Briony had been about to leave when she noticed Stewart moving toward the
woman surrounded by reporters.
She stopped in her tracks, watching as Stewart crossed the floor, step by step,
until he stood at the woman''s side.
The woman had a striking bob and a pair of sunsses perched on her nose.
As Stewart reached her, she slipped her arm naturally through his and, with her
free hand, removed her sunsses.
An exquisite, coldly beautiful face was revealed to the crowd.
Looking straight at the reporters, she exuded an unshakeable confidence; her
gaze was cool andmanding, yet her crimson lips were curved in a wless,
practiced smile.
“I''d hoped to introduce my fiancé to you all at a more suitable asion," she said,
her voice clear and ringing. "But since you''re all so curious, I suppose now is as
good a time as any this is Mr. Wentworth, the man I am about to marry."
The crowd exploded.
"Mr. Wentworth?! Didn''t he die in that identst year?"
"It''s really Stewart the former CEO of The Wentworth Group... Xenia Cooper''s
fiancé is actually him?"
Briony stared, frozen.
The barrage of reporters, Xenia''s public announcement, Stewart''s silent
acquiescence-
Suddenly, the past few days made sense. Stewart''s constant busyness... The
"partner" he''d mentioned must have been Ms. Cooper.
On New Year''s Eve, he''d rushed back home-before that, was he with Ms.
Cooper?
No wonder he''d said, "It''s a personal matter."
Spending time with his fiancée certainly qualified.
Briony couldn''t even describe how she felt.
After the initial shock faded, reality crashed in: even if Stewart remarried, it had
nothing to do with her.
They were divorced now; they could each choose whomever they wished. Stewart
moving on was only natural.
Briony dropped her gaze and turned away, heading straight for the exit.
The moment she turned, Stewart caught sight of her.
His pupils contracted.
Bryn? What is she doing here?
Did she see everything?
As Stewart watched Briony''s retreating figure, panic gnawed at him.
The woman at his side tugged his arm sharply, snapping his attention back. He
looked down, frowning.
Xenia Cooper tilted her head, her height-amplified by heels-allowing her to
lean in close. "There are a dozen reporters here. Are you trying to embarrass
me?"
Stewart''s brows drew together.
Within a heartbeat, he schooled his features back to their usual cool indifference.
A microphone was shoved toward him. "Mr. Wentworth, is it true you and Ms.
Cooper are getting married?"
He nced at the reporter, his eyes icy. "Yes."
Another question was forming, but Xenia cut in smoothly, "If you keep pressing,
that would be impolite. The official date will be released on the group''s website in
a few days, so please, let us through."
At her words, a team of uniformed security guards appeared and pushed the
reporters back.
Arm in arm, Xenia and Stewart walked toward the parking lot, camera shes
tracking their every move.
In the underground garage, Xenia''s assistant Amy waited in a ck town car.
Xenia and Stewart climbed in; the doors shut.
Amy nced at them in the rearview mirror. "Ms. Cooper, should I take you to the
headquarters or home first?"
Stewart answered before Xenia could. "Take me to Southcreek Manor first."
Xenia paused, turning to look at the man beside her.
She''d only met Stewart a handful of
times; they weren''t exactly close.
Still, from those first meetings, Xenia
had pegged him as cool, reserved-a
master ofposure, the kind of
natural-born businessman who
never let his guard down.
Truthfully, she admired that in him.
After years in cutthroat business, her own heart had grown diamond-hard; it was
rare for any man to genuinely impress her.
Yet Stewart was the first in a long time to manage it.
That was why, when he''de to her asking for a bone marrow donation for
Briony, she''d proposed the marriage contract.
She needed a man as strong and as rational as Stewart.
But just now, he had lost control.
"Stewart, she was bound to find out
eventually" Xenia''s voice was gentle
as she looked at him. "When you
signed that agreement with me, you
must have known this day would
Stewart kept his head down, silent.
He had known.
But seeing Briony turn and walk away-seeing the sadness in her posture-he
couldn''t stop thinking about it.
He couldn''t help but wonder: Would she be angry with him now?
He didn''t want Briony to be angry...
Seeing Stewart''s turmoil, Xenia was, for a moment, unexpectedly moved.
They were partners, after all; she had no wish to make things tense right from the
start.
She gave a small wave of her hand. "Forget it, Amy. Take Mr. Wentworth home
first."
"Of course," Amy replied, and started the car.
Back at Pearbrook Mansion, Briony went straight to her room andy down.
She was still recovering; bed rest took up most of her days, and neither Carol nor
Marlene noticed anything amiss.
But barely half an hour after she''d gone upstairs, the sound of a car drifted in from
the driveway.
A ck Bentley pulled up outside, and Stewart stepped out, turning off the engine.
He came into the house, changed his shoes, and asked, "Is Bryn home?"
Carol, sensing his urgency, quickly replied, "Ms. Kensington is in her room--
probably napping."
Stewart nodded curtly and headed straight up to the master bedroom.
Briony wasn''t asleep.
She tossed and turned, reying the scene at the airport over and over in her
mind.
Xenia Cooper...
She sat up abruptly, pulled out her phone, and searched for "Xenia Cooper."
[Xenia Cooper, 34, current CEO of
Neonova Syndicate, heiress to the
Cooper family of Northborough, and
the current family head...]
Knock, knock.
There was a tap at the door.
Briony closed the webpage, assuming it was Marlene or Carol. "It''s not locked,
The door opened quietly.
Stewart''s tall frame appeared in the doorway.
Briony froze.