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.

on-Lorna was

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 Mario grinding through

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

Briony couldn't bear

Briony personally drove Mario back to Southcreek Manor. She only accompanied him as far as the front gate, letting Carol take him inside. Briony watched them disappear

from the window and turned toward the

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

a handkerchief

"Dad?"

swung open, and little Mario came running in, clutching

new story! Will you read it to me,

the bloodstained handkerchief in his palm, then bent down and

book Mario was holding, his voice still

night I slept with Mom,

as carried Mario out the study

room.

the hallway, he tossed the handkerchief into

ask

to know if I

setting him down on

perfectly still, his big dark eyes fixed on

those eyes, Stewart couldn't