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?"

a drowning man reaching for a lifeline. "Thank God you're here! They say Briony's dead. That's impossible,

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

She must be. She just wants to

let out a strangled laugh. "She's probably terrified I'll fight her for custody, so she's playing dead to escape. She hates me that much-of course she'd go to extremes

firmly, his tone grave. "This is a reputable hospital. They

Stewart 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. Yes, that's it-I'll bring her daughter home-she'll have to come

muttered as if possessed, turning

"Stewart!"

by the shoulders. "Open your eyes! Look- look at what's

Stewart turned-

wheeled out of the emergency room by

the gurney, shrouded in a

pupils shrank

head, his tall frame suddenly frozen as if turned

"Bryn, Bryn, wake up! If you're gone, your little girl will have no mother-how could you do this? Bryn, please,

as his trembling

eyes closed, lips just barely parted. Stella stared, her own eyes wide with horror, a crushing pain squeezing her chest. She dropped to her

down the sterile

lay motionless, untouched by the world's

now

more pain, no more sorrow-nothing in this world could ever hurt her

"Go on, Bryn. I know you're tired. Go quickly, catch up to your little one, and find your mother. When you're all together again, remember to send your godmother a dream, will

words, Stella

that

could only stare in numb

into his heart. He

He coughed harsh, wet.

over and spat out a