Regretting The Wife He Threw Away

Rosita's tears slipped down her cheeks as she tilted her chin up, gazing at Quentin with a plaintive, fragile look. "You're the only one who can help me now," she pleaded.

Quentin's Adam's apple bobbed as he locked his deep brown eyes on Rosita's tear-reddened ones. "What do you want me to do?"

"Briony's taken Stewart from me... and now she's after my son, too..."

Rosita's voice was meek, almost innocent, but her words dripped with venom.

"I know I can't outmaneuver her, but I can't just let it go. She stole the most important people in my life-so I want her to feel my pain. I want everyone she cares about to leave her, one by one. I want her to know what it feels like to be utterly alone."

Quentin frowned. "The only people she truly relies on now are Stella and James. James has government connections and an influential family-you can't touch him."

He paused, then added, "Stella's been spending time with Cedric Clarke lately. If I go after her, Cedric will do whatever it takes to protect her. I don't think I could get past him."

"I know, I know I'm asking a lot..." Rosita shifted, climbing onto the hospital bed on her knees. Her delicate body inched closer, her voice trembling. "But... what if it looked like an accident?"

"What are you saying?"

"I heard there's a medical outreach trip to the mountains next month-Stella's on the team, isn't she?"

"That's meant to boost the hospital's reputation. If something happened to a staff member during the trip, it'd be a disaster for us. And Cedric Clarke is going to be there too."

"But it's the rainy season, the terrain up there is dangerous. If there's a storm and someone gets hurt... well, wouldn't that just be an unfortunate accident?"

Rosita leaned in, her tearful eyes wide with helplessness. "You've always said you wanted to see me happy, haven't you?"

As she spoke, her breath danced across Quentin's neck. He clenched his jaw, took a step back, fighting to keep control. "Rosita, you don't have to do this. I do want you to be happy, but... I don't have feelings for you like that."

Rosita's lips curled into a smile. She didn't press her body fully against his, but the space between them was barely more than a breath.

a fox who knew exactly how to ensnare its prey. "But you've always looked out for me, cared for me.

lower to the waistband of

Quentin's breathing grew ragged.

Click-

buckle came

stiffened, eyes closing

watched him, a flicker of disgust passing through her

...

an hour later, the

door shut behind him. He glanced around the hallway, face unreadable-though a shadow of what just happened still lingered in

a moment, he walked

turned on the tap and scrubbed her hands over

water echoed in the

the mirror, her lips curved into

help, Briony finally

to see the dress

Kensington, you're so young, yet you have the heart and skill of a true craftswoman.

the kindly woman. "You flatter

payment for Lydia's

Chadwick were embarrassed to pay so little, but Briony insisted— she

on paying more would only cheapen the true value of her work. Instead, he handed Briony a business card embossed

just call this number. Whatever you ask, I'll

ever received Mr.

both hands, nodding

Now that you've accepted it, my