Regretting The Wife He Threw Away

The air went still, thick with unspoken tension.

Scarlett turned slowly, her movements heavy and deliberate.

Their eyes met, and Briony felt her heart plummet.

Scarlett stared at her, disbelief etched deep into eyes still swollen and red from days of weeping.

"How is this possible..." Scarlett shook her head, let out a hollow, humorless laugh, then whipped around to glare at Quentin, her voice trembling with fury. "Why? Why is this about Bryn?"

Quentin just smiled, cold and unrepentant. “Because I can't stand her," he replied, his tone casual, almost flippant. "I don't want to see Briony happy. So anyone close to her anyone she cares about I'll make sure they pay for it."

"That's your reason?" Scarlett's laugh broke apart into sobs, tears streaming down her face. "Quentin! I'll kill you! You bastard-!”

Scarlett screamed and launched herself at Quentin, but a pair of officers caught her just in time, holding her back as she thrashed in their arms.

Quentin watched her unravel, then threw his head back and laughed, wild and triumphant.

It was too much for Scarlett. Her body crumpled, and she fainted dead away.

Ableson and the police hurried to get her to the hospital.

As Quentin was being led away to the holding cells, he fixed Briony with a chilling, venomous grin. Even with his hands cuffed, he managed to drag a finger across his throat in a grotesque, mocking threat.

James's fists clenched at the sight; he looked ready to lunge, but Briony grabbed his arm, stopping him.

The two of them stepped out of the police station, James seething. "That Quentin is a real piece of work. All that charm—just a mask for a monster."

Briony said nothing.

shoulder and realized she'd fallen behind, her head

said get to you. He was

up, shaking her head. "It's

"What do you mean?"

barely know Quentin-we've hardly ever spoken. His hatred for me is so... sudden." She frowned, thinking aloud. "And

the pieces began to fall into place. "You think

sure. We don't

James muttered, stroking his chin. "But Quentin's the heir to the Lockwood family. He runs the whole estate

what I keep asking myself," Briony replied. "They're not even real siblings. Even if they were, how many brothers would throw away their future

it? The head of the Lockwoods, throwing his life away over something

something else going on, something we

as she looks. Should we―" James was

purposely switched off silent mode these past few days, terrified she might miss

Dr.

answered immediately. "Dr.

landed," Cedric said. "We're heading

there as soon

she and

Lockwood Hospital had fallen on hard times after Quentin's scandal; the

ambulance, Scarlett woke up sobbing in Ableson's arms, crying out for

did his best to comfort her as they sped toward

before they arrived, Ableson's phone

be at the hospital soon. Ableson was

he and Scarlett

were