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.

inspecting renovations, restoring artifacts, making trips to

and Aster around to keep

early and came home late, but Briony noticed that the lines of worry on his brow had started to

Mario's eighth day at Skybreeze Retreat, Stewart's Maybach rolled up the

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

called after him, standing up. Then she caught sight of the figure outside and her mouth formed a

her Barbie, flung her

both of his children into

against his father's shoulder, eyes glistening. In a

"Daddy, does it still

bent his head to look at his son's earnest

blade twisted in his chest, stealing his

known he was

ruffled Mario's hair, then pressed a soft

fine now,

trembled. He clung tight

Nina watched the

hips and stomped her foot.

hurried to

both just the same, you and

gentled, warm and soft-the kind that