Hope Crawls Through Ruins by Kain Rwan Vale 135

Chapter 135 

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Shepard thought, ‘Could it really be such a coincidence? 

Hit the jackpot on the first try?‘ 

Deep down, Shepard still believed he’d just gotten wasted and crushed that night, hadn’t laid a finger on Vivian. 

He’d blacked out and couldn’t remember a thing. 

But Vivian insisted that he had taken advantage of her while drunk, claiming he acted out of control after drinking. 

Shepard wasn’t sure what to believe. 

Now that Vivian was pregnant, Shepard finally had no choice bu to face what really happened that night. 

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“Yeah, I didn’t expect it to be such a coincidence either,” Vivian replied. “Maybe fate saw how alone I was and gave me a child to keep me company. And you, you can be with Briana. 

“Shep, I’m not saying this out of jealousy or to be sarcastic. I really am letting you go to Briana. You two are the ones who truly belong together, the ones everyone thinks should be together. I’m stepping back. I’m just not good enough.” 

Vivian made herself seem pitiful, playing the game of stepping back so he’d come closer. 

At this moment, she knew she couldn’t pressure Shepard. 

The more she tried to push him, the more he’d slip away. 

But if she acted like she was ready to walk away, that was when he’d want to hold her back. 

Shepard tightened his grip on Vivian’s shoulders. 

“No, that night,” he stammered, but his words faded away. 

He still refused to believe it. 

He knew himself. He had self–control; he knew what kind of ma he was. 

Vivian suddenly broke down, her sobs turning into full–on wailing. 

“Shep, are you really doubting me?” she cried, covering her faces tears slipped through her fingers. “Do you think I just ended up pregnant out of nowhere? Or that I’m carrying some other man’s child? Why would you even think that of me? 

“For you, I spent my most precious five years all alone overseas. I had were video chats and phone calls. I couldn’t even see you in person. You said you’d get divorced, so I waited for you again. But now, you and Briana.” 

Vivian couldn’t go on, sobbing so hard she could barely breathe 

Shepard’s brows were knitted in a deep, unbroken line, never one casing up. 

He wrapped his arm around Vivian, guided her to the car, and plled the door open for her. 

“I’ll take you home,” he said. 

Vivian climbed into the car, her eyes puffy and red from all the crying, as Shepard held the door open for her. 

The car pulled away from the hospital and disappeared into the busy city streets. 

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13:01 Fri, Jan 2 

Chapter 135 

Eric stepped out from the shadows, watching the endless stream of cars go by. 

He let out a smug laugh. “Shepard, you’ll never guess in a million years that the baby Vivian’s carrying is mine.” 

Just thinking about making Shepard raise his kid for him made ric giddy with excitement. 

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If he hadn’t accidentally uncovered Vivian’s dirty little secret years ago, the one where she had the janitor start that fire, he’d never have been able to control her. 

Now, Vivian was his spy, his pawn. 

And with her carrying his kid, she was bound to him for good. 

For the rest of her life, Vivian would be under his thumb. 

“Everything’s falling right into place,” Eric muttered, a tune as he swaggered off. “Soon enough, the Carter Group will be mine. And even if I don’t get it, my kid will. Either way, it’s mine! 

He grinned to himself, “I’ll help Vivian crush Briana, destroy Charles, and lock her in as Mrs. Carter, once and for all.” 

Muttering under his breath, Eric slipped into his car. 

But what he didn’t know was that someone else was tailing him, watching every move from a hidden spot. 

The watcher stayed sharp, waiting until Eric was out of sight before pulling out their phone and dialing up Shepard. 

They needed to report everything to Shepard. 

‘Why would Eric show up at the hospital at this hour, hiding in the shadows and keeping such a close eye on Shepard and Vivian?‘ the watcher wondered. 

Shepard saw the caller ID. 

But he just hit decline. 

Right now, his mind was completely wrapped up in the news of Vivian’s pregnancy. He just wasn’t in the mood to deal with anything else. 

He’d just put it aside for now. 

“Huh? Mr. Carter’s not picking up? Guess I’ll have to try again later. He must be busy,” the watcher muttered. 

He left the hospital too, kept tailing Eric, eyes glued to his every move. 

The hunter became the hunted. 

The moment he was gone, Henry and Olivia emerged from behind the wall. 

“Eric’s tailing Vivian, someone’s tailing Eric, and we’re tailing everyone,” Olivia said. “That’s how it is, right, Henry?” 

“Yeah,” Henry replied. 

“What if someone’s tailing us too?” Olivia wondered, scanning th area with a wary look. 

Olivia glanced around, staying on high alert. 

“No one’s after us,” Henry assured her. “We’re the last link in the hain, and no one can find us.” 

“Who else could be watching Eric besides us?” Olivia wondered, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. 

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13:01 Fri, Jan 2 

Chapter 135 

“Just proves Eric’s got holes all over his plans. He’s already in way over his head and doesn’t even know it, Henry said. 

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Olivia asked, “Should we still get involved? What if that person is even better than us and already has loads of evidence against Eric? 

Henry paused, then said, “We stick to our own investigation.” 

“Henry, you and Eric always seemed pretty tight. How come you never picked up on anything shady about him?” Olivia made a face. “Sometimes I wondered if you were just like him, only better at hiding it.” 

“Eric was the one who wanted to be friends, and we did some business together. I just thought, hey, one more friend, why not? Never really thought too much about it. He’s got a whole other side I never even saw coming.” Henry replied. 

“Henry, Eric still has no clue you’re investigating him. Why not keep acting like his buddy, get close, see if you can get him to talk, and dig up some evidence?” Olivia suggested. 

“I will,” Henry nodded. “Let’s go find Briana first. Is she available to meet us?” 

Olivia snapped her fingers. “I’ll handle it.” 

***** 

By 7 p.m. at the restaurant, Briana pushed open the door to the private room. She looked pretty worn out and shuffled in without much energy. 

But when she looked up and saw Henry standing by the window she was startled for a moment, then instinctively swung the door shut behind her. 

Her heart was still racing with lingering fear, thumping hard in her chest. 

“Henry?” she asked, surprised. “What are you doing here?” 

“Obviously, I set it all up,” Olivia said, kicking back in her chair. “Don’t worry, he came in through the back and snuck through another room to get here. Shepard won’t have a clue.” 

Briana breathed a little easier. “Henry, I really don’t want to get you mixed up in my mess again.” 

“Come on, it’s no trouble at all. I’m honestly happy to do anything for you,” Henry said, giving her a concerned look. “But you know, you’ve been looking a little tired lately.” 

Olivia jumped in. “Seriously, Briana, you’re pregnant. You need to take it easy and look after yourself.” 

Briana sat down next to Olivia, propped her chin on her hands, pened her mouth to say something, but ended up just heaving a long sigh. 

She just looked worried. 

Briana bit her lip. “Shepard bought me a brand, so I’ve been bus with all the handover work lately. And Vivian’s pregnant.” 

Olivia’s eyes went wide. “What? Pregnant? So that’s why she went to the hospital today?” 

“Wait. How did you know Vivian went to the hospital?” Olivia asked.