Hope Crawls Through Ruins by Kain Rwan Vale 145

Chapter 145 

Eric scoffed, “With Shepard’s personality, if he even suspected something, he’d be on my case right away. But look at me: I’m perfectly fine. He’s always calling the shots from above, but he can’t stand even the slightest hint of betrayal.” 

Vivian murmured, “Really?” 

Eric said, “Yeah. Don’t you trust me? Come on, stop overthinking it. As long as I’m around, I won’t let anything bad happen to you. Shepard’s just all talk, hasn’t done a thing. 

“If you don’t want to go, what’s he gonna do, drag you onto the operating table himself?” 

Vivian said, “He would.” 

“Then just go to the Carter family and cry to Evelyn. She might not like you, but she’ll never let anything happen to the Carter baby you’re carrying,” Eric said. 

Vivian had to admit Eric’s words made sense, but she still felt uneasy inside. 

Eric reached out and gently touched her belly. He asked, “Has our little guy been behaving himself lately?” 

“It’s only been a month, I can’t really feel anything yet,” Vivian replied. 

Eric said, “Just take care of yourself. He has to come into this world safe and sound.” 

Vivian nodded. 

Eric’s hand started wandering again, but Vivian quickly grabbed it. She said, “I’m pregnant, remember?” 

“I know, just a little touch,” Eric replied. 

Vivian forced herself to endure his touch, even as nausea churned in her stomach. 

She thought, ‘When will this nightmare finally end?‘ 

She couldn’t shake off the anxiety inside her. 

But Eric kept making those confident promises that nothing would go wrong, and now Vivian just felt even more lost and anxious. 

“What if Briana really does dig up some evidence? What are we supposed to do then?” Vivian asked, watching Eric nuzzle against her. 

“She doesn’t have what it takes,” Eric replied. 

“But what if Olivia does?” Vivian pressed. 

Eric lost interest at Vivian’s words. He helped her adjust her clothes, then turned and sat down on the couch. 

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Chapter 145 

“You feel like Briana’s threatening your place, don’t you?” Eric asked. 

Vivian replied, “Yes.” 

Eric smirked darkly, didn’t say a word, just made a slashing gesture across his throat. 

Vivian understood instantly. 

She whispered, “You’re really going to get rid of Briana?” 

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Eric said, “Of course. If she’s really standing in your way, the easiest and safest thing is to just make her disappear for good.” 

Vivian felt a dangerous thought flicker in her mind. 

She thought, ‘If Briana was really gone… 

‘Just thinking about it feels amazing!’ 

“So, when do we make our move? What can I do to help?” Vivian asked, her voice tinged with excitement. 

She couldn’t wait to make it happen. 

Eric was just about to answer when his phone rang. 

He glanced at the screen: it was Henry calling. 

Eric quickly motioned for Vivian to be quiet, then picked up the phone. He said, “Hey, Mr. Parker, what brings you to call me out of the blue? Wait, you saw me at the hotel? What a coincidence, you’re there, too? 

“I’m just meeting a client, handling some business, but I’m almost done. Are you free? Let’s grab a bite. The food here is actually pretty good. Alright, see you at the restaurant in a bit.” 

After hanging up, Eric stood up. He cursed, “Shit, Henry saw me walk into the hotel.” 

“So you’re going to meet him now?” Vivian asked. 

Eric said, “Yeah, and I’ll check on how things are going between him and Briana.” He gave Vivian a quick squeeze as he headed out. He added, “Just relax. I’m going to make sure you get that Mrs. Carter title, no matter what.” 

***** 

At the restaurant, Henry was already at the table. 

When he spotted Eric, he waved him over. 

Eric grinned and said, “Mr. Parker, it’s been a while. Been swamped lately.” 

Henry smiled back. He replied, “Yeah, just happened to run into you. Let’s grab a bite together.” 

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Chapter 145 

So vaucliers 

“Once I get some free time, let’s hit up a bar, shoot some pool, and maybe belt out a few songs at KTV, Eric 

said. 

“No problem,” Henry replied, pulling out a sleek black box. He said, “Yesterday I was passing by the mall counter and saw they actually had this pen in stock, so I grabbed it.” 

He placed the gift box right in front of Eric. 

Eric opened it up, and his eyes lit up. He exclaimed, “Whoa, isn’t this the pen I’ve been after forever? It’s been sold out everywhere!” 

“Guess I just got lucky,” Henry said. 

Eric burst out laughing. He said, “Alright, I’ll take it. Dinner’s on me tonight.” 

Henry nodded. 

Eric was totally obsessed with the pen. He took it out of the box, kept turning it in his hands, checking it out from every angle, and finally, with a satisfied grin, clipped it to his jacket pocket for everyone to see. 

Henry lowered his head and sipped his coffee, a subtle, knowing glint flashing in his eyes. 

Eric said, “By the way. How have you been lately? Briana, she…” 

He deliberately paused, waiting for Henry to respond. 

Henry set down his cup and asked, “What about Briana?” 

Eric laughed and said, “Oh, nothing. There are plenty of women in the world, and you’re such a catch. You’ll have no trouble finding someone you like. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket over one woman.” 

Henry didn’t say anything. He just flipped open the menu and started ordering. 

Whatever happened next, Henry had already gotten what he came for. 

***** 

Briana stepped into her bedroom at the Carter Estate, looking absolutely exhausted. 

She’d spent the afternoon at Dreamscape Corporation, swung by the gallery in the evening, and had only just made it home. 

She was tired, sure, but it was the kind of tired that felt good: days filled with purpose and something to look forward to, just the way she liked it. 

She had her own career, her own world, and her own passions. 

She wasn’t the kind of wife whose whole world revolved around Shepard. 

The bedroom was cold and quiet. 

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Chapter 145 

Shepard still wasn’t home. 

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Briana glanced at the time on her phone: it was already 10:30 PM. 

She thought, ‘Shepard is busier than I am! 

Suddenly, a video call notification popped up on her screen. 

It was Olivia calling. 

Briana tapped to answer. 

Olivia’s face filled the whole screen. She called out, “Hey, babe. Did you miss me?” 

“Miss you? You bet I did!” Briana replied. 

Olivia pouted. She said, “Oh, come on. You didn’t even message me once today.” 

Briana flopped onto the bed and sighed. She said, “I’ve just been crazy busy.” 

“Well, what do you expect? You’re not just running the gallery anymore. Now, you’re the big boss at Dreamscape Corporation, too,” Olivia teased. 

“You’re teasing me now, huh?” Briana replied with a smile. 

Olivia chuckled and said, “Shepard’s got this habit of throwing cash around. It will make any woman lose her head. Briana, babe, be real with me. Is your heart starting to waver for him?” 

Briana shook her head and said firmly, “No.” 

“Seriously?” Olivia pressed. 

Briana said, “Seriously. His buying out the brand for me was a grand gesture, sure, but in five years of marriage, that’s literally the only time he’s ever splurged on me. Isn’t that just what he’s supposed to do anyway? 

“Not a single asset came my way in the divorce papers.” 

So Briana didn’t feel guilty about it at all. 

She thought, ‘Only a fool would turn that down. 

‘If I don’t make use of Shepard’s money and resources, what? Just leave it all for Vivian to enjoy?‘ 

Briana had already figured out a lot of things. 

She didn’t care about Shepard anymore. She just wanted to kick him to the curb as soon as possible. 

But getting her hands on Shepard’s resources? Now that was something she was actually interested in. 

Briana thought, ‘Charles is right. 

15:18 Mon, Jan 5 

Chapter 1451 

‘Men are meant to be used, not loved. 

‘T’d been doing it all wrong before. 

‘But it’s not too late to turn things around. 

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