Regretting The Wife He Threw Away

"Utter nonsense!" Stewart's scowl deepened. "Bryn doesn't understand any of this. Ferdinand's obsession with her is my fault-how could you just let her go back to him?"

"But Ferdinand has already set his sights on the children," the assistant said quietly. "Ms. Kensington made it clear-she's not doing this for the greater good, and it's not about you. She's doing it for the kids. That's all."

Stewart froze, his anger draining into stunned silence.

Mr. Hoffman looked up at Stewart, his expression grave. "You know as well as I do. Things have reached a dead end."

"Ms. Kensington is innocent in all this, but right now, she's the only one Ferdinand cares about. The only one who can draw him out."

Stewart closed his eyes, jaw tight, Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed. "Ferdinand is after Bryn because of me. I dragged her into this mess."

"It's not all your fault," Mr. Hoffman said gently.

Stewart opened his eyes, confusion flickering there. "What do you mean?"

With a sigh, Mr. Hoffman replied, "Ms. Kensington confided in me recently. She said that night, more than nine years ago, when she met you by chance-she also happened to save Ferdinand. Looking back, it must have been during that raid. Ferdinand was wounded while escaping. By sheer coincidence, Ms. Kensington, not knowing who he was, helped him.”

Stewart stared at Mr. Hoffman, his voice barely above a whisper. "Bryn saved Ferdinand..."

"Ferdinand's mind isn't... right. He believes Ms. Kensington saved his life, changed his fate. Now he's convinced that since she kept him alive, she belongs

would never choose

She doesn't accept Ferdinand, but she doesn't accept you, either." Mr. Hoffman's gaze softened as he shook his head, voice earnest. "Neither of you is truly what Ms. Kensington needs. Ferdinand is broken-growing up under Fred Wentworth's shadow, surrounded by extremists, his mind became warped long ago. And you... your sense of duty, your temperament, all the burdens you carry -they ended up wounding Ms. Kensington as well,

bound for this tangle, whether you realized it or not." Mr. Hoffman had seen too many goodbyes, too many tragedies. His heart had

and Ferdinand, you and Ms. Kensington-maybe, from the very start, you were only meant to cross paths,

a long time ago.

Mr. Hoffman said quietly. "Just like Miss Mary. The organization pulled her out of that

her, gave her a new life,

lost herself to love. Her betrayal...

thought she'd finally fonet

yourself apart and building

process,

That became her undoing.

Mary. Mary always knew exactly what

hand, was dragged into this life against her

matter if she wanted out-she never had