Chapter 68
The award ceremony venue was bustling with excitement. As soon as Sheldon’s car came to a stop, his friends eagerly surrounded him, each more excited than the last.
“You’ve been spending time with Celia while also rearranging the venue as the organizer. You’ve gone all out! If people didn’t know better, they’d think you were planning a proposal.“}
“What nonsense! Sheldon is just playing mind games. The more Briella anticipates tonight, the more shocking it’ll be when the video is revealed.”
“Sheldon, you brought the video, right? When are you releasing it? I can’t wait any longer!“}
Sheldon reached into the passenger seat and grabbed his laptop. Jesse’s eyes lit up. “I’ll hook it up to the big screen right now.“>
Just as he reached out to take it, Sheldon twisted his wrist and casually tossed the laptop back into the car. “Forget it. It’s pointless.”
Everyone was stunned. “What do you mean? You’re not releasing it?“}
“Sheldon, what’s going on? You’ve been preparing for this moment for five years! Don’t you want to see Briella completely broken and devastated?”
“Have you forgotten how Lilia died?“}
At the mention of Lilia, a clear flash of irritation crossed Sheldon’s face. To him, Lilia was like the moon in the sky, a precious treasure. She died because of Briella and he was determined to avenge her.
However, Briella, in the video, sometimes moaning softly in his embrace, sometimes whimpering beneath him, radiated an irresistible allure. He didn’t want anyone else to see that side of her. Sheldon clicked his tongue in frustration. “It’s nothing. I just think there will be a better opportunity in the future.“>
Jesse frowned. “Sheldon, are you really waiting for a better opportunity?“}
“As your friends, be honest with us. Are you … ”
“I’m not!” Sheldon snapped, cutting him off sharply. “Mind your own business. Don’t pry where you shouldn’t. I have my own plans.“”
After that, he turned and walked into the venue, carefully inspecting every decoration. The Apple Jack roses on the tables, the transparent glass bricks in the corners, the balloons and ribbons along the aisles. All of them were Briella’s favorites. She once said that if they ever had a wedding, these things would be essential. Tonight marked the beginning of her career’s rise, so he had them set up in advance. When she arrived, she would definitely be happy.
At the thought of this, a slight smile crept onto Sheldon’s lips. He called over a waiter. “Make sure to replace Ella’s wine with coconut water later. She’s allergic to alcohol.”
His friends, who had followed him in, happened to overhear this and exchanged subtle glances. “Sheldon is way too into this. He wasn’t even this attentive to Lilia.”
“Something feels off. Ever since the gallery incident, Sheldon’s favoritism toward Briella has been … excessive.“}
Just then, Celia entered the venue. The group’s expressions became complicated. They were afraid she’d stir up trouble, yet they also feared she wouldn’t. After all, they had just argued with Sheldon over Briella. If Celia caused a scene, Sheldon would surely be furious and they’d get dragged into it. Still, if she stayed quiet, that would be letting Briella off too easily.”
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Noticing their looks, Celia chuckled. “Relax, I’m here to help Sheldon.” They hurriedly asked how. Celia merely gave a mysterious smile and remained silent.
The award ceremony began, but Briella was nowhere to be seen. An unexplainable sense of unease settled over Sheldon. He instinctively reached for his phone to call her. Just then, the host’s voice rang out, inviting the representative of the organizing committee onto the stage to give a speech.
Sheldon put his phone away and walked onto the stage, his mind elsewhere as he spoke. His eyes kept darting toward the entrance. A strange feeling crept over him that Briella wasn’t going to show up. No, that couldn’t be. She had been painting since she was a child, working tirelessly for years to win this gold award. This ceremony was a big deal for her. She would come. She had to. However, she was nowhere to be seen when the host finally called out her name. Sheldon pulled out his phone again, but before he could do anything, a staff member rushed onto the stage and whispered something to the host. The host’s expression shifted slightly before announcing, “Unfortunately, Miss Briella Jacquin won’t be able to attend in person, but she has recorded a video for us. Let’s take a look.” She’s not coming? How is that possible? A video? What video? A flood of questions raced through Sheldon’s mind. His head snapped up just as he saw a staff member connecting a laptop to the big screen. In the upper–right corner of the laptop, a tiny sticker of a sleeping puppy caught his eye. Briella had put that there. That was his laptop and the video they were about to play was the compilation of intimate moments between him and Briella! Sheldon jumped to his feet, shouting, “Stop!”
Unfortunately, it was too late. The private folder had already been opened and the video began playing on the giant screen.
