Hope Crawls Through Ruins by Kain Rwan Vale 137

Chapter 137 

Clearly, someone had just been here. 

Shepard felt the lingering warmth on the chair. 

It was still warm. 

Taking a closer look, Shepard noticed the plates and utensils looked like someone had just eaten here. 

He raised an eyebrow. 

Briana already had a headache, and her mind was totally blank. She couldn’t come up 

with any 

excuse. 

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Olivia jumped in, quick on her feet. “I was just sitting there. Is something up? I had a few bites, but the AC was blasting this way, and it got chilly, so Briana and I switched seats. Just as we settled in, you walked in.” 

Shepard’s suspicious look faded. 

Briana felt the weight lift off her chest. 

He grabbed a fresh set of utensils and started eating, taking his sweet time. 

“So, what brings you here?” Briana asked. “You had to come check in on me and Olivia’s girls‘ night out? You’re really getting more and more into my business.” 

Shepard didn’t even bother to look up, just kept eating. “I’m here to eat.” 

He was hungry. 

Besides, he couldn’t really finish a meal by himself. 

So he came over. 

“What? You don’t have anywhere else to eat? You had to come here?” Briana teased. 

Shepard paused with his fork in hand, his tone calm. “Briana, I just want to eat in peace.” 

He was so calm, it was almost eerie. 

He clearly didn’t want to argue. 

He looked totally worn out, no matter how hard he tried to hide it. 

Shepard hardly ever let people see him like this, so Briana instantly went quiet. 

“Go ahead and eat,” Olivia said, making a face. “Just don’t forget to pick up the tab.” 

“Well,” Shepard replied. 

It was a quiet meal; not a word was spoken. 

Once dinner was over, Olivia slipped out. 

Right before she left, she whispered in Briana’s ear, “If I had to have dinner with a guy like him every day, I’d rather go hungry.” 

Briana lowered her gaze. 

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Chapter 137 

People only saw how cold Shepard was toward her. 

But in her heart, she always remembered Shepard from their younger days. 

He was the boy she loved back then. 

His warmth had once really lit up her world. 

She thought, ‘Forget it. No point dwelling on it.‘ 

“You don’t look too happy,” Briana said. “Isn’t Vivian being pregnant good news for you?” 

Shepard picked up a napkin and wiped his mouth, unhurried. 

Then he picked up his glass. 

His upbringing showed in every gesture, giving him a natural grace and quiet dignity. 

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Just when Briana thought he was going to ignore her question, he suddenly spoke up. “Now that she’s pregnant, does that make you hate me more?” 

“No,” Briana said quickly. “I’ve always wanted to see you two happy together.” 

Shepard’s hand around the cup gave the faintest, almost imperceptible shake. 

“You should get a divorce now, for the sake of the child,” Briana said, glancing at his profile. “You wouldn’t want your kid to be an illegitimate child, would you?” 

Shepard’s lips curled into a faint smile, but his eyes were icy and emotionless. 

She didn’t feel even a trace of jealousy. In fact, she actually felt a sense of relief. 

She was glad she’d soon no longer have to be Mrs. Carter. 

Briana thought, ‘Women really do love deeply, but when they let go, they’re absolutely ruthless.‘ 

When Briana loved, she loved only him. He was her whole world all she ever saw. 

But when she stopped loving, she moved on without looking back, clean and clear. 

Men, though, were sentimental and held on for a long time. 

Vivian had saved his life, and now she was carrying his child. He couldn’t let her down. 

Briana was his childhood sweetheart, and after everything they’d been through as husband and wife, he couldn’t bear to let her go either. 

“It only happened once. Just that one night,” Shepard said in a low voice. “I was drunk. Honestly, I barely remember anything. It’s all a blur.”  

 

Hearing that, Briana instantly thought of Olivia’s theory. 

‘Is it possible the baby is actually Eric’s?‘ she wondered. 

Briana asked tentatively, “So, after all these years with Vivian, it was really just that one time? That one night? Are you 

“I’m sure,” Shepard replied. 

Briana kept asking, “So before we got married, after we got married, and even after Vivian came back, in total?” 

sure?” 

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Chapter 137 

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“Just that one night,” Shepard interrupted. “And I was wasted. If I been sober, I wouldn’t have gone near her.” 

The next morning, when he finally sobered up, Shepard swore nothing had happened between him and Vivian. 

He knew what kind of man he was. 

He wouldn’t cross that line, not even if he was out of his mind drank. 

But Vivian really was pregnant. 

The hard truth was staring him in the face. 

He had no choice but to admit it. 

The timing matched up, and Vivian hadn’t been with anyone else. 

He’d really ended up spending the night with Vivian in a drunken haze, didn’t use any protection, and now she was pregnant because of it. 

The words “Maybe the baby isn’t even yours” lingered on Brianas lips, but she held them back. 

Shepard wouldn’t even buy that Vivian was the one behind the fire, so there was no way he’d believe she’d been messing around behind his back. 

Without any proof, Briana decided to stay quiet for now. 

Briana gave a small smile and asked, “So, you’re telling me all this just to prove it was all because you were drunk?” 

“Briana, it really was just that one time,” Shepard said. 

“With things like this, it’s either you never do it, or you do it over and over. One time or a hundred times, what’s the difference?” Briana said. 

Shepard replied, “Until we’re truly divorced and everything’s settled, I won’t be unfaithful to you. That’s my bottom line, and I won’t break it.” 

“But you already did,” Briana shot back. 

“That was because I was drunk,” Shepard said. 

Briana retorted, “Being drunk is just an excuse.” 

Shepard looked like he wanted to say something, but stopped himself. In the end, he set down his cup and stood up. 

Just as he was about to leave, his phone rang. 

He glanced at the caller ID, then turned to Briana and said, “I need to take this call.” 

He hurried out of the private room and answered, “Hello?” 

“Mr. Carter, I tried calling you earlier today, but you didn’t pick up. I’m calling to give you an update on Eric’s movements and any unusual behavior from him today,” the person on the other end said. 

“Go ahead,” Shepard said. 

“When you went to the hospital to see Ms. Fletcher, Eric was watching from a distance, keeping an eye on everything you did. After you left, he followed you out, and he actually seemed pretty pleased,” the person reported. 

Shepard’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Happy?” 

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What’s Eric so happy about? Shepard wondered. 

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“Yes, Mr. Carter. He was humming to himself and muttering as he got into his car. After that, he acted completely normal,” the person replied. 

“Got it, Shepard replied. 

Shepard knew exactly what was going on. 

He instructed, “Keep a close watch on him.” 

“Yes, Mr. Carter, the person replied. 

Just as Shepard was about to hang up, he suddenly heard a sharp clack behind him, the sound of something hitting the floor. 

He turned around. 

Briana was standing at the doorway, her hand still raised to her ear as if holding her phone, frozen mid–gesture. 

Her face was stricken with shock, her whole body rigid. 

Her phone was already lying on the floor. 

The screen was lit up, showing an active call. 

What kind of call could have left her looking like that?‘ Shepard wondered. 

Shepard quickly turned back, his long fingers reaching out as he bent down to pick up the phone. 

AD