“I didn’t mean it like that.” Briony pressed her lips together, sighing softly as she stood up. “I appreciate what you’re trying to do for me, but my mind’s made up.”
James stood too, watching her closely. “You’re really sure about this?”
She nodded, her voice firm. “I used to worry about how I’d hide the surgery from you, but now that you know, I just ask that you keep this to yourself.”
Seeing her resolve, James dropped the argument.
“Don’t worry–I won’t say a word.” He hesitated, then asked, “What time’s your surgery tomorrow?”
“Nine.”
“I’ll drive you to the hospital in the morning.”
“That’s not necessary.” Briony didn’t want to trouble him. “Stella’s already at the hospital. She’ll make sure everything’s set.”
James shook his head. “Before they left, our mentors insisted I look after you. If you want me to keep this secret, at least let me be there. I’ll only relax once I know you’re out of surgery and safe.”
Briony opened her mouth to protest, but James cut her off. “It’s settled. If you say no, I’ll call our mentors right now.”
Briony: “…”
She sighed, realizing there was no point fighting it. She didn’t want the two elders worrying about her, so she let James have his way.
The next morning, 8:10 AM.
James’s Range Rover cruised steadily through the city streets toward the hospital.
The car was quiet, the air heavy with unspoken tension.
Every so often, James glanced at Briony in the passenger seat. Milo sat quietly by the window, gazing out at the passing scenery.
At a red light, the Range Rover rolled to a gentle stop at an intersection.
A giant digital billboard on the building ahead flashed with an advertisement featuring Rosita’s flawless, innocent–looking face.
Unable to contain his curiosity, James blurted out, “Did Stewart divorce you because of Rosita?”
Briony snapped out of her thoughts, glanced at the billboard, then quickly looked away, her voice flat. “Yeah.”
“I heard that kid yesterday–he kept calling her ‘Mom Rosita. Guess he’s already accepted her as a stepmom.”
“She’s not a stepmom.”
James looked at her, confused. “What?”
“Rosita’s Irwin’s biological mother.”
James’s worldview shattered. “Wait, what? Are you kidding me? So you and Stewart were married, but Irwin is Rosita’s son? That means… all this time, you were the stepmom?”
“They grew up together.” Briony rubbed her temples, suddenly tired.
There was nothing left to hide, so she laid it all out for James.
1/2
Chapter 110
He was silent for a good thirty seconds, jaw clenched, before finally muttering, “What a bastard.”
“Stewart’s a real piece of work. No wonder he’s a big shot attorney–he managed to get everything he wanted out of this marriage. And you? You spent five years raising someone else’s child, while your own-”
He caught himself before finishing the thought, glancing at Briony.
She looked as distant as ever. James sighed.
“I always thought that kid didn’t look like you, and he’s not exactly a charmer, either. Makes sense now–he takes after Rosita. You should stay away from him from now on. With a mother like that, he’s bound to be trouble.”
Briony’s lashes fluttered, and she murmured, “Okay.”
At the hospital, James parked in the underground garage.
They took the elevator to the third–floor maternity ward.
When the doors slid open, they stepped out together, walking side by side toward Stella’s office.
They passed another exam room just as Jason turned around inside.
He spotted Briony, and his impatient scowl faltered. Without a word, he abandoned his weepy girlfriend and hurried after them.
Briony pushed open Stella’s office door and slipped inside, James following close behind.
Jason was dumbfounded.
Briony and James–at the maternity ward?
What was going on?
Were they living together now?
Was Briony pregnant with James’s child?!
Jason immediately whipped out his phone, scrolled through his contacts, and found Stewart’s number…
