Regretting The Wife He Threw Away

Gwendolyn White could tell from Carney's expression that things with Stewart at the airport hadn't gone well.

In front of Briony, though, she acted as if nothing had happened.

Once they were back home, Gwendolyn asked the housekeeper to make Briony a bowl of noodles and ladled out some nourishing chicken broth for her to have first.

While Briony sipped the soup in the kitchen, Gwendolyn quietly pulled Carney into the bedroom.

"You talked to Stewart at the airport?"

Carney let out a bitter laugh. "The man's a bully with too much power and far too little shame."

Gwendolyn frowned. "He's still refusing to sign the divorce papers?"

He sighed heavily. "Stewart's a control freak. I told him plainly we want to make Bryn our goddaughter. I even spoke to him as a family elder, but he just put on that fake smile and brushed me off."

"I saw this coming a long time ago," Gwendolyn said with a weary sigh. "That's why I suggested the Chadwicks get in touch with Bryn. Thank goodness she's strong enough to carve out her own path."

Carney looked surprised. "So you'd already planned a backup for her?"

"What else did you expect?" Gwendolyn shot him a look. "You're a man yourself— after all these years, do you still not know your own kind's weaknesses?"

Carney protested, "Come on, don't lump me in with the rest. I'm one of the good ones everyone says so!"

She smacked his arm with a laugh. "Always so glib! Anyway, keep an eye on Stewart these next few days. Don't let him bother Bryn again. She deserves some peace to finish her work."

"Aye aye, ma'am!" Carney gave a mock salute.

***

The next day, on set.

were filming a promotional video for The Antiquarian Society,

team provided: a cream-colored dress that flowed to her ankles. Her long dark hair was swept up with a simple hairpin, exposing her graceful neck

makeup artist applied a touch

Briony stepped out from behind the

Stewart was talking with Professor Thornton. His gaze flickered

past five years, she'd kept her style understated-nothing like the elegance she wore today. For the first time, he saw her fully transformed, as if she'd stepped straight out of a classical painting: slender, poised, with a smile

swallowed, his

a promotional video was no

camera demanded a

Briony's first time in front of the lens,

her individual scenes ahead of

"Ms. Kensington has such screen presence. If she

crew all nodded in

then, Briony was back in the dressing room,

her home for lunch

afternoon's shoot was simpler, only two quick scenes for Briony. Still, Gwendolyn, worried about her pregnancy, asked the director if Briony could shoot her

more than happy

Briony had finished all her scenes for the

to fetch the car, Briony changed out of her costume and back

Stewart but only paused to say goodbye to Professor Thornton,

there bad blood between

"She's still

raised an

***

set every day— partly to look after her, partly to make sure Stewart didn't try to corner

always present, but thankfully, kept his

went smoothly. In her downtime, she texted Stella whenever possible-calls were nearly impossible, with the poor signal in the mountains, and the rain didn't help. Even text messages lagged and arrived in