Chapter 187
Shepard’s face froze for a split second, but he quickly recovered. “No, we don’t.”
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“Guess we go our separate ways then,” Briana said. “I have my own place, and you have yours. We never had a home together.”
A stab of pain shot through Shepard’s heart.
He forced himself to look calm. “Alright, let me drive you home.”
Briana murmured, “Thanks.”
Briana threw off the covers and got out of bed.
On the drive, she kept her eyes glued to the window, not saying a word to Shepard.
It wasn’t until the car stopped at the gates of Evergreen Estate that she finally spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. “Thanks.”
Briana got out of the car and walked straight into the villa without looking back,
Shepard stood by the front of the car, watching her walk away.
“Hey, Briana,” Charles called out as he stepped outside, hearing the commotion. “You’re back?”
He gave her a once–over, his voice full of concern and pity. “You look so worn out. You’ve lost weight, and your cheeks are all sunken. Henry’s gone, Briana. You need to accept it and stop torturing yourself.”
Briana didn’t say a word. She just kept walking.
Seeing she wasn’t going to respond, Charles turned to Shepard.
“You’re not coming in? You just came to drop her off at the Lane family’s place?” Charles asked. “What’s up with that?”
Shepard replied, “Just giving her back her freedom.”
Briana kept walking without missing a beat.
Charles scratched his head. “I still don’t get it. Briana’s always been free, right? You never kept her locked up or anything!” “I’m agreeing to the divorce,” Shepard said. “Whatever she wants, I’ll give it to her, no questions asked.”
Finally, Briana stopped in her tracks.
She turned around and looked at Shepard.
He finally relented.
Their
eyes
met from across the distance.
“Shepard, you’d better keep your word,” Briana said slowly. “On the day the divorce procedure dealing period ends, we’ll both be at the courthouse on time to finalize the divorce.”
Shepard nodded.
He stood there, arms at his sides, his handsome features showing nothing but calm.
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His expression was like a wasteland, barren and devoid of life.
Briana’s lips curled into a faint smile.
On her pale face, that smile seemed almost jarring.
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Shepard instinctively started to step forward, but stopped himself, his foot slowly lowering back down.
“Briana, you should be happier without me,” he said, his words drifting away on the wind. “That way, letting you go will actually mean something; it’ll be the right thing to do.”
Briana replied instantly, her tone unwavering. “Of course.”
Leaving the past behind was the only way to move forward.
Briana walked into Evergreen Estate.
Charles and Shepard both stayed where they were.
After standing there in silence for a while, Charles walked down the steps and came up to Shepard.
“So you two are getting divorced, again?” Charles asked.
“She’s the one who wants the divorce,” Shepard said. “From start to finish, the one who wanted out was her.”
In five years of marriage, Shepard had never once wanted a divorce.
Charles scratched his head. “So you’re not even going to try to make her stay?”
“What could I possibly offer to make her stay?” Shepard replied.
He didn’t have the right, or even the dignity, to ask her to stay.
Thinking back on everything he’d done these past five years, and how Vivian had manipulated him and made a fool out of him, Shepard couldn’t even forgive himself.
Charles rubbed his chin, looking like he was deep in thought.
“Weren’t you always the one who supported us getting divorced?” Shepard asked. “You never really liked me anyway.”
“That was because Henry always had her back,” Charles replied. “Now that Henry’s gone, you expect Briana to spend the rest of her life alone? And with Vivian showing her true colors, Briana has no rival. All the good days are hers for the taking.”
Charles was a classic businessman, always thinking about the bottom line.
If he were in Briana’s place, he’d be calling the shots right now, getting whatever he wanted, finally turning the tables after all that hardship.
He’d milk this opportunity for all it’s worth and lay out every demand he could think of.
Shepard would agree to anything.
After being stifled for so long, she could finally hold her head high and walk with pride.
But instead, Briana was dead set on getting a divorce.
Charles just couldn’t figure out what was going through her mind.
I’ll go talk to her and see what’s really on her mind,” Charles said, shooting Shepard a look. “Maybe she’s just throwing a
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Chapter 187
tantrum, waiting for you to come and coax her.”
Shepard refused. “No. Don’t bother.”
“Huh?” Charles blinked.
Wait, I’m trying to play wingman for Briana, and he’s shutting me down?‘ Charles thought, a little surprised. ‘Am I just butting in where I don’t belong?‘
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“I respect all of Briana’s decisions,” Shepard said quietly. “Even if I’m no longer her husband in the eyes of the law, I’ll still do everything I can to protect her for the rest of her life.”
Charles let out a long sigh of relief.
Those words from Shepard were all he needed.
Riches and status were guaranteed now.
Everything that used to go to the Fletcher family would now come to him and Briana, twice as much as before.
“You’d better stick to your word,” Charles warned. “Mr. Carter, don’t go getting all high and mighty and forgetting what you promised.”
“I won’t. My word is my bond,” Shepard replied.
With that, Shepard turned and walked over to his car.
Suddenly, something else popped into his head, and he glanced at Charles. “What about those sketchy guys Eric introduced you to?”
Before he could finish, Charles jumped in, “I’ve cut them all off, every last one. Who would’ve guessed Eric was that kind of guy? Not just me, even Henry fell for his fake persona.”
“What about those deals you’ve got going on?” Shepard asked.
Charles was stunned for a moment, then his expression changed dramatically.
Eric had set him up with a few collaborations, and Charles made a quick buck off them.
Then Eric brought in a major client.
Charles poured all the company’s cash into it and even took out loans worth millions.
‘Could it be?‘ Charles thought, a chill creeping down his spine. ‘Is this all just a setup? Did I just get played?‘
Charles jolted, panic rising in his voice. “Oh no. Am I about to go bankrupt?”
“Come to my office at four o’clock, three days from now,” Shepard said.
Shepard opened the car door, started the engine, and drove out of Evergreen Estate.
Charles stood there, dazed for ages before snapping out of it and rushing back into the villa.
Briana was sitting on the couch, quietly sipping her coffee.
“Briana,” Charles said, plopping down next to her, sounding desperate. “Why are you still set on getting divorced?”
Briana kept her eyes lowered, skimming the foam off her coffee with the lid, saying nothing.
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“Can’t you get real for a second?” Charles urged. “With everything going on, sticking with Shepard is honestly your best bet right now.
“Just think about it, Vivian’s crashed and burned, and the whole Fletcher family is about to go down with her. Right now, Shepard’s racked with guilt. If you asked for the moon, he’d move heaven and earth to get it for you.
“Briana, after everything you’ve been through, you’ve finally come out on top. How could you just give it all up now?”
He kept chattering nonstop, making Briana’s head throb.
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