Briana sat on the edge of the master bed, now dressed in a delicate camisole, the soft fabric brushing her skin as she held her phone close. Her voice was low, filled with a mixture of relief and tension as she spoke. “Mark confirmed everything for me, my friend.”Far away, in the bedroom of Karl and Luana’s apartment, Luana settled onto the new double bed they’d recently purchased — a replacement for the one they’d shattered during one of their more wild and uninhibited nights.She adjusted the silk camisole she wore, the smooth material shimmering faintly in the dim light. “So it’s really true? Lawrence Sodré is our villain?”“Yes,” Briana replied without hesitation. “And my smart cousin even secured a bank loan.”Luana’s eyes narrowed with concern. “But you told your father, right?”Briana sighed deeply. “Mark visited him at the family mansion — he’s bedridden now — and my mother tried warning Katrina, but...”Luana perched at the head of the bed, still fiddling with her nightwear.

Althea turned back to her granddaughter, her tone thoughtful. “Briana, you know Lawrence Sodré better than anyone. You were classmates in college. That’s why I thought he would be a suitable match.”“Yes, Grandma,” Briana answered with a bittersweet smile. “He’s from a good family, runs his own bank, is highly respected. And yes... he’s handsome, fit, and very attractive. He posts some... steamy photos online that drive women wild. But what my father and Mark have said about him — it makes sense.”Nadir’s voice trembled slightly. “You really believe he was so obsessed with you that he tried to drug and kidnap you to make you his?”“I do,” Briana said without hesitation. “He showed up out of nowhere when I was already being held captive, claiming he had received an anonymous tip from that disgusting Anthony Curtis. He wanted to play the hero, hoping I’d fall for him and leave Mark.”Althea’s face twisted with revulsion. “How vile! He must have heard about my family-severance contract a

Briana entered her father’s suite and found him sprawled out on the bed, the covers drawn up only to his waist. As she approached, she assumed he must at least be wearing underwear, though Sandro, slightly embarrassed, silently hoped she wouldn’t notice that he wasn’t wearing anything at all beneath the sheets.“Dad, you really do look worn out. You need to rest more,” she said softly.Sandro let out a nervous chuckle. “Don’t worry about this old man, sweetheart.”“I have to worry. Uncle Gilson’s in the hospital, and you’re older than he is.”“He’s going to pull through,” he said, brushing it off.“But will he pull out of the mess we’re all in?” she asked, her tone shifting to something firmer, more businesslike.Sandro adjusted his position against the pillows, sensing the weight of the conversation. “This mess isn’t going to touch you, Briana.”“I know I’m with Glamour, but I still feel responsible. I spoke with Grandma Althea, and she rekindled the Vasconcelos fire in my blood.”Sa