Regretting the Wife He Threw Away

When little Nina woke up, Briony was already on the phone.

She stood by the window, her back to the bed.

Nina watched her mother quietly. She knew Mom was busy, but her mouth felt dry and she wanted a drink.

"Mom..."

At the sound of her voice, Briony turned, but just then the hospital room door swung open and a figure dressed in black hurried in, reaching Nina's bedside before Briony could.

"What does little Nina need?"

Briony paused in her tracks.

With Blair shrouded head to toe in black—a dark hat pulled low and a mask covering all but his eyes-any child would normally shrink away in fear.

But for some reason, little Nina always felt safe around Blair.

"Mr. Monroe, I'm thirsty, could I have some water?"

Blair's voice softened. "Of course. Just stay still, I'll get you some."

"Thank you, Mr. Monroe," Nina replied, her voice as gentle as a whisper. Curled

up in bed, she looked so fragile it made your heart ache.

Blair reached out to touch her cheek, then turned to fetch water, only to find himself meeting Briony's gaze unexpectedly.

He stopped, a flicker of nervousness flashing in his dark eyes.

"I saw you were busy. Since your little one woke up, I was worried she might tug

at the IV," he explained, his voice deep and rough, sounding nothing like the man she'd known.

Briony's expression didn't change; she gave a faint smile. "I understand."

Blair was surprised for a moment. Was he just being paranoid? He'd half expected suspicion.

"Mr. Monroe!" Nina called again, her eyes wide with anticipation.

"Water, please?"

"Coming right up," Blair replied. He grabbed the pink children's thermos from the table, unscrewed the lid, and lowered the bed rail. With gentle hands, he propped Nina up so she was half-reclining, then held the straw to her lips.

"Drink slowly, don't rush or you'll choke."

Nina sipped most of the warm water, feeling much better. She looked up at Blair, her bright eyes curving into a crescent-moon smile. "Mr. Monroe, I feel a lot better now. Thank you!"

Blair gazed at her, unable to hide the fondness in his eyes.

He gently settled Nina back, tucking the covers around her with care.

"You have to listen to the doctor, little Nina. That's the only way to get well soon."

Nina nodded solemnly. "I will, I promise." After a moment, she looked up at him. "Mr. Monroe, will you stay with me for a while?"

Blair was caught off guard.

Before he could answer, Briony spoke up, "I have another call to make. Blair, could you keep an eye on Nina for me?"

Blair turned to look at Briony.

She met his gaze, unblinking.

"Is that alright?" she asked.

Blair's lashes fluttered, his Adam's apple bobbing with the effort to answer. "Of course."

Briony stepped to the bed, brushing her hand over her daughter's cheek.

Her fever had gone down.

She said softly, “I'll be back soon. Listen to Blair, okay?"

"Don't worry, Mom! I'll be good and Blair will stay with me. You can go!"

Briony gave a small smile. "I won't be long."

...

After Briony left, Blair settled into the chair by the bed.

Nina regarded him with the same

She'd inherited f always wear a hat and Omet

Monroe,noveldrama

mask?"

Blair's voice was gentle. "Well, I have a scar on my face. It looks awful and tends

to scare people, so I cover it up."

"I'm not scared of anything!” Nina declared, patting her chest with her free hand, the other one stuck with the IV "I'm the big sister who ly "I'm

protects my little brother-I'm very

brave!"

Blair ruffled her hair with his large hand. “You really are brave. But this scar...

even I don't like people to see it."