Regretting the Wife He Threw Away

Chapter 453

Engagement?

Briony lowered her gaze to the invitation being held out in front of her.

She didn't reach for it.

"Take it back, Lorna." Briony looked up, meeting Lorna's eyes. "Stewart and I aren't exactly on friendly terms after the divorce. If I accept this invitation, I'll be expected to send a gift-frankly, it's just a hassle."

"There's really no need for so much hostility, Ms. Kensington."

Lorna gave her a light, practiced smile. "I can't have children of my own. Stewart only has Mario, so the Wentworth family will depend on him one day. I hope Mario will care for me in my old age, so I'll treat him as if he were my own son. I truly want to get along with you, Ms. Kensington—for all our sakes."

Briony frowned.

She can't have children?

"Go on, take it. As Mario's new stepmother, I genuinely hope for your support as his mother."

With that, Lorna pressed the invitation into Briony's hand, took little Mario by the hand, and turned to get into the car.

Briony watched as the car pulled away.

James strolled over, took the invitation from her, and unfolded it with a skeptical look.

"Stewart is really something. He made you promise in the divorce papers not to remarry for three years, and now he's practically married again himself!"

The more James thought about it, the angrier he got. "Maybe I should send him a box of condolence cards as a wedding gift!"

around Ms. Riley,"

glancing at her. "What do you mean

sensitive. If Ms. Riley weren't sincere with

Plus, I've heard from Carol that, while Lorna can be strict,

quite get it.

party. Will you take a

present? Who does that? Since when does an ex-wife send a gift when her ex-husband gets engaged? Briony,

more time with

simple sentence

all. Briony just wanted to make things easier for her

parents do for

all Briony could do was swallow her pride and go along

engagement party was

at Northborough's grandest country estate, and though it was

invited every major business

full week, the engagement was all

attend. James went in her place and delivered

had become a famous name in high society

received a Leilani painting as an engagement gift left many guests

rare, and every piece was highly

become something of an obsession among Northborough's

Lorna set off on their honeymoon, planning

in a hurry, and their driver dropped Carol and little Mario off at Skybreeze

only after they had