The Paper Wife’s Empire novel Chapter 381

“Brianna, please, get up. You don’t have to do this.”

He grabbed her hand, trying to pull her to her feet, but the force of their combined movements sent them stumbling. He lost his balance, and they both fell back onto the sofa, with her body pressed against his.

Suddenly, there wasn't an inch of space between them, their breaths mingling in the charged air. Brianna’s lips trembled, her panicked eyes reflecting the same shock that was written across his face.

“I’m so sorry…”

Brianna stammered, her cheeks flushing as she immediately tried to pull away, but Brantley’s hand settled on the small of her back, holding her in place.

Before she could escape, he wrapped his arms around her. His rich, deep voice was impossibly gentle. “If you're willing to start over, I'll be here with you.”

Brianna remained still, her head resting against his chest. She could feel the steady beat of his heart begin to quicken, and the hope in her own eyes slowly faded into a quiet resignation.

Brantley was a good man. So much better than Jotham.

If she could turn back time, if she had met Brantley first, maybe she wouldn’t have suffered so much. Maybe she could have been a good person, in the way the world expected her to be.

But there were no do-overs in life, and she could never be stainless again.

…………

The next morning, Brantley drove Brianna back to the Holt estate.

Before leaving for Kyro City with him, she wanted to see Jotham one last time.

Brantley had told her that the Holts were in serious trouble. Following Holt Group’s bankruptcy, an investigation had uncovered numerous corporate violations and illegal assets under Griffin Holt’s name. The family’s accounts were frozen, their properties seized, and they were now drowning in lawsuits. They couldn't stay in Havencrest City any longer.

The rumor was they were planning to move to a small, nearby town within the next few days.

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