A Widow's Poison, A Wife's Rebellion novel Chapter 25

The simmering urge to put Starla in her place grew stronger.

“I was against you marrying her from the start. An orphan with no mother to teach her manners—what kind of upbringing is that? I never should have…”

“If you had given her one percent of the attention you give Brinley, I’m sure she’d have excellent manners,” Fairfax cut in sharply.

“What did you say? Are you implying…” Darleen sputtered, but Fairfax was already walking away, clearly done with the conversation.

“Are you saying I favor Brinley? You ungrateful boy! Did I not spend the last two years finding countless doctors for Starla when she couldn’t conceive?”

The mention of those doctors seemed to cast an even colder shadow over Fairfax’s retreating form.

Seeing him leave without another word, Darleen stomped her foot in frustration. She returned to the hospital room to find that Brinley, who she thought was sound asleep, had her eyes wide open.

“Brinley, why are you awake again? You should get more rest,” Darleen said, approaching the bed.

Brinley reached out and clutched her sleeve. “Mom, did Faraday leave again?”

Seeing her mistake Fairfax for Faraday in earnest, Darleen’s heart ached. “Why don’t you get some sleep first, okay?”

“Mom, can you call Faraday for me? Tell him to not work so hard. I just had his babies, can’t he spend more time with me?”

“Alright, you sleep now, and I’ll call him in a little while. Be good.”

Darleen gently tucked the covers around Brinley, who nodded obediently. “Thank you, Mom.”

A smile played on her lips, but beneath it lay a flicker of triumphant satisfaction that Darleen completely missed.

…

Fairfax’s mind was in turmoil. Instead of going to Starla’s room, he went straight to Charm, a private club. He threw back several glasses of liquor in quick succession, but the alcohol did nothing to quell the storm inside him.

“She’s suing Brinley,” Fairfax said, taking another large gulp of his drink.

Caden and Darian fell silent. In the shadows, Herbert looked up, his eyes sharp. His expression deepened at the news. He wasn’t surprised at all. Caden and Darian, however, were shocked.

“What’s she suing Brinley for?” Darian asked. “Stealing you?”

Fairfax shot him a look that could kill.

Darian shrank back. “Well, what then?”

Fairfax lit a cigar, taking a long, hard drag. “The Draken Haven project.”

“Well, you can’t blame her for that,” Caden said finally. “She almost died in a mudslide scouting that nature reserve. She literally put her life on the line for that design, only for Brinley’s name to end up on it. Of course she’s furious.”

He had said it back then—once Draken Haven was developed, Starla would immediately recognize her own work. He had no idea what Fairfax had been thinking, letting Brinley take the credit.