thapter ୦୨
Chapter 69
Briony’s brow furrowed in frustration as she ended the call with a sharp tap. Her face had gone pale, and her hand trembled so badly from anger that she nearly dropped her phone.
“Ms. Kensington, are you alright?” Cedric Clarke asked, immediately noticing her distress.
Briony shook her head. “I’m fine.”
“That was Mack, wasn’t it?”
She pressed her lips together and didn’t respond.
Cedric seemed to understand at once. He let out a quiet sigh. He’d heard bits and pieces about Briony’s situation with the Kensingtons. In their eyes, Julia was the one responsible for Malcolm’s death–and since Briony had always protected Julia, she’d become a pariah to the whole family.
Now that a donor match had finally been found, the Kensingtons were bound to use this as an opportunity to humiliate her–he could only imagine what they’d put her through.
After a moment’s thought, Cedric said cautiously, “You know, you could try reaching out to Stewart.”
Briony frowned. “I’m not going to do that.”
“Are you sure you’re not misunderstanding him?” Cedric pressed gently.
He couldn’t shake the feeling that there was some complicated, unspoken tension between Briony and Stewart. But he knew Stewart well–he already had a family with Rosita. He would never be unfaithful. And Briony didn’t seem like the type of woman who’d get between a couple.
Still, whatever the history, Cedric was certain of one thing: Stewart genuinely wanted to help Briony and her daughter.
Clearing his throat, Cedric offered, “Honestly, the reason you got the match results so quickly is because Stewart got personally involved.”
Briony said nothing, her lips pressed tight.
So what was Stewart trying to do? Was this his way of making up for the past five years she’d given up for them?
Cedric continued, “You know deep down that asking Mack for help won’t get you anywhere.”
That made Briony’s eyelids flutter. She looked up at Cedric through the haze of her turmoil.
“I’ve known Stewart for years,” Cedric said gently. “You can trust him–you really can.”
Trust? For five years, she’d given Stewart her trust completely. And what had she gotten in return? Nothing but disappointment and heartbreak. Now, all the pain she’d bottled up seemed to press against her chest, desperate for release.
After a long silence, Briony finally nodded. “Thank you, Dr. Clarke. I’ll think about it.”
He offered her a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry–things will get better. One way or another, you’ll make it through.”
After leaving Dr. Clarke’s office, Briony went straight to Julia’s hospital room.
Julia was in good spirits today, and Stella was there as well. Briony, weighed down by everything on her mind, only stayed a short while before excusing herself, claiming she had work to do.
Stella followed her out into the hallway.
“Bryn, the donor match came through. Why do you still look so worried?”
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14:22
Chapter 69
“Mack called me.”
At that, Stella didn’t need to ask for details. She already knew what Mack was capable of.
“So what are you going to do now?” Stella pressed. “Did that bastard try to make you agree to anything?”
“He wants me to go to the Kensingtons and beg.”
Stella’s jaw clenched. “He’s unbelievable. He’s just looking for a chance to humiliate you!”
Briony stayed silent. Sensing how bad things were, Stella grabbed her hand. “Don’t do anything reckless. Please tell me you’re not actually considering it.”
“My mind is a mess right now,” Briony admitted, rubbing her face with trembling hands. “Star, am I being selfish? Julia needs me, and all I can think about is my own pride.”
“How can you say that?” Stella frowned. “You know what the Kensingtons are like. They’ll tear you apart if you walk in there, and they won’t stop until they’ve made you suffer. But if you really decide to go, I’m coming with you.”
“This isn’t your problem. When the Kensingtons lose control, they’ll stop at nothing–I can’t drag you into it.”
“Like I’m scared of them,” Stella huffed. “Maybe I’ll start a livestream–let the whole world see how the Kensingtons treat people when they think no one’s watching!”
It wasn’t a bad idea, but Briony knew it wouldn’t work; the Kensingtons had too much power. The moment they realized they were being recorded, they’d shut it down in a heartbeat.
Briony shook her head. “Dr. Clarke told me Stewart was the one who got everything moving with the transplant. He thinks I should go to Stewart for help.”
“Stewart?!” Stella looked stunned. “What’s with him? Is he having some kind of identity crisis? First he does one thing, then another.”
Briony could only shake her head. She didn’t understand Stewart any better than Stella did.
