Lost Me, Gained Regret (Jane and Bryant Ferguson) novel Chapter 273

"Three..."

The atmosphere around Bryant plummeted as he steadied his grip on the gun, aiming it directly at Dorothy.

Dorothy shook her head frantically, "No... please, Bryant, don't..."

But Bryant's expression was stone-cold, unyielding. Yet, when our eyes met for a fleeting second, I caught a glimpse of the profound restraint hidden deep within his gaze.

Jarrod was still counting down, "Two..."

Bryant clenched his jaw, his wrist giving a slight twitch as he cocked the gun single-handedly.

"One..."

The gunshot echoed — but in that critical moment, Bryant swiveled the gun away from Dorothy and aimed it squarely at me!

I was paralyzed, my blood running cold.

So, it was me he was willing to forsake all along.

Even if it meant my death.

Despair seeped into my very bones in an instant, as I stared blankly in Bryant's direction, my vision blurring.

Though the anticipated pain never arrived, a piercing agony throbbed somewhere deep inside me.

"I'm doing this willingly..."

"Trying to win you back..."

"I'll take the next ninety-nine steps, just stay here and don't back out on the last one."

"Jane, I'm serious, and I will make amends. I can't lose you."

"I'm the one with impure thoughts."

"No matter what happens, you have to trust me."

The man who had assured me of his trust that morning didn't even spare me a glance now.

He went straight to Dorothy, untied the ropes binding her, and lifted her into his arms right before my eyes.

"Woohoohoo... Bryant, I was so scared... You're so good to me, I don't know what I'd do without you!"

Dorothy acted as if she had been through a tremendous ordeal.

Jarrod tentatively spoke up, "Mr. Ferguson, what about Mrs. Ferguson? If you insist on taking both, we can make it work. We could negotiate the West End project terms, just cede another twenty percent of the profits to us."

"Jarrod," Bryant scoffed, as if he'd heard the world's funniest joke, disdainfully retorting, "what makes you think I would give up such a significant profit for an ex-wife? Hasn't she held me back enough?"

His last words were crystal clear, yet deeply cutting, stabbing right into my heart with sharp precision, causing me a jolt of pain.

I looked up to see a faint smile on his face, as if he was merely engaging in light banter.

In that moment, a wave of bitterness surged up to my throat.