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.

what was going on-Lorna was hounding Carol about Mario's

assignments. Most of them were well beyond what a four- year-old should be expected to tackle, and there were so many of them. At that age, kids' fingers are still so delicate, but Lorna insisted on

knew she couldn't bring her son home to live with her, at least not yet. So she never said a bad word about Lorna in

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

the front gate, letting Carol take him inside. Briony watched them disappear into the

drew his gaze back from the window and turned toward the ink painting hanging beside

painting had a cold, severe profile; only the eyes and brows betrayed any emotion, but even that was nothing but a chilling indifference. Just

pressing a handkerchief to his

"Dad?"

swung open, and little Mario came running

a new story! Will you read it

palm, then bent

his voice still rough from the cough. "Did you have fun

Mom, and

softene as carried Mario out the study toward the

room.

tossed

ask you

head. "She just wanted to know if I was happy here. I answered

did great," Stewart said, setting him down on the bed. "Lie

and perfectly still, his big dark eyes

at those eyes, Stewart couldn't help but see Briony