Little Mario had only been back for a day when Gwendolyn White and Carney Winslow heard the news and immediately rushed to Northborough.


    His "return from the dead" seemed to heal the wounds that had haunted the adults in his life for the past four years.


    Back then, when Briony had her ident in the restroom, Carney had never been able to let it go. He never spoke of it, but in those first months after the tragedy, he''d often dream that he''d made a different choice-that he hadn''t agreed to let her join that photoshoot with her friends, that none of it had ever happened. But every morning he woke to the same reality: the tragedy had happened, and nothing could undo it. Sleep became elusive, and Carney lost weight visibly. Gwendolyn noticed it all.


    Now, with little Mario miraculously alive and well, both Gwendolyn and Carney were overjoyed in a way they hadn''t thought possible.


    James, meanwhile, hadn''t forgotten Stewart''s instructions. The day after they returned to Skybreeze Retreat, he called Cedric rke and arranged for Mario to have a full check-up at the hospital the following morning.


    Carol had insisted that, on the whole, Garry had treated Mario decently, but Briony couldn''t quite rx. Garry was unpredictable, always operating by his own rules, and Mario was so small-she couldn''t afford to leave anything to chance.


    A thorough examination was a must.


    On the day of the check-up, James and Gwendolyn escorted Briony and Mario to the hospital. After the routine tests, Dr. rke mentioned that Mario would need "onest shot."


    Briony found this odd and pressed him repeatedly until Cedric finally told her the whole truth.


    Learning that Mario had been receiving regr injections over the years broke Briony''s heart.


    Cedric, now a father himself, understood exactly how she felt. "Don''t worry," he reassured her. "This is the veryst one. I''ve looked into the medication-it''s safe, no side effects. It''s mainly to strengthen the heart and lungs, especially important for premature babies. Honestly, Garry may be a jerk, but he didn''t neglect his responsibilities as Mario''s guardian.”


    At that, Briony finally felt her anxiety ease.


    After the shot, she asked James and Gwendolyn to take Mario out to the waiting area. Once the door to the exam room closed, she turned to Cedric. "Where''s Stewart?"


    Cedric gave a weary smile. "If I didn''t know your history, I''d almost think you were worried about him."


    Briony pressed her lips into a thin line.


    "You''re afraid he''lle back and fight you for custody, aren''t you?" Cedric asked gently.


    Briony nodded, her answer barely audible.


    Cedric sighed. "I won''t hide it from you-Garry has already transferred custody of Mario to Stewart."


    Briony stared at him, stunned, then erupted, "On what grounds?"


    "Legally, Mario is now Stewart''s adopted son. Remember, the


    medical records from years ago


    stated your child had died. Unles


    you have Mario undergo DNA testing and take the case to court, it be nearly impossible to prove he''s truly your son. And since you and Stewart are divorced, and Mario is now registered as a Wentworth, on paper, you and Mario aren''t even rted."


    "I will absolutely go to court. I''ll prove that Mario is my child!"


    "I''ll support you," Cedric said quietly "But right now, custody rests with Stewart. If he demands Mario back,


    you''ll have to hand him over


    "Despicable!" Briony''s voice trembled with anger. "No wonder he was so quick to


    push through the divorce he had this nned all along!"


    Cedric hesitated, wanting to say more, but thought better of it.


    "I won''t give up custody of Mario. Never!" Briony dered, her voice steady. She


    turned, pulled open the door, and strode out.


    Cedric let out a long, heavy sigh.


    It didn''t take long for Gwendolyn and Carney to learn that Mario''s legal


    guardianship had been transferred to the Wentworth family.


    Awsuit was inevitable.


    The first step would be to prove Briony''s biological rtionship to Mario; only then


    could she even begin to fight for custody.


    It would be a long road ahead. After


    reviewing the case, Lawyer Hughes remarked that establishing the mother-son rtionship would be straightforward, but winning custody would be the real challenge.