NovelUpdateInside the tiny fitting room, Briony stood frozen, her arms full of lacy lingerie she had no intention of trying on.
The space was barely three feet wide-cramped even for one person. But, as if that weren't enough, this particular fitting room opened up to a narrow staircase leading to a loft above a makeshift storage attic.
She heard footsteps approaching.
Sensing something, Briony looked up.
A figure dressed in black appeared in the doorway.
It was a man-black baseball cap pulled low, half his face hidden behind a mask, only his eyes visible: narrow, deep-set, and impossible to read.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtHe was tall. With two long strides, he descended the twisting wooden steps from the attic and stood before her. The moment he appeared, Briony understood what Mary had been planning all along.
She stared at the man in front of her, her thoughts scattered, as if titself had stopped.
He was still dressed as Blair.
She knew the world still believed Stewart was dead-he had to remain a ghost.
But why was he here, in Blair's disguise, to see her? Hadn't Mr. Hoffman told him she already knew the truth? They locked eyes in a heavy silence, each lost in their own thoughts.
In the end, it was Stewart who gave in first.
He closed his eyes, let out a weary sigh, and reached up to remove his mask.
At last, Briony saw his face-sharp features, striking and familiar, nothing like the scarred, twisted visage she'd seen at Starlight Entertainment.
So there was someone else playing Blair. Or maybe Blair had only ever existed during that first interview, and since then, it had always been Stewart shadowing her steps...
As Stewart pulled off the mask, his heart raced uncontrollably.
He was scared, too.
Afraid Briony wouldn't want to see him. Afraid she'd push him away.
But she seemed so calm now. Even as he revealed himself, she didn't so much as flinch.
"Bryn..." Stewart's voice was rough, barely more than a whisper, trembling with emotion. He felt a painful tightness in his chest, his eyes burning.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmSo much he wanted to say, and yet, he couldn't find the words.
Briony, on the other hand, was steady-she'd had tto process the truth ever since she'd started suspecting Blair's real identity. When she saw Stewart, disguised as Blair, caring for little Nina with her own eyes, any lingering resentment had quietly faded.
Now, she was caught in her own impossible situation, and this time, she was the one breaking the promise.
"We don't have much time," she said softly, looking at Stewart. "Let's let the past stay in the past I have only I one request of you now: Take care of E the kids. Help them grow up whole. I don't care if they're O exceptional-l just want them to be healthy and happy." Stewart shook his head. "Don't say that. Cwith me. I'll get you out of here, right now." He reached for her hand, but she recoiled, stepping away.
Briony met his gaze. "Mr. Hoffman toldeverything. Stewart, you carry a
responsibility. Don't risk everything for me. If you do, you'll but everyone else in danger, and I can't live with En that." Stewart's eyes were rimmed with red. "Bryn, forget all that. Lettake you away." "I can't," Briony said quietly. "Mary
broughthere. If I leave, what happens to her? And what about your plan? I can't be that selfish and m neither can you. Whether we chose this or not, the moment we stepped into this life, we lost the right to choose." She held his gaze, every word steady and sure.
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