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    Briony froze for a moment.


    A partnership agreement?


    She pressed her lips together, staring at him without blinking.


    Stewart met her gaze, barely breathing.


    After a long silence, Briony finally said, "I believe you."


    Stewart''s eyes widened, a surge of emotion flickering across his face. "Bryn, you


    really believe me?"


    Briony gave a tired little smile. "Didn''t we start out as a contract marriage, too?"


    Stewart looked caught off guard for a second.


    "Stewart, you''re an adult. And now you''re free to do as you wish. Whatever


    decision you make, as long as you''ve thought it through, that''s all that matters.


    Other people''s opinions aren''t nearly as important as you think."


    She looked straight at him, her voice calm. "And anyway, Ms. Cooper is an


    impressive woman. It''s perfectly reasonable for you to choose her."


    Stewart frowned, realizing just how wrong she''d gotten the situation.


    "That''s not it. Xenia Cooper and I-it''s not like what we had. It''s-"


    Knock, knock.


    A sudden rapping at the door cut Stewart off.


    Maynard''s voice came from outside: "Bryn, can Ie in?"


    Briony stood up and went to open the door.


    A huge basket of lilies was thrust into her arms.


    "I was driving past the university and saw an olddy selling flowers on the street,"


    Maynard exined. "It''s freezing out there, and she looked miserable, so I


    stopped and bought everything she had."


    Briony blinked, about to speak, when a sneeze escaped her.


    Maynard instantly pulled the lilies behind his back. "You''re allergic to fresh


    flowers?"


    "...No." Briony pressed a hand over her nose and mouth, frowning a little. "But I


    am sensitive to the scent of lilies..."


    Maynard: ...So much for romance.


    Briony turned to Stewart. "Mr. Maynard and I have some business to discuss, so


    ?"


    "Go ahead." Stewart got up and headed for the door, pausing to eye the basket in


    Maynard''s hands. Then he looked straight at Maynard.


    "If Bryn''s sensitive to lilies, it''s probably best not to keep them here. I''ll take them


    out for you and throw them away."


    Maynard scowled inwardly.


    What a two-faced saint.


    "Seems a waste to just throw them out," Briony said. "Give them to Marlene and


    let her share them with the neighbors."


    "Alright," Stewart agreed, and carried the basket downstairs.


    Maynard watched Stewart''s retreating back, grinding his teeth.


    Hypocrite.


    Briony, meanwhile, paid no attention to the undercurrents between the two men.


    "Mr. Maynard, let''s go talk inside."


    Maynard gathered himself and followed Briony into the office.


    After that day, Stewart rarely came by Pearbrook Mansion.


    Still, every few days, he''d send Carl Shaw to pick up the kids and take them to


    Southcreek Manor for a couple of nights.


    Briony and Carl asionally crossed paths. He was always polite, and since


    Briony never brought up Stewart, Carl was wise enough not to mention him either.


    Life settled into a calm, steady rhythm.


    It felt almost like things had returned to how they''d been before Stewart faked his


    death.


    The only real difference was that Maynard''s visits to Pearbrook Mansion became


    more and more frequent.


    He''d told Briony that once she was


    fully recovered, she should take


    Starlight Entertainment back under


    her wing-he''d had enough, he joked,


    with severalpanies to manage


    and not enough hours in the day.


    Briony had no objection.


    She''d only handed Starlight over to Maynard out of necessity.


    Besides, she genuinely liked Starlight Entertainment, and had already nned to


    return to work once the New Year was over.


    But Kendal wouldn''t hear of it.


    Although she hadn''t needed


    chemotherapy and was recovering


    quickly thanks to alternative


    treatments, Kendal insisted she was


    just barely past a major illness and


    needed to be careful. No work until


    at least the end of February:


    Briony listened, and decided to wait until early March to get back to work.


    ...


    After Lantern Festival, the holiday spirit faded and the city returned to its usual


    hustle and bustle.


    On the eighteenth, Neonova Syndicate''s official ount announced Xenia


    Cooper and Stewart''s marriage.


    There was no ceremony, but they posted a picture of Stewart and Xenia''s


    marriage certificate.


    That same day, Briony received a


    call from an unknown number. The


    voice on the other end introduced


    herself right away: "Ms. Kensington,


    I''m sorry to call out of the blue. This


    is Xenia Cooper."


    ```


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