B5 vouchers
Shepard stood tall and straight, the play of light making it hard to see his face. He brought a cold aura with him, and the whole room instantly fell silent.
Eric quickly got to his feet. “Shepard, what brings you over?”
The other men hurriedly stood up, nervous and uneasy. One big shot after another. Shepard is someone we usually have to book weeks in advance just to meet, and now he’s standing right at the door,” someone thought.
Henry spoke. Tll sign with her. You have a problem with that. Mr. Carter?”
“I do” Shepard replied.
“Mr. Carter, you really have your fingers in every pie, don’t you?” Henry shot back.
Shepard lifted his chin slightly, his voice cold and commanding. “Go ahead. Try working with her and see what happens
“Fine, I will,” Henry said, grabbing the pen from Briana’s hand, uncapping it and making to sign the
contract.
Briana was faster. She slapped her palm down over the signature line, stopping him. “No,” she said softly. meeting Henry’s eyes and giving a gentle shake of her head.
Now that Shepard had stepped in, everything was different. Briana didn’t want Henry to get caught up in this mess. His company was on the rise, and if Shepard decided to crush him, his business might not survive.
Henry met her gaze. “It’s fine.”
Shepard’s voice sliced through the tension. “Briana, get your ass over here.”
“Shepard, calm down.” Eric called out, trying to smooth things over. “Uh, she-”
“You get lost.” Shepard snapped.
Eric rubbed his nose, looking a little embarrassed, and shut up quickly. Shepard was the head of the Carter family. No way Eric was gonna stand up to him.
Briana took a deep breath, spun around, and marched up to Shepard. “What gives you the-” she yelled but was cut off mid–sentence.
Shepard grabbed her wrist and yanked her forward without a hint of gentleness. Briana slammed into his solid chest, her head spinning.
She barely had time to react before he was hauling her out of the room, her wrist screaming in pain. like it was about to snap.
Shepard’s long legs ate up the hallway, forcing Briana to stumble after him, nearly losing her balance every few steps just to keep up.
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Chapter 8
5 vouchers
Shepard kicked open the door to the VIP suite and shoved her inside. Briana barely managed to steady herself against the wall.
Before she could catch her breath, his words came crashing down on her. “You don’t want to be my wife, and now you’re just some escort, huh?”
“Do you always have to be so mean?” Briana asked, glaring at him. “What I do is none of your business”
She used to do whatever Shepard said, always so obedient. But now, she was talking back at every turn. His face darkened. “Briana, have some dignity.”
“I’m not acting trashy or desperate,” she shot back. “We’re divorced, Shepard. What right do you have to lecture me?”
She let out a soft laugh. “At best, you’re just my ex–husband.”
Shepard’s gaze was intense as he stared at her for what felt like forever. Then, out of nowhere, he stepped forward, cornering her against the wall. “Are you playing some kind of game? Trying to get my attention?”
Briana just stared at him, lost for words.
“First, you asked for a divorce and moved out of the Carter Estate, and now, you show up at a club to serve drinks. Briana, you’re pulling this whole stunt just to get me to pay attention to you, right?” Shepard asked.
Shepard had to admit that her tricks had worked on him. At the very least, she had begun to carve out a small, tangible space for herself in his mind.
Ever since Briana was gone, everything in Shepard’s life was out of whack–food, clothes, the whole routine. He still hadn’t managed to get it together.
Briana looked up at him. “I’ve heard of people being paranoid about getting hurt, but never about being loved.
“Shepard, are you crazy or what? When I gave you everything, you didn’t care. Now I’m out, I give up, I’m not chasing after you anymore, and yet you think I’m doing all this just to get you back?”
“Am I wrong?” Shepard shot back.
“Of course,” Briana retorted, her voice ringing out. “I’m done trying to warm a heart that’s always cold. If I can’t have your love, I’m not going to beg for it.”
Shepard scoffed, his whole demeanor radiating coldness. “So why is the divorce agreement still missing from my desk?”
“I’ll bring it to you tomorrow,” Briana replied.
“You really mean it?” Shepard pressed.
Briana nodded. “Tomorrow morning, I’ll bring it to your office. Make sure your lawyer’s there ahead of time. If he has no objections, you just sign.”
Shepard’s eyes were deep and unreadable. After a long moment, he suddenly gripped her chin, making her wince in pain, her face scrunching up.
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Chapter 8
5 vouchers
“Until the divorce decree is finalized, you’re still my wife. For the next month, behave yourself and stay away from Henry. Those deals won’t happen unless I approve,” Shepard said coldly.
Shepard was always like this–always in control, always on top. Especially when it came to Briana, he wanted her to be completely obedient. Even after the divorce, he still expected her to do as she was told.
He leaned in, his hot breath brushing against her cheek. “Briana, begging them won’t get you anywhere. Begging me? Now that’s a different story.”
Briana shoved him away with everything she had. Shepard just snorted, pulled his hand back, and leaned back with that lazy swagger, backing away slowly and casually.
“Even if I have to beg on the streets, I’d never come crawling to you,” Briana shot back.
“You really ought to know when to quit. Do you even get how screwed you are right now?” Shepard sneered.
“I know. I don’t need you spelling it out for me,” Briana snapped.
Shepard let out a cold snort and strode out. “Tomorrow. Be there, or else.”
Briana stared daggers at his retreating back, itching to sink her teeth into him. ‘How can one guy be this damn infuriating? Seriously, what was I ever thinking, falling for a jerk like him?‘ she thought.
Briana knew just how hard things were for her. Charles had long been infamous, and all the Lane family business connections were in Edward’s hands. She had no leverage at all.
But she believed that in this world, there was nothing she couldn’t get through sheer effort, except for love and Shepard.
*****
Briana had been to Carter Group so many times before. The front desk staff recognized her right away.
Back then, she’d always come over with homemade lunches, desserts, or fresh fruit for Shepard.
But no matter how many times she brought him food, Shepard wouldn’t even give it a second glance. Still, she kept putting her heart into every meal, hoping that maybe, just maybe, she could win him over one day.
But this time, she didn’t bring anything with her, except the divorce agreement hidden in her handbag.
Briana took the elevator straight up to the CEO’s office, like she’d done a hundred times before. Watching the numbers climb, she couldn’t help thinking, ‘This is probably the last time I’ll ever set foot here!
When the elevator doors slid open, James immediately noticed her, his face flickering with surprise before he quickly composed himself and hurried over. “Hello, Mrs. Carter.”
“Just call me Briana. That title doesn’t fit me anymore,” Briana said. “Is Shepard in his office?”
“Uh, yes, he is, but…” James said, looking a bit uneasy.
“What’s up?” Briana asked, catching his hesitation. “Is now a bad time for me to go in?”
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Chapter 8
She assumed he was in a meeting and she’d have to wait, but instead, James said awkwardly, “Ms. Fletcher is in there.”
Briana grinned. “Oh yeah? I haven’t seen Vivian in forever. Guess I’ll go say hi.”
She headed straight for the CEO’s office, and James could only stand there and watch, not daring to stop
her.
Just as Briana got to the door, she caught the sound of Vivian’s playful giggle from inside.
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