Hope Crawls Through Ruins by Kain Rowan Vale 23

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“Wonderful life?” Shepard took in the dusty, half–renovated mess. “You call this a wonderful life, Briana? Better than being my wife?” 

His rapid questions were a clear challenge. To him, Briana’s confidence was just a fragile mask. 

He thought she had truly moved on and was thriving, but the truth was far simpler. All it would take was one gentle word from him, and she would fall right back into her old patterns. 

He knew that seventeen years of love couldn’t just stop. Briana wasn’t one to simply let go. 

Shepard watched her, waiting for the moment her resolve would crack. He believed he still knew her better than anyone. 

Briana squared her shoulders, meeting his gaze. “It’s better than being your wife. I have my dignity, and my life is my own now.” 

“I gave you everything you could ever want,” he shot back. 

“And yet, here I am, perfectly fine on my own,” she replied coolly. 

A cold smirk played on his lips. “You never did know what’s good for you when you have it.” 

“I knew exactly what was good for me,” she said, her voice low and steady. “That’s why I walked away. Don’t overestimate yourself.” 

She pointed a firm hand toward the door. “This is my space. You are not welcome. Please leave.” 

Shepard’s eyes narrowed. He stood firm, unmoving, a silent challenge in his stance. 

It clicked for him. Briana was trying to regain his attention by becoming the opposite of the woman he remembered. 

The woman who once lived for his approval now seemed to thrive on his disapproval, contradicting him whenever she could. 

The change had been intriguing at first, a puzzle that briefly captured his interest. But as the days passed, the act became predictable and lost its effect. 

He was content to wait, certain that the day would come when she would drop the act and ask to return. 

“Are you leaving or not?” Briana asked, tilting her chin up to meet his gaze. “Or do you find this lingering particularly rewarding?” 

She had to look up to hold his stare. The noon sun was relentless, casting a harsh light and pressing a heavy heat upon them. 

Briana felt a sudden wave of dizziness, her limbs going numb. It was the all–too–familiar warning sign of low blood sugar. 

Between overseeing the renovations and fetching drinks for the crew, lunch had slipped her mind entirely. 

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Evelyn’s sudden visit pushed food even further from her thoughts. Now, the fatigue and hunger were hitting her hard. 

But she refused to faint in front of Shepard. The last thing she wanted was for him to think this was some 

kind of act. 

Seeing that Shepard still hadn’t moved, Briana bit her lip and said, “Fine. If you won’t leave, then I will? 

She turned to go, but he stepped in her way, his tall and sturdy frame firmly blocking her path. 

A cold sweat prickled her skin. She knew she had maybe a minute left before her strength gave out 

Her bag was inside the gallery, and she always kept chocolate in it to manage her low blood sugar. 

“Briana, do you remember what I told you?” Shepard asked, his intense eyes holding hers as he leaned 

closer. 

“Legally, you’re still my wife until the divorce is final. You could at least try to act like it,” he said, his tone hardening. “But instead, half the city has seen you with Henry,” 

A faint ringing filled Briana’s cars, making his words sound distant and unclear. 

Her head swam and her legs felt unsteady. She bit down on her tongue, using the pain to cling to 

consciousness. 

When she kept her gaze lowered, ignoring him, his voice grew sharper. “Look at me and answer” 

Her balance faltered, and she began to sway as a wave of dizziness darkened the edges of her sight. 

She blinked, forcing her eyes to focus on his face. “I… I…” 

“Enough.” Shepard cut her off, his voice cold. “Stay away from Henry. This is the last time I’ll say it.” 

Briana’s voice was faint and weak as she muttered, “I don’t feel right…” 

Darkness swallowed her sight, and she knew nothing more. 

As her awareness faded, her hands flew to her stomach in a final, protective gesture, 

Shepard’s anger vanished the instant her eyes rolled back and she started to fall. He lunged forward and caught her. 

“Briana?” His voice was tense. “What’s this about?” 

He called her name over and over again, his anger quickly turning to panic. But she didn’t move. Her eyes stayed closed, her lips pale. 

He looked down and saw her hands cupped over her womb. 

‘She must’ve never really bounced back after losing the baby,’ he thought. ‘Between the gallery and no damn rest, no wonder she’s totally wiped out! 

He lifted her carefully into his arms and headed for the nearest hospital, his mind on nothing but the ER. 

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“She has low blood sugar,” the doctor explained. “A glucose drip and some rest are all she needs.” 

Shepard’s lips thinned as he watched Briana on the bed. He nodded in quiet acknowledgment. 

“And you are?” the doctor prompted gently. 

“Her ex–husband,” Shepard replied. 

The doctor recovered with a slight cough. “Well, ex or not, you’re still the one responsible. The front desk can help you with the payment.” 

Shepard didn’t deal with administrative details. A glance sent his secretary to handle it, while he settled into the chair beside Briana. 

After the doctor and his secretary left, the room fell into a dense, unnatural quiet. 

He finally saw the old obedience in her now when she was unconscious. Yet he remembered that was how she had always been before. 

Now she looked worn, with paint smudged on her clothes, dirt under her nails, and the faint roughness of calluses on her fingers. 

Other women had soft, graceful hands. Hers told a different story, one of work and quiet endurance. 

“Why did you marry me?” he whispered. As soon as he said it, he felt ridiculous. 

She couldn’t hear him anyway. He knew if she were awake, she’d be staring at him with that suspicious, guarded look, every word sharp and ready for an argument. 

If she’d just let him bo 

with Vivian, he would’ve always been there for her like a brother. He would’ve watched over her and taken care of her forever. 

But she’d gotten in the way. And then she’d made the choice alone, ending it all without a word to him. 

The memory was enough to shut down any softness in Shepard, his expression turning cold once more. 

***** 

When Briana woke, a deep weariness held her down. 

She opened her eyes to a room she didn’t know. 

The room was styled in that understated, classic luxury, with polished dark wood, clean lines, and timeless elegance. 

As she wondered where she was, Briana sat up and slipped out of bed, moving quietly toward the door. 

A maid was already waiting outside. “Mrs. Carter, you’re awake. We have some nutritious soup kept warm for you. Shall I bring it up?” 

That was when Briana recognized the place as the Carter residence. 

“How did I get here?” she asked. 

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“Mr. Carter carried you in,” the maid said. “You were sleeping so soundly, and he brought you straight from the car and made sure you were comfortable.” 

It sounded like a strange tale. ‘Shepard being tender to me?‘ The thought made her uneasy. 

Her last memory was of fainting outside the gallery. Everything after was a blur. ‘So, he has been the one to look after me, she realized. 

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