Regretting The Wife He Threw Away

Lorna strode into the room, flopped onto the couch, crossed her legs, and let out

a dramatic sigh. "How much longer am I supposed to play this wretched, universally despised villainess?"

Stewart turned, taking in Lorna's insolent, slouched posture on the couch, but he was used to her antics by now.

"Ferdinand's reached out to the Wentworths."

Lorna paused mid-stretch. "So he's finally going back to his roots?"

He nodded. "Looks like it."

She snorted. "Stealing your wife and kids wasn't enough for him-now he's after your assets too, huh?"

Stewart's dark eyes chilled. "We can leak the news about that Northside property."

Lorna arched a brow, draping herself over the back of her chair to study him. "Accelerating your little trap, are we?"

"Someone out there is even more impatient than we are. We can't drag this out any longer."

...

Over the weekend, Briony devoted herself to the kids.

Little Mario seemed perfectly content as long as he was with Nina, not once complaining about homework.

Carol, on the other hand, took several calls from Lorna. Each time, she'd step outside to answer, and when she returned, her face was troubled.

exactly what was going on-Lorna was hounding

to tackle, and there were so many of them. At that age, kids'

she also knew she couldn't bring her son home to live with her, at least not

between adults, and Briony couldn't bear the thought that he might end up afraid of

to Southcreek Manor. She only accompanied him as far as the front gate, letting Carol take him

window and turned toward the ink painting

only the eyes and brows betrayed any emotion, but even that was

coughed, pressing a handkerchief

"Dad?"

Mario came running in, clutching a

a new story! Will you read it to

the bloodstained handkerchief in his palm, then bent down and scooped

voice still rough from

I slept with Mom,

carried Mario

room.

through the hallway, he tossed the handkerchief

ask you

his head. "She just wanted to know if I

him down on

obediently lay back, small and perfectly still, his big

eyes, Stewart couldn't help but see