Hope Crawls Through Ruins by Kain Rwan Vale 140

Chapter 140 

Shepard thought, ‘Isn’t it obvious? It’s because of love. 

‘Only love can make two people stick together for life, never giving up on each other! 

Shepard looked at her, his eyes clear and unwavering. 

In that moment, he genuinely wished he could spend forever with Briana. 

She was the one who’d stuck with him through it all, from start to finish. 

But when it came to Vivian, Shepard hesitated. 

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At that time, Richard had asked Shepard whether what he felt for Vivian was love or merely a sense of obligation. 

It was the first time Shepard had ever been asked that, and the first time he truly confronted his own feelings. 

He froze, caught completely off guard. 

Before Vivian came into his life, Shepard had loved Briana, no question about it. 

But after Vivian showed up, it felt like he was just grateful, or maybe she was just something new for a while. 

And honestly, all that kindness he showed Vivian? It always seemed like he was doing it just to spite the Carter family, the Lane family, and even Briana. 

He hated feeling controlled, like he couldn’t make his own choices. 

It wasn’t until the moment the divorce became real that Shepard finally listened to his heart. 

He knew he couldn’t go on without Briana. 

Shepard was already trying to deal with all the drama between him and Vivian. 

At the same time, he had to handle all the complicated baggage that came with Briana. 

He knew that only when both people were honest and truly devoted to each other could they go the distance. 

After a long pause, Briana shook her head and gave a bitter smile. She said, “Just so I’ll abort the baby, you’ll say anything, won’t you?” 

Her trust in Shepard was completely gone. 

Shepard said, “I’ll give up my child with Vivian, too. Shepard said, his voice desperate. “What do you want from me? Just tell me. Whatever it is, if I can do it, I will!” 

Briana clenched her jaw, forcing herself to be strong. She said, “All I want is a divorce. Shepard, I don’t want to stay by your side, not even for a second.” 

Anger flashed across Shepard’s face, then shifted to resentment and dejection, before finally settling into a calm expression. 

“Don’t say things just because you’re upset, Briana. We’re trying to work things out here,” Shepard said, doing his best to keep 

his voice even.” 

Briana shook her head again. She said, “There are just too many issues between us; so many that there’s no way to fix anything. 

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Chapter 140 

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“The only way is to make a clean break, cut each other out of our lives for good, and never speak again for the rest of our lives. 

“There’s no problem that can’t be fixed,” Shepard insisted. 

Unless one just didn’t want to fix it. 

Briana let out a sigh. She said, “Shepard, why is it that whenever you feel like fixing things, I have to sit down and negotiate with you? 

“But when you don’t care, you get to hurt me however you want and act like my pain doesn’t even matter? 

“Do you even realize what you’ve put me through these last five years? The way you froze me out, the way you were never really there for me…it’s like having a giant rock crushing my chest, making it impossible to breathe. 

“I finally found the strength to push that weight off, and now you’re trying to shove it right back onto my heart.” 

She asked, “Tell me, Shepard, how do you expect me to keep living in a marriage that’s so suffocating, so bleak, with no hope for the future?” 

Shepard said, “Briana, if we give it another shot, marriage could actually be something good, something worth hoping for, something we could really look forward to.” 

Briana shot back, “So what, the pain you caused me before just doesn’t count anymore? You made me apologize to Vivian. 

“You kicked me out of the passenger seat, left me alone in the rain, then picked up Vivian and sped away, leaving me behind like I was nothing. You-” 

She couldn’t 

1. on. 

Every time she remembered, the pain just got worse. 

Briana took a deep breath and stood up. She said, “Forget it. I’m not getting rid of my baby, and I’m done begging you. If this deal’s off, then so be it. I’ll handle things myself from now on.” 

She headed into the bathroom. 

It was only when the door closed behind her that she finally let her tears fall. 

Briana kept her vulnerability hidden away, unwilling to let anyone see her break down. 

Especially not Shepard. 

Briana thought, ‘Would he ever care for me? Would he ever show any mercy? 

‘Of course not. He never would.‘ 

Water began to run in the bathroom, the quiet sound echoing through the room. 

Shepard rolled out of bed, clearly annoyed, and stepped onto the balcony, lighting up a cigarette. 

He was about to bring it to his lips when it hit him: Briana was pregnant; she shouldn’t be exposed to smoke. 

His hand froze in mid–air. 

But then he thought, ‘She’s not even carrying my kid. So why the hell am I stressing over this?” 

Meanwhile, he was the one actually scheming to get rid of his own child. 

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Chapter 140 

Shepard slammed the cigarette to the ground and ground it out hard beneath his heel. 

Briana was just too stubborn, too strong–willed. 

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Shepar had thought that with Charles getting into trouble, he could use this chance to finally resolve the issues in their marriage, but Briana wouldn’t budge an inch. 

Shepard thought, ‘Does that baby really mean that much to her? 

‘Forget it. If she won’t go through with it, there’s no way I can force her 

Shepard knew Briana too well; she’d always been this stubborn. 

He decided to get Charles out of this mess first. 

At the dinner party, Shepard had even raised a glass to Charles, giving Charles all the respect he deserved. And yet, someone still had the nerve to target Charles. 

Shepard thought, ‘Clearly, they don’t take me seriously at all. 

There’s a saying: if you mess with the dog, you’d better be ready to face the owner. 

‘Whoever’s behind this must really have a death wish.‘ 

Shepard looked serious as he pulled out his phone and dialed a number. 

He ordered, “Track down which casino Charles is in, and get me the boss on the line.” 

“Yes, Mr. Carter,” came the reply. 

Two minutes later, a phone number came through on his phone. 

Shepard didn’t hesitate; he dialed it right away. 

He said, “It’s me, Shepard Carter.” 

The casino boss laughed warmly. He said, “Mr. Carter, I’ve heard so much about you. I’ve been wanting to meet you for ages, but I’m overseas right now and can’t make it back. 

“If you ever visit my casino, I’ll roll out the red carpet for you.” 

Shepard scoffed, “Is this your idea of hospitality? My wife’s brother goes in owing 10 million, and you somehow jack it up to 60 million?” 

The casino boss just laughed it off. He said, “Mr. Carter, sounds like there’s been some kind of mix–up here.” 

“Then I expect you to clear up this misunderstanding and send him back to Belaris,” Shepard said, his tone leaving no room for argument. 

The boss agreed right away. He replied, “No problem at all. But Mr. Carter, you and I both know how this works. Business is business. You pay, I deliver. No need to spell it out, right?” 

Shepard said, “Alright. Just send over the account info.” 

“Mr. Carter, you’re as straightforward as ever. 60 million? That’s just pocket change for you,” the boss chuckled. 

“When will you release him?” Shepard asked, his voice cold. 

“Immediately,” the boss replied without hesitation. 

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Chapter 140 

Shepard said, “I want Charles back in Belaris by tomorrow morning.” 

With that, he hung up. 

The money was transferred immediately. 

But making money off Shepard was never easy, 

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Shepard thought, ‘Someone thought they could pull a fast one on me? Did they really think I’d take this lying down?” 

Shepard dialed another number. This time, he called James. 

“Hello, Mr. Carter,” James answered. 

Shepard ordered, “Dig up every shred of evidence on the casino crimes. Once you’ve got it all, send it straight to the international court and get our top lawyers on this. I want them buried for good. Make sure they never crawl back up.” 

“Yes, Mr. Carter,” James replied. 

After wrapping things up, Shepard returned to the master bedroom. 

Just then, Briana came out of the bathroom. 

The tips of her hair were still damp, her face fresh and bare, not a trace of makeup. Her long hair hung down to her waist, still glistening with a few drops of water. 

She looked so vulnerable that anyone would want to protect her 

Briana had that innocent, girl–next–door vibe, with a figure that turned heads, but she was also stubborn as hell. 

Maybe it was because she lost her parents when she was little. She never really got the love she needed from her family. 

“I’ve already-” Shepard started, but Briana cut him off. 

“I’m going to bed,” she said, her voice flat. 

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