Althea softened her voice and spoke in a tone that reminded Briana of her childhood."Briana, please. At least this time, can we celebrate a family occasion? Forget that it's your cousin's wedding. Let's forget the animosities."Your parents are here and they're even getting along. I'm sure it will be good for you to take your mind off your problems for a bit.""And how do you know I'm going through problems?" Briana asked, not as convinced as Althea hoped."I'm not referring to that. We all go through problems." Althea quickly corrects herself. "Today I want the family gathered to celebrate an intimate occasion."Since Briana was already convinced, she gave a slight smile. "Okay, Grandma Althea. I'm coming, and I'm bringing Luana Barros with me.""Feel free to bring her along. See you soon."The two women say their goodbyes and hang up.Luana approaches Briana. "I called a taxi while you were talking to your dear grandmother.""Do you still want me to wear white?" Briana raises her e
Briana and Luana arrive at the Rocha Event Hall.They are stunned by the Victorian-style hall and the large crowd of guests. They can recognize several influential people and celebrities among the buzz.After all, the Vasconcelos family still held significant importance in Braspolis, and no one wanted to miss this wedding.One of Linda Mattes' challenges in convincing people to attend Mark and Briana's wedding was the fact that Katrina and James's wedding was happening on the same day.The bet was a matter kept only among the interested parties. But James and Katrina were confident they would win.Katrina retreated to the bridal suite, where she was now receiving special treatment.Hairdressers, makeup artists, and a few friends were present as she was styled, made up, and pampered for what promised to be the happiest day of her life.For instance, while she was getting a chocolate-based hair treatment, a professional was massaging her feet."Oh, I'm so happy!" Katrina smiled with her
Someone entered the Groom's Suite. It was James's future brother-in-law."Chris, has anything interesting happened out there?" Frank turned to him."Hello, everything is perfect and up to standard," Christopher announced with a proud smile.The other groomsmen left, smirking.They had overheard James openly stating that he was marrying Katrina for power and money, and here was the future brother-in-law completely unaware of the groom's true intentions."By the way," Christopher continued, "Everything is as per the last-minute arrangements and changes ordered by Grandma Althea.""They're paid to handle it," James responded coldly and indifferently while adjusting his hairstyle and tie in the full-length mirror. "Is there a complaint?""No, no complaints, but I've been wondering if you're not overdoing it a bit," Christopher scratched his neck. "When I told you that the Pauper had arranged accommodations for my Luana, I wasn't trying to scare you.""We're not afraid of that damn leech!"
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
Briana felt like an animal led into a trap in the forest.Althea had purposely brought her to the Bride's Chamber, knowing that Katrina would be disgusted by Briana being dressed in white, an affront to wedding etiquette.Katrina didn't want to stand up to avoid ruining her dress or newly applied makeup, but it was evident she was trembling with wrath and restless in the chair."I can't believe this! Briana, I thought you hated me with all your might. I tried to deal with it, tried to ignore it. I admit I even felt a bit of pity when I heard you're still having troubles with your husband."But coming to my wedding dressed in white, with the clear and sole intention of offending me—""Katrina, the world doesn't revolve around you." Briana tried to defend herself."Don't you dare justify yourself, you insolent little hellion!" Althea roared, unable to take it anymore."Grandma Althea, did you call me here for this?" Briana turned to her with an indignant look. "Didn't you want us to enj
"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
Briana felt like a video game character, going through different levels until reaching the Boss.Now she needed to defeat one more stage, starring her cousin Christopher.But Christopher wouldn't be a dull opponent. Briana noticed how he first approached Luana, distracting her, only to attack her afterward.Luana wouldn't want to defend her anymore because of the truffle she ate."Don't tell me that this is the punishment my little sister imposed on you for losing the bet!" Christopher laughed and laughed.Christopher's loud laughter began to attract the attention of several guests."The bet isn't over yet." Briana decided to retort."Really? And where is your husband? Where's the party? Can I go to the Aurélia Cathedral?" Christopher provoked further, forgetting that he was a man and Briana was a woman."If you keep up with that attitude, it'll be extraordinary if you even make it past the parking lot," Briana responded with bitterness, "Doesn't it cross your mind that Mark didn't wa
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