Briana and Luana walked through the interior of the Rocha Event Hall, amazed at the production involved in the wedding party."Bri, your cousin seemed pretty desperate, huh?" Luana teased. "It looks like she was afraid of losing the bet.""It doesn't just look like it; she was really scared." Briana smiled, feeling confident.So, Mark is a broke failure? How did they spend so much on the preparations, decorations, food, and drinks?Why so many important people from the most exclusive circle of Aurélia?Briana and Luana reached the area where more people were gathered, the main hall where the ceremony would take place.Upholstered chairs were arranged in two sections: one for the bride and one for the groom.At the altar, the priest was already in place, being served soda by a waiter.Sandro and Nadir interacted with each other as if nothing had happened. At another point, Gilson and Claudia were radiant, talking with journalists and columnists.Briana began to worry. Did Mark manage t

"Come on, Briana, answer me!" Katrina was overflowing with pride, reveling in the discomfort and embarrassment that Briana was feeling.After a few long seconds, Briana chose her words carefully. "There's no clear definition of the bet's outcome.""What? You still think you can beat me? Are you blind or didn't you see how we've set up the ceremony hall?""Yes, I saw." Briana frowned, feeling conflicting emotions but struggling to appear strong. "It seemed a bit excessive. If you were so confident that Mark wouldn't throw a great party, why the desperation?"Katrina was momentarily rattled by the obvious question but tried to hide it. "Well... It's never too much to add a bit of luxury for our guests. Grandma Althea helped with the preparations, and she has good taste."The issue is that I didn't even receive an invitation to your wedding. How are we supposed to know if your party was better than mine?"Briana shook her head. "Obviously, from the newspapers and the Internet, right?""A

Karl and the other friends noticed that something was wrong. "What's the problem, Briana?" Luana spoke on behalf of Briana, "Uh... There's a misunderstanding here, Karl. This place isn't for Bri and Mark's wedding." "But the transportation sent to pick us up brought us here!" Karl was surprised, taking a step back. The other former classmates also began to voice their concerns.Everyone was dressed up for an important occasion and wasn't pleased with this setback. "There must be an explanation." Briana scratched her head, trying to understand what was going through Mark's mind. "And now, what do we do with these gifts?" asked another young lady holding a package. Suddenly, Althea pushed through the crowd, standing out and entering the scene. "Excuse me, excuse me... Please take your seats, the ceremony is about to start." Karl refused to sit. "Excuse me, Madam. We've come to the wrong wedding party and we're leaving—" At a glance, Althea noticed she was dealing with young peo

Feeling that the chance for reconciliation and a return to the Vasconcelos mansion was slipping through her fingers, Nadir approached Briana with unmistakable impatience."Briana, have you gone mad? What more do you need to understand that you lost the bet? The Pauper abandoned you before you even reached the altar! He knew he couldn't honor the commitment and ran away, leaving you alone to face everything!"What kind of man is he? And you continue to defend him in everything, becoming the laughingstock and indirectly humiliating your parents, huh?"Briana gave her mother a cold stare. "Mom, you need to be honest with yourself and with me. The only thing that matters to you is the mansion and the necklace you lost, right?"Nadir hesitated slightly before continuing. "Um... It's not just that. Yes, I miss my necklace, but it's not only that we lost. We lost respect, prestige, status, since you married the Pauper without telling us."And furthermore, our family life has been falling apa

For example, there were Reginaldo and Aline Fabray, from the Fabray family, who dominate the real estate market in Espírito Santo.Braspolis boasts a branch full of sharp and committed real estate agents.Also present were best-selling author Vanda Borges and her husband, Hélio Borges, from Blue Cove.Briana felt a shiver down her spine because she and Luana used to exchange Vanda Borges’ romance novels and participate in book clubs, discussing and eagerly awaiting each new release.“Miss Vasconcelos, congratulations on your marriage,” Vanda greeted her with two cheek kisses.Hélio extended a package. “Here’s the unpublished manuscript of my wife’s next novel, 'Love Never Fails'.”All the chick-lit romance fans gasped, feeling envious of Briana.The mentioned novel was highly anticipated by fans as it was the final installment of a series they had been following for several years.The previous novel ended on a cliffhanger, leaving everyone anxious for the continuation.Briana, the luc