"Little Nina has nothing to do with Irwin."


    Briony cut Jeannie off mid-sentence.


    Jeannie turned to meet Briony''s gaze.


    Briony approached, her face expressionless. "Ms. Radcliffe, I made myself perfectly clearst time. If you keep meddling in this, I have to wonder what your real intentions are."


    Jeannie froze.


    Briony went on, "Little Nina is where I draw the line. Irwin is Rosita''s son. I would never let him get near my daughter."


    "I understand you have issues with Ms. Lockwood," Jeannie replied, meeting Briony''s eyes, "but Irwin is just a child. Isn''t it a bit much to treat him so differently, to be so guarded around him?"


    Briony arched an eyebrow, taking in Jeannie''s wide, innocent eyes, her lips curling into a cold smile. "You can think I''m being unreasonable, or you can goin to Stewart if you like. But as long as I''m here, Irwin will never get close to Little Nina."


    "I''m not going to tattle to Mr. Wentworth," Jeannie said quickly. "It just seems so unfair to Irwin. He''s just a kid, yet he''s paying for all the grudges between you adults..."


    She hugged Irwin closer, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears.


    "With all due respect, ma''am, you''re a mother too. How can you do this to him? People always say stepmothers are never as kind as real mothers, but I always thought you were different. Seeing you like this today... I realize I was naive. You don''t care about Irwin at all!"


    "Oh, for—" James had finally had enough. He rolled up his sleeves, ready to step in.


    Briony caught him just in time.


    He paused, frowning at her. "Seriously? After all that, you still expect me to just stand by?"


    "Yes, you do," Briony said, letting go of his arm and stepping toward Jeannie.


    Jeannie red back, anger flickering in her eyes.


    Briony''s lips quirked in a faint, icy smile.


    The next moment, she raised her hand and pped Jeannie, hard.


    The sound echoed in the room.


    Jeannie stumbled back, clutching her cheek, staring at Briony in shock and disbelief.


    "I''ve tolerated you long enough, Jeannie Briony said, her eyes


    cial. "From now on, if you sel


    you''d better walk the other way."


    me,


    "Or she''ll p you every time," James added, barely hiding his amusement.


    That was when Stewart arrived.


    The moment Irwin saw him, he broke free and rushed over.


    "Dad!"


    Irwin flung himself into Stewart''s arms, bursting into tears. "Dad,


    you''re finally here! If you''d been


    Stewart hugged Irwin with one arm, his dark eyes fixed on Briony.


    He''d seen Briony p Jeannie as he wasing from the parking lot.


    ét


    Now Jeannie stood off to the side, holding her face in silence, thoroughly wronged but not


    a word.


    Stewart walked forward with Irwin, stopping a few steps from Briony.


    She met his gaze, steady and unflinching.


    Stewart''s brows drew together. "What happened here?"