Chapter 75
Shepard’s brows slowly knitted together.
“If someone else had saved you, you’d have fallen for them, too ichard said, potting Shepard’s shoulder. “They you should really think about this.
Shepard wanted to argue, but couldn’t find the words.
After a long pause, he finally said, “I can list Vivian’s good qualities She’s gentle, caring and understanding”
Isn’t Briana gentle and caring! Isn’t she understanding? Have you ever thought about what it took for her to get through the years of marriage with you?
Without a whole lot of love, how could she have made it through all those long year? Richard pressed
And before Vivian ever showed up, you and Briana were already in love. You grew up together your bood was sold and steady, lasting through the years,
How could you just toss aside seventeen years together just because Vivian happened to save your lider Richard continued.
“I
Richard sighed, I supported you because I wanted you to pursue true love, not get trapped in a marriage of convenience But it seems, Shep, you don’t even know what true love is.”
Shepard stood there alone for a long, long time.
Do I really not understand my own heart? he wondered.
He remembered the way Briana had been leaning against the wall, retching
For a split second, his heart ached for her.
Even when he started imagining the worst, that she might have some terminal illness, he was terrified.
He’d never even let himself imagine what if Briana were gone from this world.
“Who do I really love?‘ he wondered.
He was dead set on marrying Vivian back then.
But what about now? he thought. Shouldn’t I be even more sure now than I was back then?
After all, he’d already knocked down every barrier standing in his way.
He should be feeling happy, proud, even triumphant. But honestly, he didn’t feel any excitement at all.
He even found himself wondering if he’d ended up in bed with Vivian last night, drunk as he was
At the gallery, Briana parked her car and let out a long breath
Il shaken up.
She was still
If Richard and Isabelle hadn’t suddenly shown up, Shepard would ve dragged her off for a gastroscopy
If the gastroscopy didn’t show anything, Shepard would probably push for a full–body exam
1/4
Chapter 75
And then, her pregnancy would be out in the open
What would happen then, Briana worried. Who knew if I could even get a divorce, or if I would be allowed to keep the
baby
Shepard would for sure make her get rid of it,
He
never wanted her to have his kids.
Even if the Carter family barged in and decided to keep the baby they’d take it for themselves. She wouldn’t even get to be
the mom
Briana closed her eyes for a moment, pulled herself together, and got out of the car
She’d barely taken a few steps when she spotted Vivian standing ahead, smiling at her.
“What?” Briana thought. Vivian’s here at the gallery? Is she here to stir up trouble again?
Briana shot her a look of clear displeasure.
“So, what should I call you?” Vivian walked right up to her, a sly smule on her face. “Mrs. Carter? Ms. Lane!”
“Why are you here! My gallery doesn’t welcome you,” Briana shot back, her voice icy.
“Whether you welcome me or not, I go wherever I want,” Vivian said, not bothering to hide her arrogance.
With Shepard nowhere in sight, Vivian dropped the act completely.
After all, she and Briana had always been rivalk
It was either Vivian or Briana.
Briana retorted, “Last time you poisoned yourself just to lose your voice, so what trick are you playing now?”
“Seriously?” Vivian stopped right in front of Briana. “I lost my voice after drinking your coffee. I haven’t even blamed you for that, and now you’re trying to pin it on me?”
“You know better than anyone who’s really playing dirty here,” Brana fired back.
Vivian never just drops by without a motive. Whenever I see Vivian, trouble is sure to follow, she wondered.
Briana took a cautious step back, putting some distance between them
“Spit it out,” she snapped. Tve got better things to do than stand here and listen to you ramble.”
She still had paintings to finish and all the daily gallery chores to handle.
Last night, she was on a creative roll, her mind clear and calm, the perfect mood for painting, so she ended up working in her studio until three in the morning.
She barely got four hours of sleep before dragging herself out of bed, dropping by the Lane family place, and then heading to the hospital.
Right now, she was feeling pretty wiped out.
Vivian smirked. “After those intimate photos of me and Shep bit the internet, everyone in Belaris knows about it now, Briana, aren’t you embarrassed?”
“Shepard’s the one cheating. Why should I be embarrassed? Bria shot back. “You two are the real shameless ones, a
2/4
15:12 Thu, Dec 25
Chapter 75
cheating scumbag and his side chick.”
Vivian flipped her hair. “You’ve always got a barb in your words. So wonder Shep doesn’t like you.”
“Did I ever beg him to like me?” Briana shot back.
“Like you never did before!” Vivian retorted.
Briana paused. “Yeah, I was totally brainless back then, alright?”
Loving a jerk like Shepard! That’s straight up my cringe history, she wondered. Just my luck. Talk about embarrassing
“But before you ever showed up, before that fire, Shep and I were truly in love. We were official, and everyone knew we were Together, Briana said. “You were the one who wrecked what we had.”
“I put my life on the line for Shep’s love. What about you? Would you ever risk everything for him?” Briana challenged.
Briana wouldn’t even hesitate.
If she’d been there when the fire broke out, she would’ve charged in without a shred of hesitation to save him.
There was no way she could just stand by and watch him die.
That fire was fierce, and honestly, there was something seriously off about it.
But after all these years, it had faded from everyone’s memory.
Vivian looked even more smug. “Last night. Shep canse t
We had drinks together.”
“Figures‘ Briana thought. She’d smelled the booze on Shepard and knew right away. Called it
Sometimes, being too clever was more trouble than it was worthy
“He’s fighting for me, doing everything he can to get me into the Carter family. He wants to marry me, make me his official parter, and he’s always promised me a real future together, Vistati said. “And I’m not going anywhere.”
You know how it is, Briana. When a guy and a girl are alone, a line drunk, you can guess what goes down, Vivian said.
Vivian covered her mouth with a coy giggle, her eyes sparkling with smug pride, like she wanted the whole world to know, “Shep has got insane stamina,”
She gave Briana a pointed look. “Have you ever even had that experience? Shep probably can’t stand to even look at you. The only way you ever got him in bed was by slipping something into his drink
If you stripped naked in front of him, he wouldn’t even flinch.”
Briana just snorted. Figures, that’s what Vivian came for. Of course, she’s just here to show off
“Seriously, is hooking up with Shepard supposed to be some kind of achievement?” Briana raised an eyebrow. “Did you really have to come all the way here just to announce it to me?”
As she spoke, Briana suddenly had a lightbulb moment and dragged out her words, “Oh, now I see. Don’t tell me you just slept with Shepard for the first time!
“If you two had been hooking up for ages, it’d be no big deal by now. Even if you did it again last night, you wouldn’t be so full of yourself.”
The only possible explanation was that Vivian had finally slept with Shepard.
15:12 Thu, Dec 25
Chapter 75
45%
F1-56 vouchers
To Briana’s surprise, Vivian didn’t even bother to deny it. “Yeal was the first time for Shep and me to have sex. Briana, do you know why?”
AD
