Regretting The Wife He Threw Away

Lorna Riley watched as James Delaney was once again rendered speechless by her words. The playful glint in her eyes faded; she cleared her throat and grew serious.

"As of now, I haven't received any bad news. At the very least, I can confirm that Briony Kensington is still alive."

"Still alive..." James lowered his gaze. "She's alive, but being held somewhere- so she can't contact us, is that it?"

"No news is sometimes the best news," Lorna replied. "In our line of work, silence usually means things aren't getting worse. From what I know, Ferdinand Ellsworth's background is complicated and powerful, but he hasn't actually harmed the children. That alone shows he's holding back."

James looked up at her, searching her expression. After a moment, he spoke quietly. "You're saying Ferdinand really does have feelings for Bryn. He knows how much she cares about those kids, so he can't bring himself to hurt them?" "He's gone soft, sure. Or maybe he's keeping them as leverage, to force Briony's hand." Lorna's eyes narrowed. "It's mercy, but it's calculated."

in his voice. "Bryn will give in to protect those children. That's what Ferdinand

outfit. Selected when I was eleven, sent to a training camp. First rule they drilled into us: never get attached. No family, no friends, no romance. Because

her eyes. He couldn't really imagine the life

a loving family and a world that felt safe. He'd never pictured someone like Lorna Stepping into his life-and certainly never imagined living alongside her, or caring for two children

But somehow, their

said, his voice low and serious, "how did you meet Stewart

same. He was with the peacekeeping forces-he too honet orders from his superiors. I

allegiance. We can be allies or enemies,