LittleNovelA stretch of spring rain lingered on and off until the tail end of April.
By early May, Northborough was basking in the first warmth of summer. The dampness had lifted; now, the breeze carried the scent of wisteria.
On the day Lori turned one month old, Briony and Maynard took her for a check- up at the hospital.
Carol had cdown with a nasty cold, so Briony had given her a few days off.
Maynard knew Briony was taking Lori for her check-up, so he'd shown up early outside Pearbrook Manor. He claimed he just happened to be free; Briony, in a rush to leave, didn't object.
The doctor assured them that Lori was thriving, every milestone right on track.
Briony finally felt at ease.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtWith the exam done, she cradled Lori in her arms as she and Maynard walked toward the hospital entrance.
She hadn't expected to bump into Stewart right at the doors.
The encounter was sudden and unavoidable; both sides stopped in their tracks.
Their eyes met, and silence fell between them.
It had been a while since they'd last seen each other.
Standing beside Stewart was a boy, seven or eight years old, strikingly handsome.
Briony could guess who he was-Xenia Cooper's son, Vernon.
"Here for a check-up with your little one?" Stewart broke the silence first. Briony gave a brief nod.
Stewart's gaze lingered on her, almost greedy. She looked much better than before-her complexion was rosy, she'd even put on a little weight.
Maynard glanced at Vernon. He'd already heard the rumors: the Coopers had thrown a lavish birthday party for Vernon not long ago, inviting all of Northborough's elite in a very public display. Stewart had attended as Vernon's biological father, and Maynard had received an invitation as well.
The image of Stewart, Xenia Cooper, and Vernon-a picture-perfect family-was still vivid.
Maynard's eyes flicked to Vernon, and he couldn't resist twisting the knife. "Mr. Wentworth, is your son not feeling well?" Stewart's brows knit together; he shot Maynard a dark look.
"Thank you for asking, sir," Vernon piped up. "It's just a little cold. My dad broughthere to get checked out." "Oh," Maynard replied with a bright smile, "your dad must be really good to you." Stewart said nothing, his lips pressed into a thin, hard line. Instinctively, he looked back at Briony.
She had already looked away. "Let's head home," she said to Maynard.
"Of course. Let's go." As they walked past Stewart, Maynard paused, clapping Stewart lightly on the shoulder. "You're a lucky man, Mr. Wentworth. Not many can say their son is this well-behaved at such a young age." Stewart's expression tightened, his mouth a thin, pale slash.
Only after they'd gone did he turn away.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmMaynard's assistant was waiting with the car at the hospital entrance.
Stewart watched as Maynard opened the back door for Briony, his hand gentlemanly hovering above her head to shield her as she got in. Briony settled into the seat, and Maynard slipped in beside her. The door shut, and the black Rolls-Royce glided away. "Was that the woman you're in love with?" Vernon asked quietly.
Stewart drew his gaze from the car and looked down at the boy beside him.
He was only eight, but always so self-contained, his emotions tightly reined in, his smile rare. Looking at him, Stewart saw echoes of his own childhood.
Xenia Cooper was strict-Vernon was being raised as the next heir to the Neonova Syndicate his whole life mapped out by a team of experts before he could even make his own choices. Maybe Stewart saw too much of himself in Vernon; maybe that's why he found himself being more patient with him.
But there were sthings that needed to be made clear.
"Vernon, she's the mother of my two children. She's the one I'll spend my life protecting," Stewart said, his tone grave. "Next tyou see her, be polite. Don't call her 'that woman' again." Vernon looked up at him. "If you're always defending her, aren't you worried about making my mother angry?" Chapter 698 Tip: You can use left, right keyboard keys to browse between chapters.
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