To Love a Shadow, To Be the Sun novel Chapter 178

Gareth stared at Brian, unable to grasp his purpose. "What do you want with her?" he demanded.

Brian didn't answer. Just then, Lina entered the room, carrying a cup of tea. "Brian," she said softly, her voice trembling a little, "Are you here to see your father?"

Her eyes glistened, on the verge of tears. "You're father and son, after all. Blood ties can't just be cut away. You can't just turn your back on your own father because of a few things someone whispers in your ear, right?"

Lina followed quietly behind Nanette, barely making a sound. She saw the hard set of Brian's face and, shrinking into herself, whispered a timid "Brian," before trying to disappear into the background.

Brian took the cup from Nanette, but without a word, he flung it to the floor. Porcelain shattered with a sharp crack.

Nanette recoiled, stumbling behind Gareth in fright.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Gareth snapped.

Brian still didn't answer. Instead, he tossed a stack of papers onto Gareth's desk. "Sign this," he said coldly. "I'll restore your allowance. We can go back to being father and son."

The words "Divorce Agreement" glared up from the page like a threat.

For a moment, Gareth was so stunned he couldn't speak. "Why—Why should I divorce your stepmother?"

Nanette blanched, panic flickering across her face. "Yes! Gareth and I love each other. Why would you want to break us up?"

Brian's tone was icy. "You know perfectly well what you did last night. Or do you really think it doesn't matter?"

Nanette went sheet-white, but quickly remembered he had no proof. Her voice turned sly and defensive. "Your wife was off with some other man last night in suite 9021. What's that got to do with me? I was just looking out for you, and you turn around and blame me?"

Brian's eyes hardened. His voice vibrated with restrained fury. "No one ever said which room she was in."

Nanette's mouth snapped shut. She clapped a hand over her lips, realizing her mistake. All the pills she'd been taking lately must have scrambled her memory.

Silently, Lina cursed her mother's stupidity and began to wonder what to do next.

Gareth understood everything now. His hand trembled as he held the agreement.

"Gareth, I'm sick! You can't just abandon me," Nanette cried, clutching his hand in a death grip.

Lina stepped forward, gently taking her mother's arm. "Mom…" Her voice shook. "If you really did that to my sister-in-law… then I— I can't blame Brian. He's right."

Nanette stared at her in disbelief. "Lina! Even you—?"

"You're my mother. Of course I don't want to see you get divorced," Lina sobbed, tears streaming down her face, "But if you really hurt her, how could Brian ever hold his head up again? How could any of us stay in the Vincent family?"

Nanette saw the resolve in her daughter's eyes and knew she'd lost her only ally. Her face crumpled in despair.

Gareth looked from Lina's tear-streaked face to Brian's unyielding expression. He drew a shaky breath, pried Nanette's fingers from his hand, and set his jaw.

"Fine."

He met Brian's gaze, rapping his knuckles hard against the divorce papers. "I'll sign. But I have one condition."