Chapter 212
Chapter 212
“Hey, you’re here,” Shepard said, gesturing to a seat. “Have a seat.”
Leonard beamed. “Briana, your husband’s pretty good.”
Briana thought, ‘Um…
‘Good? In which part?
‘Honestly, there’s nothing good about him at all.
‘Shepard is loaded, handsome, has a fancy degree, and is crazy talented. Except for that….
‘Alright, fine, all his strengths are plain for everyone to see.
‘But those are just the obvious, surface–level things.
‘But what about his personality? What about his character?‘
“He’s alright,” Briana replied, playing it cool. “Mr. Dean, what were you two talking about?”
With Leonard right there, Briana couldn’t exactly start airing out all the family drama.
She just had to put on a show and keep up appearances.
“We were chatting about art, life, investments, you name it,” Leonard said with a grin.
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He went on, “Honestly, I used to think he was just another businessman, but after getting to know him, turns out he’s actually a pretty thoughtful guy, way deeper than I expected.”
“Really…” Briana said.
Briana really didn’t know what to say, so she just laughed awkwardly.
“Oh, and by the way, Carter Group is sponsoring this week’s art show,” Leonard added. “Mr. Carter is really generous with his money.”
Briana was genuinely surprised.
Shepard answered humbly, “It’s really nothing. Supporting Briana is just what a husband should do. She has her own passions and goals, and I’ll always be there for her, backing her up every step of the way.”
The more Leonard looked at Shepard, the more impressed he was.
Shepard added, “Honestly, I don’t have much talent for art myself. Whenever Briana’s painting, all I can do is not bother her and just be there for her.”
He reached out, draped his arm over Briana’s shoulders, and gently pulled her into his embrace.
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Chapter 212
Briana had no choice but to lean into him.
She was struggling to keep up the act of smiling.
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With a warm smile, Leonard said, “Briana’s definitely going to be a renowned emerging artist one day. I truly believe in her potential.
“Right now, what she needs most is a signature piece and the depth that only time can bring. Take your time, and everything you need will come in due course.”
“Yeah, I’m super proud of her,” Shepard said with a smile. “Someday, when people introduce me, they’ll just say, “That’s Briana’s husband, Shepard.‘ And honestly, I’d be honored.”
Every single thing Shepard said was basically him bragging about Briana.
He was totally beaming with pride for his wife.
Leonard nodded in approval.
“Mr. Dean,” Shepard asked, “are you free tonight? How about we grab a bite together? I can have my assistant book a restaurant.”
“Nah, I’ve got other plans tonight. Let’s take a rain check,” Leonard replied.
“What a shame,” Shepard said.
Leonard grinned. “Why don’t you and Briana go enjoy some couple time?”
After a bit of teasing, Leonard took a sip of his coffee, hands behind his back, and strolled off.
As soon as Leonard left, Briana immediately slapped Shepard’s hand away and tried to put some distance between them.
No way was Shepard letting her get away.
He pulled her right back into his arms, refusing to let her escape.
“Did you like the flowers?” he asked.
“I knew it was you,” Briana said, turning to look at him. “Always up to your usual tricks.”
Shepard pressed on, “Did you like the flowers?”
Briana gave a small smile. “Nope. Threw them out.”
“Then I’ll just send you another bouquet tomorrow,” Shepard teased.
“And I’ll just toss it out again,” Briana retorted, not missing a beat.
“Doesn’t bother me,” Shepard said with a grin. “I’ll keep sending them, every single day.”
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Chapter 212
Briana’s smile finally faded, and she gritted her teeth. “What are you even trying to do?”
“I just want to be with you,” Shepard replied, his voice soft but unwavering.
“I don’t want to be with you!” Briana shot back, her tone sharp.
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“Just because you don’t want to now doesn’t mean you won’t in the future,” Shepard said, his voice calm and confident.
“Trying to talk to him is like talking to a brick wall,‘ Briana thought, feeling totally defeated.
“So, what do you want for dinner tonight?” Shepard asked, trying to lighten the mood. “Western food? Or something traditional?”
Briana just stayed silent.
Shepard didn’t mind at all and just kept talking. “Or do you want to go home and have the housekeeper whip up a home–cooked meal? Whatever you want, I’m fine with it.”
Seeing that Briana still wasn’t saying anything, he picked up his phone. “I’ll just call the housekeeper.”
Briana thought, ‘He’s totally shameless.
‘Seriously, he’s like glue. There’s just no shaking him off.
“Go home?” Briana finally couldn’t hold back. “You seriously want to crash at my place again tonight? Using your usual tricks?”
Shepard replied, totally matter–of–fact, “We’re husband and wife. Why wouldn’t I?”
“You!” Briana snapped, her voice sharp with frustration.
“Hmm?” Shepard replied, not bothered at all.
“We’re getting divorced,” Briana said, her tone icy.
“I didn’t agree to that,” Shepard said, cool as ever. “We’re just talking about divorce. It’s not like we’re actually divorced yet.”
He already knew tonight wouldn’t go as smoothly as last night.
So he left Carter Group early and hung around the gallery, waiting for her.
Smart as ever, he didn’t go straight to Briana. Instead, he bumped into Leonard and took the opportunity to visit.
Then he had Leonard call Briana over.
And just like that, Shepard and Briana were together again.
He had her every move right under his nose,
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Chapter 212
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Wherever she was, he was always there.
“Oh, fantastic, just perfect,” Briana gritted out, her sarcasm sharp. “Yesterday you had Leonard set me up, and today you’re lying in wait for me at the gallery.
“I’d love to see what other tricks you’ll pull tomorrow, the day after, and the day after that!”
She refused to believe he could really corner her every single day.
Honestly, seeing her all riled up like that just made Shepard think she was even cuter.
He couldn’t help but reach out and pinch her cheek. “Briana, we’ve got a long road ahead of us.”
“Who says I want a long future with you?” Briana snapped back, her annoyance clear.
The angrier Briana got, the calmer Shepard became.
His eyes turned dark and intense, full of possessiveness.
“You have to understand, when a man sets his sights on a woman, there’s nowhere she can run,” Shepard said, his voice low and sure. “Briana, I’m not just any man. I’m the kind you can’t shake off.”
She had no way to escape.
Even if she ran to the ends of the earth, she’d still be right in Shepard’s palm.
Briana was wracking her brain, trying to figure out how to deal with Shepard.
‘Am I really out of options?‘ she wondered, frustration bubbling up inside.
She refused to believe it.
Shepard could read her like a book.
“Enough with the scheming,” he said, his voice calm but unyielding. “Let’s go home and eat.”
He stood up and reached for her hand, holding it firmly.
Briana tried to pull away.
But he just held on even tighter.
When she tried her hardest to break free, Shepard said, “I’m never letting go.”
He wasn’t just saying it. He meant every word.
Briana really felt totally trapped, like there was just no escaping him.
He was relentless, always clinging to her, chasing her down, and driving her crazy.
But every time she looked at his face and remembered all the pain from their marriage, her defenses shot up
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Chapter 212
again, and she just couldn’t bring herself to let them down.
Letting Shepard back in would just give him another chance to hurt her all over again.
She wasn’t about to be that naive.
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‘All that sweet talk and those big promises from men? I know better than to trust any of it, she thought.
Shepard held Briana’s hand tight and walked her straight out of Dreamscape Gallery, not letting go for a second.
The staff were all checking them out, sneaking glances and trying to act casual.
The moment the two of them disappeared, everyone started whispering and gossiping like crazy.
They whispered, “Mr. Carter used to come to the gallery so rarely that we could count it on one hand, but now he’s here all the time.”
“Looks like their relationship’s way better than before.”
“You know how it is with married couples. Fight in bed, make up in bed.”
“And Mr. Carter’s actually lowering himself and doing everything he can to make Briana happy.”
“I’m totally shipping them now.”
It was rush hour, and the city was packed with cars.
Traffic crawled along, bumper to bumper, with endless streams of headlights snaking down the road.
Briana sat in the passenger seat.
Shepard drove with music playing in the background, his left hand on the wheel and his right hand stubbornly holding onto Briana’s.
No matter what, he just wouldn’t let go.
AD
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