Hope Crawls Through Ruins by Kain Rwan Vale 125

Chapter 125 

Shepard took a drag from his cigarette, blowing out a cloud of smoke. 

After a few seconds, he asked, “Why did you let Vivian go?” 

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Briana replied as she changed her shoes. “Of course, I was just doing you guys a favor. You two are basically one step away from sealing the deal. 

“How could I play the villain and split you up? As they say, never nterfere in a couple’s relationship.” 

“How generous of you,” Shepard said. 

“No problem, ex–husband,” Briana shot back. 

Briana always had a sarcastic remark ready for him, and Shepard had gotten used to her attitude long ago. 

“You helped Vivian and me out because you want me to return the favor and let you be with Henry. Briana, I see right through your little plan.” Shepard said, flicking the ash off his cigarette. 

“I’ve sworn on my parents and promised you I won’t marry Henry, and you still don’t believe me?” Briana shot back. 

“Marriage is just a piece of paper in the end. You could still be with Henry for the rest of your life,” Shepard replied. 

Briana couldn’t be bothered to argue with him. 

But then Shepard said, “You didn’t have to let Vivian go. I had no clue what was going on, and there was no way I could’ve made it there in time. 

“If I asked about it later, you could’ve just blamed it all on Evelyn and she would’ve covered for you, no questions asked.” 

“You didn’t know?” Briana asked. “Wasn’t Eric acting on your orders?” 

“No. He only brought Vivian to my office, and that’s when I found out what had happened,” Shepard replied. 

Briana muttered to herself, “Did Eric just happen to show up, or did he come here on purpose? I’m sure he did it on purpose. No way that’s just a coincidence. Something is definitel up between those two.” 

Shepard leaned forward, stubbing out his cigarette. “What are you talking about?” 

“Nothing,” Briana replied. 

“I’m not asking again,” Shepard said. 

Briana rolled her eyes and cleared her throat. “Alright, if you really want to know, I’ll tell you. I was just saying, you don’t seem to be as protective of Vivian as you used to be. Why’s that? 

When Evelyn called Briana, threatening to deal with Vivian, Shepard was right there, listening in. 

He didn’t even bat an eye at the time. 

Even now that it’s all gone down, he still couldn’t care less. 

Just totally chill about it. 

That’s not normal at all. 

She stared at Shepard, waiting for him to explain himself. 

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Chapter 125 

But instead, he pulled out an invitation and slapped it down on the coffee table. “You’re coming with me.” 

Briana frowned, walked over, picked up the invitation, and opened it to take a look. 

“Investment dinner?” she asked. 

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Shepard nodded. “Yeah. You’ve been to plenty of these before. You know the drill.” 

Briana always thrived in social situations. She fit right wherever he went. 

She never slipped up in public, and she never made Shepard look bad. 

“That was back then,” Briana replied. “I don’t want to go anymore” 

“You have to go,” Shepard said. 

With the whole divorce mess still making waves, and the investment dinner right around the corner, if Shepard and Briana didn’t show up together, rumors would start flying all over again 

“Must?” Briana snapped, slamming the invitation shut and tossing it at Shepard. “Mrs. Carter has to be there, but Briana? She doesn’t.” 

She turned and walked away. 

She had barely taken two steps when suddenly, a strong arm locked around her waist. 

Shepard pulled her into his arms, holding her tight. 

Briana’s back pressed against his solid chest. 

She could feel his body heat and even the way his muscles flexed beneath her. 

The springy resilience of his muscles. 

“Are you going or not?” Shepard demanded. 

He leaned in close, his voice a low threat right by her ear. 

Briana snapped, “No!” 

Shepard kept one arm tight around her waist, while his other had slowly lifted and rested on her neck. 

She thought he was about to grab her by the throat again. 

But instead, Shepard gently tilted her head toward him. 

She was forced to meet his gaze, 

Then, Shepard pressed his lips to hers. 

Briana’s eyes went wide. 

She thought, ‘What the hell is he doing? 

‘Is he really kissing me?‘ 

She was utterly helpless, wrapped up in his arms, forced to accept his kiss. 

She could taste nothing but him. 

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Just as Briana was about to bite him, she heard his husky voice ak, “Are you going or not?” 

“No. Not going,” she shot back. 

Shepard’s lips crashed down on hers again. 

This time, his kiss was even hotter, even more intense than before. 

Briana was starting to run out of air, her head spinning. 

“Briana, are you going or not?” Shepard pressed. 

“No,” Briana retorted stubbornly. 

Shepard’s lips crashed down on hers again. 

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After this back–and–forth a few more times, Briana’s legs turned o jelly. She could barely stand and had no choice but to cling to Shepard for support. 

Her lips were glossy, and her eyes looked lost and dreamy. 

He just wouldn’t let up, still asking, “Are you going or not?” 

“Fine, I’ll go,” Briana said, looking totally defeated. “Will you stop if I say yes?” 

If she didn’t give in, Shepard would probably keep this up until sunrise. 

Shepard’s lips crashed down on hers again. 

“Hey,” Briana yelped, throwing her hand up to cover his mouth. already agreed! Why are you still kissing me?” 

“Who says saying yes means I have to stop kissing you?” Shepard teased. 

Briana said, “Huh?” 

Shepard pulled her hand away and kissed her again. 

But this time, his kiss was soft, slow, and seemed to go on foreve 

Briana finally stopped resisting. 

She thought, ‘Whatever, let him have his way. 

Not like she could escape anyway. 

Guess I’ll just let him. It’s like being gnawed on by a dog. 

But in her haze, Briana thought she heard Shepard sigh right net to her. “Why are you acting so chill about this? Where’s that jealousy and possessiveness you always have, huh?” 

His voice was so close, practically in her ear. 

But all Briana could feel was the gentle warmth of his lips again hers. 

Suddenly, she felt light as air. 

Shepard scooped her up in his arms, holding her sideways. 

When she came to her senses, Briana realized she was already lying on the king–sized bed in the master bedroom. 

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Briana jerked awake, bolted upright, and backed away, shooting Shepard a wary look. “Don’t you dare do anything crazy? 

Shepard stood at the edge of the bed, tugging at his tie. 

His eyes had returned to their usual cold and detached expression. 

I’m just not into pregnant women,” he said. 

With that, he turned and headed for the bathroom. 

Briana stared after him, and couldn’t help but notice that certain parts of his pants looked suspiciously tight. 

She thought, ‘Didn’t he just say he wasn’t into me? 

Then what’s with that obvious reaction? 

‘He’s so full of it!‘ 

Briana grumbled, clutching a pillow and scrubbing her lips. “Men are always in the mood. And of course, I’m too weak to fight him off. 

“Is Vivian not satisfying him or something? 

“He says he never touched Vivian. Wait, so has Shepard been celibate these past five years? 

“No way. Men always talk out of both sides of their mouths. After Vivian came back, they started sleeping together for sure. She even came to show off in front of me.” 

Water was roaring in the bathroom. 

Shepard stood under the shower, letting the water pour over his body. 

The cold water hit his burning skin, a clash of fire and ice. 

But no matter how much he tried to cool off, the heat raging inside him just wouldn’t die down. 

He wanted nothing more than to throw Briana down and ravage her, rough and relentless. 

He shook out his hair and turned the water up as high as it would go. 

When he finally came out of the shower, he saw Briana curled up in the corner of the bed, lying on her side, already fast asleep. 

Her hands rested on her belly, her brows drawn together in a fait frown. 

Shepard walked over, bent down, and looking at her like this, he felt nothing but tenderness and affection. 

He gently tucked the blanket around her. 

“Don’t go, Shepard,” Briana suddenly murmured in her sleep. 

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