Regretting the Wife He Threw Away

Chapter 277

When Cedric Clarke arrived with Stella, the doors of the emergency room swung open just as they reached them.

Dr. Warren stepped out, peeling off his mask, his face grave as he shook his

head.

"I'm so sorry. We did everything we could."

For a moment, it was as if the world fell utterly silent.

Gwendolyn White's knees buckled, and James caught her just in time. "Mrs. Winslow!"

"Bryn... our Bryn..." Gwendolyn sobbed into her hands, her cries breaking the quiet. "She's so young-how could she just leave us like this? No, it's not possible -Dr. Warren, please, there must be something more you can do, please..."

"Mrs. Winslow, I'm truly sorry. We really did all we could."

Stewart stood frozen, rooted to the spot.

He barely heard Dr. Warren's gentle, clinical explanations-the medical reasons why Briony couldn't be saved. Gwendolyn refused to accept it, her wailing echoing in his ears.

Stewart, too, couldn't believe it.

Briony dead? It couldn't be.

A strange, fractured smile curled at the edge of his lips, though his eyes were rimmed with red. "No. I don't believe it..."

He murmured the words, pushing past Dr. Warren and heading toward the emergency room.

Seeing this, Cedric released Stella and hurried to intercept him, grabbing Stewart by the arm. "What are you doing?"

turned and, recognizing Cedric, clung to him like a drowning man reaching for a lifeline. "Thank God you're here! They say Briony's dead. That's impossible,

frowned, trying to steady him. "Stewart, you need

be. She

dead to escape. She hates me that much-of course she'd go to extremes just to cut

tone grave. "This is a

jerked back, his eyes wild. "Her daughter's all she cares about now. If I just take her back to Northborough, Briony'll come running.

as if possessed,

"Stewart!"

rushed after him, grabbing him by the shoulders. "Open your eyes! Look-

Stewart turned-

being wheeled out of the emergency room

lay still on the

pupils shrank to

frame suddenly frozen as if turned

herself over Briony's body, sobbing. "Bryn, Bryn, wake up! If you're gone, your little girl will have no mother-how could

his trembling hands gently lifted the edge of

Briony's face was peaceful, her eyes closed, lips just barely parted. Stella stared, her own eyes wide with horror, a crushing pain squeezing her chest. She dropped to her knees, clutching her heart, and

cries echoed down the

motionless, untouched by the

now

more sorrow-nothing in this world could ever hurt

"Go on, Bryn. I know you're tired. Go quickly, catch up to your little one, and find your mother. When you're all

Stella sobbed even

understand why the pain was so sharp, only that it felt as if her heart had been torn in

could only stare

bullet straight into his heart. He could almost feel blood welling up from the wound, flooding his chest with agony. His tall frame swayed,

He coughed harsh, wet.

over and spat out a mouthful of