Regretting the Wife He Threw Away

"How on earth did you and Stewart ever becfriends?" Stella looked up at him again, her tone half incredulous, half teasing. "The two of you couldn't be more different-yet somehow you've been thick as thieves for years. It's honestly a miracle." Cedric Clarke just stared at her, speechless.

She narrowed her eyes, suddenly suspicious. "Wait, don't tellyou've just been faking it this whole time?" She jabbed a finger at his chest. "Are you going to spring a childhood sweetheart onone day? Or maybe scollege-era first love? Or I don't know, a secret fiancée from your family's old friends-mmph!" This time, he silenced her the most effective way he knew: pressing his lips against hers, stealing her words with a kiss that was deep and insistent. He didn't let her go until she was gasping for breath.

"Star, you can doubt my character if you want, but don't you dare question how much I love you," Cedric said, his voice low and steady. "If I ever betray you, may "Before you start swearing oaths, maybe just write a will first," Stella interrupted, yawning as she closed her eyes.

Cedric blinked, momentarily thrown off.

"Makeyour primary beneficiary," she added, stifling another yawn. "And take out a million-dollar life insurance policy while you're at it-make sure I'm the one who gets the payout." Cedric just stared at her, at a loss for words.

"Don't make promises," Stella turned away, her voice calm. "Everyone thinks they'll never break their word when they're in love. But the truth is, love keeps people together for a while, and when it's gone, you're left with broken pieces scattered everywhere just like leftovers in the fridge, one little piece at a time." Cedric gaped at her. "Star, you really have to stop watching those true crdocumentaries late at night. It's bad for our marriage." He gathered her into his arms, burying his face in her neck, breathing in her scent. "I just want to spend my whole life with you. You're my Star, my wife, and I'll only ever love you." Stella opened her eyes and let out a quiet sigh.

"Cedric, the way we started was straight out of a soap opera. Honestly, I don't have much faith in myself—I don't know how long I'll last in this relationship. I can't promise you forever, so don't promise it to me. If you ever regret this, just tell me. I'll make sure we part ways with dignity." "Stella!" He rolled over, pinning her beneath him, voice threateningly low. "If you keep talking nonsense, I'm really going to lose it." She looked utterly unafraid. Tilting her head back, she bared her delicate neck. "Go ahead, then. I'm not stopping you." Cedric clenched his jaw, frustrated. She knew all too well that he would never hurt her, not even a little. Finally, unable to resist, he bent down and bit her softly on that pale, slender neck.

"Ow! Cedric, what are you, a dog?" Stella yelped.

"Exactly-a dog." Cedric huffed, rolling onto his side and pulling her close again. "I just marked you. This life, the next, and the one after that—you're mine. You can't escape." Stella retaliated by pinching his side-hard.

Cedric let out a yelp worthy of a tortured animal.

The commotion woke Aster, who began to fuss. Stella promptly kicked Cedric out of bed. "You woke him, you deal with him!" Before seven the next morning, Cedric was already out the door.

Stella, meanwhile, curled up with Aster after his morning bottle and went back to sleep.

By eight, Briony and James had left the house.

Little Maand Little Nina stayed behind at Skybreeze Retreat.

The night before, Ferdinand had called repeatedly. Briony ignored every call.

Finally, he sent a text: Can we meet? I'd like to talk about your shares.

It was clear: Fred and Ferdinand had their eyes on her ten percent from the very start.

After considering it, Briony decided to keep the kids hfrom their activities for the tbeing.

Before bed, she discussed it with them.

The two little ones didn't mind at all—especially now that baby Aster was around. They readily agreed.

As for Ferdinand's message, Briony didn't bother to reply.

Those shares were Stewart's gift to Little Nina. Briony was determined to protect them for her daughter.

In the morning, Briony and James spent hours in the sturestoring artifacts. In the afternoon; Briony made a trip to Soulflare's production office.

The script adaptation for Soulflare's live-action series was finally ready. m The live-action and the griginal tion and the animated series had very different vibes, so every detail in both the script and the episodes needed careful consideration. As one of the original creators, Briony took the adaptation seriously, overseeing every step herself.

The day passed in a flurry of meetings and deadlines, her schedule packed from start to finish.

Near five o'clock, Ferdinand called again. The number was unfamiliar, but Briony instantly knew it was him.

She didn't answer, choosing instead to gather her things and head hto Skybreeze Retreat.

As she prepared to leave, her phone rang again. Expecting another cath from Ferdinand she glanced at the screen-only to see Cedric Clarke's name. t Briony hesitated for a moment, then picked up.