NovelUSA"Carol, you mustn't breathe a word of what you saw today to anyone." Lorna fixed Carol with a grave look. "Especially not to Briony or the kids. Do you understand?" Carol nodded, then hesitated before asking softly, "Is there anything I can do to help right now?" Lorna had just pulled out her phone to make a call. Hearing Carol's question, she paused and replied, "Go downstairs and make sporridge, would you?" "Of course!" Carol nodded again and hurried off.
Skybreeze Retreat.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtBriony parked in the garage and was barely out of the car when Cedric Clarke rushed out to meet her.
He stopped short at the sight of her. The anxious look on his face smoothed over a little as he forced a casual smile. "Ms. Kensington, you're hearly today." Briony approached, her voice calm and measured. "You know exactly where I was this morning." Cedric hesitated. "..." "Stewart's out. The Wentworth Group is in Fred and Ferdinand's hands now." "I see..." Cedric's expression was uneasy. "Well, nothing to be done. Stewart saw this coming, really." "Dr. Clarke," Briony said, studying him, "you don't seem the least bit upset by this." He paused again, searching for the right words. "..." But Briony's tone was almost offhand, as if her last question had been no more than idle conversation. She moved on. "Heading to the hospital?" Cedric seized the lifeline. "Yes! They called about a patient-emergency. I should get going." "Drive safe, Dr. Clarke." "Of course, of course!" He hurried to his car and drove off.
Briony watched until his car disappeared down the drive, then turned and walked inside.
James Delaney was working in the studio. At Skybreeze Retreat, only Stella Joyner, her son, and Marlene were home. The house was unusually quiet. Briony had just settled onto the couch when footsteps sounded on the stairs. She glanced up as Stella cdown from the second floor.
"Bryn." Stella sat beside her, concern etched into her features. "You're back so early today. Everything alright?" "I didn't go to the studio. I had business at the Wentworth Group this morning." Stella frowned. "The Wentworth Group? What for?" "Stewart had given Little Nina ten percent of the company's shares. There was a shareholders' meeting today, so I went to vote on her behalf." "Vote?" Stella hesitated. "Who did you vote for?" Briony met her gaze. "Stewart." Stella practically jumped off the couch. "You voted for Stewart? Are you out of your mind?" Briony had expected this reaction. She sighed a little helpless. "Calm down. Those are Little Nina's shares. Last night, James and I talked her. When she had to choose en between Ferdinand and Stewart, she picked Stewart-no hesitation." "Not even Ferdinand's face could sway her?" Stella groaned. "Guess family really is everything." "These were Stewart's shares to begin with. Little Nina choosing to support him just makes sense." Stella let out a long sigh. "True. Stewart may be a lousy husband, but Cedric toldhe's been good to the kids." "But in the end, I didn't get a chance to cast the vote." Stella blinked in surprise. "Why not?" Briony sighed. "Something... unexpected happened." On the drive back from the Wentworth Group, she'd already concluded that Stewart had let go of the company on purpose.
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This wasn't just a suspicion born from seeing Stewart collapse and, O cough up blood. Even earlier, on the 58th floor, when he suddenly lashed out at her in front of everyone, she'd started to wonder.
After all, they'd shared five years of marriage. She knew him-aloof, arrogant, never one ofèruel words. If Stewart truly despised someone, he'd go straight for the jugular with cold, calculated moves, not petty insults. Something was off. He was acting out of character. There had to be a reason.
The only explanation Briony could think of was that Stewart didn't Want her tangled up in the power struggle. He was protecting the kids. So, she'd played along with his plan...
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