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
The commotion in the Rocha Event Hall continued. Sandro, Nadir, James, and Christopher were anxious for Briana to come to her senses and sign the divorce papers. "It can't be." Briana shook her head. "This document won't be valid if Mark doesn't sign it." "We can claim abandonment, my granddaughter." Althea tried to convince her, daring to smile. "No, there's a period for that. Mark only disappeared for a day. No notary office will accept these conditions for a divorce." Briana frowned. Do they think she's an idiot? Althea insisted, "Briana, with the power of the Vasconcelos family, we can make it happen. We will find any loophole in the law, any chance we can to cancel this damned marriage that has only brought you losses." "I'm doing just fine with Mark, thank God!" Briana retorted. Althea was losing her patience. "Don't talk like that! Don't be deluded, pay attention to your reality! Living in an apartment with your parents, in a building below your status, enduring a mere
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
Alan Campos Rocha began to walk, making everyone think he was heading to the Bride’s Chamber to greet Katrina.However, to the surprise of many, especially Althea, Alan stopped in front of Briana.“Miss Vasconcelos, future Mrs. Ferro, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you. On behalf of my father and the Rocha family, please accept our congratulations and best wishes for your married life!”Everyone held their breath, feeling as if their eyes were about to pop out of their sockets.Did the great Mr. Campos Rocha mistake the bride?Briana smiled faintly. “Mr. Campos Rocha, thank you very much for the congratulations…”“Here!” Alan took two items out of his jacket pocket, extending them to Briana. “Here is our gift, a piece of jewelry to show our appreciation. And here…” He jingled a set of keys, “is a mansion built in Vila Pau-Brasil by the best team from Rocha Constructions, a courtesy from my father.”More and more gasps of “Ah” and “Oh” filled the room among the spectators.Vila Pau-Br
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