"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 some porridge, would you?"
"Of course!" Carol nodded again and hurried off.
Skybreeze Retreat.
Briony parked in the garage and was barely out of the car when Cedric rke 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 home early 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 thising, really."
"Dr. rke," 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 herst 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. rke."
"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 Dney was working in the studio. At Skybreeze Retreat, only Ste 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 nced up as Ste came down from the second floor.
"Bryn." Ste 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." Ste frowned. "The Wentworth Group? What for?"
"Stewart had given Little Nina ten percent of thepany''s shares. There was a shareholders'' meeting today, so I went to vote on her behalf."
"Vote?" Ste hesitated. "Who did you vote for?"
Briony met her gaze. "Stewart."
Ste 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?" Ste groaned. "Guess family really is everything."
"These were Stewart''s shares to begin with. Little Nina choosing to support him just makes sense."
Ste let out a long sigh. “True. Stewart may be a lousy husband, but Cedric told
me he''s been good to the kids."
"But in the end, I didn''t get a chance to cast the vote."
Ste 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 thepany on purpose.
This wasn''t just a suspicion born from seeing Stewart copse and cough up blood. Even earlier, on the 58th floor, when he suddenlyshed 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 for cruel words. If Stewart truly despised someone, he''d go straight for the jugr with cold, calcted moves, not petty insults.
Something was off. He was acting out of character. There had to be a reason.
The only exnation 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 yed along with his n...