Regretting The Wife He Threw Away

Ferdinand knew it was Gifford who had told everyone that Briony was Stewart's ex-wife.

He looked at Gifford and smiled, a cold glint in his eyes.

The next moment, Gifford let out a muffled grunt and dropped to one knee, blood gushing from his thigh.

The bullet was lodged in the bone, and Ferdinand didn't hesitate to dig it out himself with his combat knife.

He pressed the bloodied bullet into Gifford's trembling hand, his own palm slick with blood. Then he patted Gifford's pale, sweat-soaked face as if he were soothing a child.

"I told you before, I don't like anyone telling me how to handle my business."

Gifford kept his head down, teeth clenched against the pain. "Mr. Ellsworth, I was wrong."

No one else dared so much as breathe.

In the end, the wedding would proceed just as Ferdinand wished-grand, extravagant, impossible to ignore.

Everyone thought he'd lost his mind, but no one dared oppose him. They could only follow along, caught in the wake of his madness.

At the reception afterward, Ferdinand raised his glass and drank with each of the heads of the family, one by one.

Every last one of them met his toast, offering hollow congratulations.

There were plenty of people present, but Ferdinand didn't let a single one off the hook. By the end of the round, he'd downed more than his fair share.

thoroughly drunk, he cast aside any restraint. All he wanted in that moment was to hold Briony close, to feel

course, and recoiled at his

you're carrying?

hesitated, caught off

away. She yanked the covers higher, wrapping herself up tightly, her eyes burning with anger. "You're drunk. Go sleep it off somewhere else. Or do you want

from the alcohol, but a hint of amusement flickered

looking forward to the

wouldn't be this

forward to it," Briony said, holding his gaze,

to press a gentle kiss to

an instant-so quick that Briony didn't

straightened and said, "Get some

coolly and watched as

door closed behind him, and

eyes,

sick, she thought. If I were healthy, I

Ferdinand was busier than

had arrived to help with the

found it nearly impossible