Chapter 19
Briana was already at the first jewelry shop, holding out the broken bead.
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The clerk examined it carefully before shaking his head. “I’m sorry, miss,” he said. “We don’t offer that type of repair.”
Briana thanked him quietly and left. She went from one shop to the next, trying stores that specialized in crystal, diamonds, and emeralds.
Her search ended in a small, cluttered workshop. An elderly jeweler took the piece from her and studied it in his worn hands. “I can try to fix it,” he said, his tone measured. “But it won’t be perfect, and I can’t promise it will hold.”
“Please just do what you can,” Briana said.
If it wasn’t mended right, the bead would soon shatter completely and be ruined for good.
The old jeweler reached for his tools. “It doesn’t seem like much,” he remarked offhandedly. “But it matters to you, doesn’t it?”
“It’s all I have left of my parents,” she told him.
The man’s hands stilled. “And if I can’t fix it…”
“It’s all right,” Briana said softly. “I won’t blame you. I’ve been to every shop on this street, and you’re the only one who would even try.”
“Fine.” He gave a slow nod, adjusted his glasses, and set to work with quiet focus.
Just then, Briana’s phone chimed. She glanced at the screen before answering, “Hi, Charles.”
“You’re out already?” Charles asked.
“Just today,” she replied. “Is everything okay?”
Briana frowned, wondering why Charles was suddenly being so attentive.
“You’re clever, Briana,” Charles said with a delighted laugh. “Even after losing the baby, you still managed to get money from Shepard.”
Briana’s grip tightened on her phone. “What do you mean? What money are you talking about?”
“Shepard just wired me fifteen million,” Charles said. “Called it ‘compensation. For what? Your emotional distress? If you ask me, he’s the one who deserves to be compensated here.”
It was strange, no doubt, but money was money. Charles wasn’t about to turn down a windfall, so he gladly accepted it.
In an instant, Briana understood. Her eyes lingered on the agate bead in the craftsman’s hand before she turned back, biting her lower lip. “Charles, you have to send it back. We can’t take that money.”
“Are you serious?” Charles retorted. “It’s already cleared.”
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“We can’t take it,” Briana’s voice rose in protest. “We’re broke, but we still have our pride.”
“And how much does that ‘pride‘ pay?” Charles shot back, his tone mocking.
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“Charles, take his money and you’ll be under his thumb. Is that really what you want?” she snapped.
Accepting it would only tell Shepard and Vivian that her pride and everything she held dear had a price tag. They’d feel no guilt, only contempt.
Charles let out a harsh scoff. “Oh, that’s rich. You find me fifteen million, and I’ll hand it back to him myself.”
The sum was impossible. She couldn’t even dream of it.
“Well, he offered it to me, not you. So my answer is yes. I’m not proud enough to say no to life–changing money,” he said, his voice final.
“You…” Briana choked on her anger, words failing her.
Before she could say more, the line clicked and went silent.
She redialed, once, twice. The calls rang out into emptiness. He was gone.
The money would keep Charles partying for weeks. Briana knew he’d vanish the moment it hit his
account.
The irony stung. She’d been fighting so hard to keep her pride intact with Shepard, and here was Charles, ready to sell it all for cash.
“Here you are,” the old craftsman said, handing her the bead and bringing her back to the present. “It’s mended. It’ll hold together, but the cracks will always show.”
Briana took it. The delicate cracks spiderwebbed across the agate, stealing its smooth shine. In the sunlight, they looked even deeper.
Still, having it preserved at all felt like a minor blessing amidst her troubles.
Briana paid, murmured her thanks, and left for the Evergreen Estate.
Just as she’d expected, Charles was long gone. The living room couch, his usual domain for lazy sunbathing, was deserted.
Briana sighed and headed out, making her way to the Lane residence.
The butler at the house did a double–take when he saw Briana. “Ms. Lane? We… we weren’t expecting you.”
She only showed her face there for holiday gatherings. Any other time, she avoided the place entirely.
It was an open secret within the family that the pleasantries she exchanged with her uncle Edward and his family were empty gestures.
For her elderly grandmother Wrenley’s sake, they all played their parts in the family’s happy little charade. It was easier than letting Wrenley see the truth.
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Edward had claimed everything after Briana’s parents died–the business, the properties, all of it. Since then, he’d watched and quietly undermined every move she and Charles made, determined to prevent them from ever gaining the means to challenge him.
Her brother Charles was no help, and Briana herself had been preoccupied, first with love, then with being
a wife.
As she was a woman, the family business was never an option for her. All of which meant Edward had run things quite comfortably, entirely unchallenged.
Briana nodded. “Is my grandmother in?”
She is the butler answered. “She’s just finished her rest and is having afternoon tea.”
Briana stepped into the living room. ‘Grandma,” she called, her voice soft and warm. I’m here to see you.”
Wrenley looked up, her face softening into a smile of pure delight. “Briana, my dear. What a lovely surprise. You should have told me you were coming.”
“I just missed you,” Briana said, her smile so effortless and bright that it hid every trace of her recent pain.
Wrenley smiled and patted the sofa cushion beside her in invitation.
“My dear, you look radiant,” Wrenley remarked. “Evelyn mentioned things are going well between you and Shepard, and that you two are thinking of children soon.”
“We are. Briana replied softly.
“It’s true what they say. Happiness shows. Your eyes are sparkling.” Wrenley laughed warmly, and Briana smiled along.
From the opposite sofa. Edward watched them as he poured his coffee. His eyes lingered on Briana for a brief, knowing moment.
Everyone remembered how close Shepard had come to walking away from their wedding. It was family lore by now.
And Edward knew better than anyone just how much Briana had struggled in the years since.
If Briana had truly been the cherished wife, Shepard’s influence could have turned even her good–for- nothing brother Charles into a respectable man.
But that favor belonged to Vivian. With Shepard’s support, the Fletcher family had launched into a different stratosphere. Their little startup had ballooned into a sizable corporation, with talk now of an IPO.
“Uncle Edward.” Briana greeted politely. “I didn’t expect to see you home. No work today?”
“Just a day off,” Edward replied with similar courtesy. “I had no idea you were coming.”
Wrenley let out a soft, knowing scoff. “A day off“? Please. You’re nursing a hangover from that client dinner last night. You only just got up, and I’m sure you’re still feeling it.”
She then turned to the butler. “Is his electrolyte drink ready?”
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“It will be right out, ma’am,” the butler replied.
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“Is that right?” Briana said, her voice sweet. “You really do have so much on your shoulders, Uncle Edward. Running everything for the family all by yourself must be overwhelming.”
It sounded like pure concern, but Edward felt a jolt of caution.
She didn’t let him answer. “Charles is only good for spending money, and Sophia’s still green, just out of school. So, when you think about it, I’m probably the only one who can actually step in to help you. Don’t you think so, Uncle Edward?”
“You?” Edward let out a booming, hearty laugh. “Briana, you’re Shepard’s wife. You should be enjoying your life, not wearing yourself out like me.”
“I’m being sincere, Uncle Edward. I want to help,” Briana pressed, her tone unwavering.
The smile on Edward’s face grew strained.
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