Regretting the Wife He Threw Away

The final outcome of the online meeting was a one-month production halt-the absolute limit the crew was willing to accept.

A month later, Madeleine returned to the set with her leg in a cast. For the more challenging scenes, they used a stunt double. For the rest, the director simply relied on close-up shots. It was the best compromise they could manage.

When Madeleine got the news, she was so emotional she called Briony herself to say thank you.

Briony told her to focus on her recovery.

Madeleine promised, again and again, that she wouldn't let the crew or the company down.

After hanging up, Briony glanced at Maynard, who was driving. "Madeleine's a good one."

A sudden downpour turned Westerhaven dark in an instant. Rain hammered the windshield, wipers flailing wildly as Maynard slowed the car to a crawl.

He gave a quiet, knowing smile. "You see echoes of Mary in her, don't you? But everyone's different."

Briony paused, caught off guard. So he'd noticed.

"You're the boss," Maynard reminded her, his voice even and cool, all business. "Never let personal feelings sway your decisions. Madeleine's ambitious. She wants to make it big, and she'll seize any opportunity she can including trying to win points with the boss."

Briony looked at him. "I won't deny Mary's situation makes me pay extra attention to Madeleine. But I'm getting the sense you don't think very highly of her, Mr. Maynard?"

"She's too ambitious."

and aiming high. That kind of drive

the black Rolls-Royce into the hotel's underground garage, "if she was all about her career, independent and self- reliant, I'd admire that. But that's

"You're that certain?"

and unfastened his seatbelt. Turning to face Briony, he raised

Briony blinked. "Why?"

her

stared at him, momentarily speechless. The silence in the

beat, Maynard

with that look?

commodity, you

turning me down, but out there-ask around! Maynard Han, squeaky clean reputation, billionaire, still single, not a whiff of scandal. Half the women in the city

quite impressive," Briony

the door. "Which is exactly why you deserve someone

how honest I am! I even tell you when someone's trying to make a

wasn't the first time Maynard had said something like this. He

then these days, but Briony was

just smiled, turning toward the

unfazed, locked the car