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.

All he wanted in that moment

loathed him, of course, and

where. Who knows what germs you're carrying? Are you trying to make sure I

caught

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

her, his eyes red from the alcohol,

looking forward to

wouldn't be this worried about something happening to you before

I'm looking forward to it," Briony said, holding his gaze,

leaned in to press a gentle kiss to her

that Briony

straightened and said,

and watched as he left

behind him, and quiet

eyes, exhaling slowly in

I'm sick, she thought. If I were healthy, I might not have survived another round with

following week, Ferdinand

to help with the wedding preparations—all Filipino, all struggling

nearly impossible to communicate with