried to

just

and soft-the kind that could