"Bryn, please—don''t cry, I..."
"Why didn''t you tell me?" Briony looked at him, her voice trembling. "Stewart, this
is my life. I don''t need you to save me like this."
A sharp pain twisted in Stewart''s chest.
"Bryn, the only thing that matters is that you''re alive."
He reached out, wanting to wipe away her tears, but Briony stepped back and
stood up, just out of reach.
She brushed the tears from her face, her voice icy. "You traded ten years of
marriage to save my life, Stewart. Do you really think that makes you some kind of
hero?"
Stewart''s breath caught. "I didn''t think about any of that. In that moment, all I
wanted was for you to survive. Bryn, everything else pales inparison to you
being alive..."
Briony stared at him, eyes shining with tears.
Suddenly, she let out a brittleugh and nodded. "You''re right. Compared to being
alive, nothing else matters."
"Bryn, don''t overthink this. You have to live. Our kids need their mother."
Stewart swallowed hard. "Don''t pay any attention to what Xenia Cooper says. The
deal was between me and her—it has nothing to do with you. I didn''t tell you
beforehand, because this was my choice. Even now, if Xenia Cooper ising
after you, it''s because of me. If you want to call me selfish, fine—maybe I am. I
just couldn''t stand the thought of our kids growing up without their mom."
Briony''sshes trembled as she gazed at him, silent tears streaming down her
face.
He used the children as an excuse, never once mentioning how he felt about her.
But Briony couldn''t y dumb. After everything they''d been through, if she still
doubted Stewart''s feelings for her, she''d be lying to herself.
Yet she couldn''t bear the weight of that love.
They could have just parted ways, or at least remained friends, but things had
spiraled far beyond that... Love tangled up with a debt she couldn''t repay.
"Stewart, if you say it, I''ll believe it."
She wiped her tears away and fixed
him with a steady gaze. "If you say
you only saved me for the kids, then
that''s what I''ll believe. If you say I
don''t owe you anything, then I''ll
ept that we''re even. I can do it.
I''m not as kind as you think, Stewart
I want to Jive. You''re right nothing is
more important than that. So I''ll
ept it. I''ll ept all of it."
Listening to her, Stewart felt as though an invisible hand was squeezing his heart.
"After today, you''re Xenia Cooper''s
husband. You and I are just the
parents of our children. Now that
you''re remarried, we have to keep
our distance. From now on, there
won''t be a room for you at
Pearbrook Mansion. If you want to
see the kids, let me know ahead of
time and I''ll arrange it—or you can
send someone to pick them up..."
The more she spoke, the colder her words became, but her tears only fell harder.
Stewart couldn''t hold himself back any longer. He stepped forward and pulled her
into his arms.
Briony buried her face in his chest.
Her tears soaked through his shirt as her muffled voice broke against him, thick
with sorrow. "Stewart, you''re Xenia Cooper''s husband now. Let me go."
Stewart closed his eyes. He knew he shouldn''t do this, but just this once, he let
himself be selfish.
"Bryn, why are you crying?"
Briony''s breath hitched. She pressed her lips together, refusing to answer.
"Is it because you resent me for making this deal, or do you feel guilty?"
"Stewart, it''s been ten years..."
Briony''s hands clung desperately to
his shirt. "You sold yourself to Xenia
Cooper for ten years just to save
me. How am I supposed to live with
that? How am I supposed not to feel
guilty? Stewart, you''re forcing this on
me..."
So, she only felt guilty. That was all.
A dull ache settled in Stewart''s chest.
But he didn''t regret it. Not for a second.
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