Regretting the Wife He Threw Away

After the injection, Little Nina soon drifted off to sleep.

Briony carefully settled her daughter onto the hospital bed and raised the guardrail.

James left to fetch some essentials from home.

This hospital stay would last at least four or five days.

Now, only Briony and Little Nina remained in the room.

Blair waited outside, his watchful eyes glancing at the closed door.

Briony gazed at her sleeping daughter, reaching out to gently caress Nina's soft cheek.

After a moment, she turned and walked toward the door.

She opened it.

Blair immediately looked over, his concern evident as he blurted out, almost without thinking, "Is Little Nina alright?"

Briony lingered in the doorway, regarding him in silence.

There was a searching look in her eyes.

Blair stiffened, suddenly wary.

He lowered his gaze, standing straight and respectful. "I'm sorry, Ms. Kensington.noveldrama

I shouldn't have addressed your daughter so informally."

"Blair."

"Yes, ma'am?"

"You seem awfully concerned about my daughter."

Blair hesitated. "...She's a sweet girl."

"There are plenty of sweet kids out there." Briony's tone was calm, her eyes steady. "Do you worry about every child this much?"

"...Yes," Blair replied after a pause.

She gave a cold, almost amused smile. "Well, aren't you generous with your affections."

Blair fell silent.

"There's nothing else you need to do here. You can go.

"I'm your bodyguard, ma'am. The hospital isn't as safe as home-I really should stay nearby for you and Little Nina."

Briony didn't argue further.

She closed the door behind her.

On the other side, Blair's eyes flickered with disappointment.

Inside, Briony leaned her back against the door, her heart racing.

Could it be him?

Was it really him?

But Cedric Clarke had said he couldn't leave Switzerland yet...

Briony pressed a hand to her face, trying to steady herself.

At the hospital entrance, James ran into Ferdinand.

They exchanged a brief greeting.

Ferdinand eyed the suitcase in James's hand. "Someone in the Delaney family hospitalized?"

"Oh, it's Little Nina," James replied, still oblivious to the hawthorn candy incident and feeling no need to be guarded with Ferdinand.

"Little Nina's sick?" Ferdinand frowned. "Bryn didn't call me."

James grinned. "Come on, you're a big shot now. Bryn doesn't want to bother you when you're busy making deals she'd feel bad dragging you into family stuff all the time."

That was James's take, anyway.

But Ferdinand knew perfectly well why Briony no longer turned to him for help with Little Nina.

"Bryn's always like that," Ferdinand

said, feigning a helpless sigh. "Weet each other forever We've

known but she still

keeps me at arm's len

〃

James shrugged. "That's just how she is. She's the same way with me."

Like with the whole moving thing.

James had tried more than once to talk Briony out of it.

But she was determined to move into Pearbrook Mansion.

The housewarming was just a few weeks away.

Thinking about living apart soon-no more coming home from work to play with

two little munchkins-James felt a twinge of sadness.

The two men chatted as they walked down the corridor toward the room.

Blair, still guarding the door, suddenly received a call.

After listening to the voice on the other end, his expression darkened. He turned

and strode toward the emergency stairs.

He had barely disappeared when James and Ferdinand stepped out of the elevator, heading straight for Little Nina's room.

...

James pushed the door open.

Briony stood by the window, talking on the phone. She turned at the sound.

"Bryn, I ran into Mr. Ellsworth at the entrance. He heard about Little Nina and wanted to stop by to check on her," James explained.

Briony ended her call and looked at Ferdinand.

He met her gaze.

Their eyes locked across the room.

Briony's hand tightened around her phone.

Ferdinand offered a gentle, disarming smile. "Bryn, why do you look at me like

that? I just came to see if there's anything I can do to help."

Briony pressed her lips together.

usy running your compan Nina's fine, really. You

didn't have to come all this way."