Hope Crawls Through Ruins by Kain Rwan Vale 159

Chapter 159 

37 

55 vouchers 

Sam’s face was pale with panic as he pressed his palms hard against the ground, his whole body trembling like 

crazy. 

Shepard counted down, “Thirty seconds.” 

“Twenty seconds.” 

“Fifteen seconds.” 

Shepard’s countdown felt like a death sentence. 

“Five, four, three.” 

“I’ll talk!” Sam jerked his head up, locking eyes with Shepard. “But… I have a condition.” 

“You still want to negotiate with me?” Shepard kicked him hard and then slammed his foot down on Sam’s back. “Your whole family is under my control.” 

“But if I talk, my family… They’ll get caught up in this, too!” 

“They’re with me now. No one can lay a finger on them unless I say so.” 

Sam’s face twisted in misery. “No, you don’t get it. They’re not ordinary people… They’re dangerous.” 

Shepard pressed down even harder. “Still hesitating? Where did you hide after you got out of prison? Who helped you hide?” 

“I don’t know who it was.” 

“Really?” 

Sam blurted out, “I swear, I really don’t know! I just followed the instructions. Every time I arrived somewhere new, someone had already set everything up for me. 

“But honestly, I couldn’t stand living like a fugitive. If I’d known it would turn out like this, I never should’ve gotten involved.” 

Sam punched the ground, cursing himself in regret. 

Shepard opened his phone and pulled up a photo of Eric. “Do you know this guy?” 

Sam glanced at the photo and shook his head. “Never seen him before.” 

Shepard flipped to the next pic. It was Vivian. “What about her?” 

Sam’s expression shifted. “Yeah, of course I know her. She’s the one who saved you from the fire. She’s the one. who saved your life.” 

18:20 Tue, Jan 6 

Chapter 159 

Shepard spat out each word, voice cold as ice. “You sure about that?” 

37 

vouchers 

Sam’s face twisted in panic. He couldn’t hide it anymore. He stared at Shepard, stunned. “You… You know… all of it?” 

“You set the fire,” Shepard said, bending down to meet Sam’s eyes. “But she was the on right?” 

Sam clenched his jaw, refusing to say a word. 

But the truth was clear as day now. 

you up to it, 

“Still not admitting it? Still trying to protect her?” Shepard sneered. “Guess you won’t talk until you’re staring death in the face.” 

Shepard took a step back and gestured for the bodyguards to come over. 

The bodyguards quickly surrounded Sam. 

“What… What are you doing?” Sam stammered, his voice trembling. “Don’t… don’t…” 

Seeing the beating coming, Sam finally broke. “I’ll talk. I’ll tell you everything.” 

Shepard held up his hand to halt the bodyguards. 

The bodyguards moved aside. 

Shepard kicked Sam, and Sam staggered to his feet, and then slumped by the car door, his clothes caked with dust and dirt. 

His chest rose and fell as he gulped for air. 

After a long moment, Sam finally spoke, “People shouldn’t do things that weigh on their conscience. I thought once I got out, all this would be over. Turns out, it was just getting started.” 

“What did Vivian offer you? How did she rope you in?” Shepard asked. “She probably couldn’t cough up that kind of cash.” 

No way in hell Sam would’ve done something like this for less than 1.5 million. 

Sam replied, “Yeah, she didn’t have any money, but she totally set me up.” 

“Set you up?” 

“She seduced me,” Sam said. “It was almost dark, and I was about to lock up the equipment room and head home for dinner. Then she showed up, standing right in front of me, giving me those soft, pleading eyes. 

“She didn’t say a word. Just took off her coat, and what she had on underneath was barely there. Then she pressed up against me, doing everything she could to seduce me.” 

Shepard’s face darkened with rage. 

18:20 Tue, Jan 6 

Chapter 159 

Vivian. She always seems so innocent and sweet. Could she really stoop this low? Shepard thought, unable to believe it. ‘She really fooled me good. 

“She tried to use that move to make you do her dirty work?” Shepard pressed. “Did you actually fall for it?” 

“No way. I didn’t lay a finger on her. I kept my head straight.” Sam shook his head desperately. “But Vivian totally set me up. She had it all planned out. I couldn’t defend myself at all. 

“I snapped out of it at the very last moment, but by then, it was already too late. S filmed the whole thing. 

camera and 

“She threatened me, said if I didn’t do what she wanted, she’d accuse me of assault and destroy my life! If that got out, I’d be finished. I’d never be able to show my face again.” 

Shepard looked down at him, his voice icy. “So, you think arson is something to be proud of?” 

Sam explained, “Vivian really knows how to mess with people’s heads. She told me it was just a small fire, nothing serious. 

“She promised that once she got what she wanted, she’d make sure I could live out the rest of my life carefree and in style. 

“She even said if it looked like a little accident and nobody got hurt, I wouldn’t get in much trouble for it. 

“She had dirt on me, photos, videos, the whole thing. I figured, between arson and being accused of molesting a student, arson sounded like the lesser evil. So, I caved.” 

Sam let out a long, heavy sigh and continued, “I never thought the fire would get so out of control. The whole equipment room burned to the ground. Vivian was seriously fearless. She actually charged into that blazing hell to pull you out. 

“After the fire, Vivian came to me again. She wanted me to take all the blame, and in return, she’d look after my family. She said if I didn’t, I’d get slammed with both arson and assault charges, and I’d be totally screwed. 

“But if I kept quiet and covered for her, my family would be taken care of, no worries for the rest of their lives. By then, I was completely caught in Vivian’s trap. There was no way out for me.” 

Sam kept shaking his head, sighing again and again. Regret was eating him alive. 

He muttered to himself, “If only I’d just refused her from the start, kept her away from me, and told her to put her clothes back on. 

“Why did I let my guard down, thinking she was just coming onto me, and nothing would go wrong? 

“In the end, I destroyed myself, and now my whole family is caught up in this mess too.” 

Sam broke down sobbing, scrambled up from the ground, and begged Shepard. “Mr. Carter, I’ve told you everything. I didn’t hide a single thing. 

“I’ve done my time and owned up to my mistakes. Please, I’m begging you, show me some mercy and keep my family safe. 

18:20 Tue, Jan 6 

Chapter 159 

 

156 vouchers 

“Vivian’s a vicious woman. You think you know her, but she’s poison. She’s a real femme fatale. You’ve got to deal with her.” 

Shepard stood quietly, unmoving. 

The wind picked up, fluttering the hem of his suit. 

The wind grew stronger, kicking up dust from the roadside, filling the air with a h 

dust. 

All the doubts Shepard had been carrying inside were finally confirmed, and at this ment, his feelings were beyond description. 

He’d always thought Vivian just started that fire to get close to him. But he never expected her to do anything, no matter what it took. 

All these years, everything he believed about her was totally wrong. He’d been way off.