Hope Crawls Through Ruins by Kain Rwan Vale 174

Chapter 174 

Yeah. Briana thought to herself. She was pregnant. 

Briana closed her eyes, biting down hard on her lip. “This child…” She stopped, unable to finish. 

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But Shepard said, “Make sure you look after yourself and keep the baby safe. If anything happens to Henry, this child will be his only heir.” 

Briana’s eyes flew open. The baby wasn’t Henry’s. But Shepard had no idea. She stared at him for a few seconds, then turned to Olivia. 

Olivia knew the truth. At that moment, Olivia didn’t know what to say 

either. 

Shepard spoke up again. “If Henry pulls through, you two can have a future together. Just, Briana, please take care of yourself.” 

Was that really Shepard talking?‘ Briana thought, stunned. ‘Is he really giving us his blessing?‘ 

Briana stared blankly at the river, her expression vacant. She didn’t want to think about anything else. All she wished for was for Henry to come out of this unharmed. But deep down, she knew the chances were slim. 

Seeing Briana stay silent, Shepard’s voice dropped even lower. “He really is better for you than I ever was.” 

He finally understood. He wasn’t the one to make her happy anymore. He was stepping aside. He was giving them his blessing. Henry was the one who was truly right for her. 

After going through all this, Shepard finally understood that letting go could be a kind of love, too. 

Briana gave a wry smile. “Honestly, any man in this world probably knows more about loving someone than you ever did.” 

Shepard let out a quiet “yeah.” He admitted it. 

“Mr. Carter,” one of the bodyguards rushed over, “we haven’t recovered anyone yet. Are you certain there’s someone in the river?” 

“Yes,” Briana replied instantly, her voice firm and steady. 

“I saw it myself,” she said. “They tossed him in, made a big splash, and he went under immediately.” 

The bodyguard looked uneasy. “He might’ve drifted downstream. It’s dark, we’re not fully equipped, and it’s a tough job.” 

Briana suddenly shouted, her voice breaking with desperation. “You have to find him. No matter how long it takes, no matter how hard it gets, you have to keep searching. Find him.” 

Her scream was hoarse and heartbreaking, tearing through the night. 

Before the bodyguard could respond, another one came running over. “Mr. Carter, we’ve caught someone.” 

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“Bring them here., Shepard ordered, his voice cold and commanding. Shepard’s expression instantly turned cold and deadly serious. 

“Yes, sir.” the bodyguard replied. 

Briana gritted her teeth, glaring at the bald thug the bodyguards dragged over. 

This guy was the most vicious of the bunch, the one who hit the hardest and had the coldest heart. 

Briana staggered up and charged at the bald thug, throwing punches and kicks with everything she had, but her attacks were feeble, barely making a dent. 

“If he dies, you die. A life for a life!” Briana screamed, her voice trembling with fury. 

“Consider yourself lucky. Your pathetic life isn’t worth a damn compared to his. He had a bright future ahead of him. You should’ve come for me. Why did you go after Henry? Why him?” Briana screamed, her voice shaking with rage. 

The bald thug just stood there, his face the very picture of defeat. Just like that, he got caught. Not a dime to show for it. Ended up losing himself in the process. 

When Briana started yelling at him, the bald thug just muttered, “I was just doing a job for the cash, okay? If you want me to pay with my life, fine, it’s not worth much anyway, and you said so yourself.” 

Briana shot him a death glare. Just then, two bodyguards escorted Eric over, holding him firmly between them. 

“Hey,” the bald thug blurted out. “Look, you should be after him. He’s the real mastermind. I was just following orders, just a hired hand. He should be held responsible for everything.” 

Eric kept his head down, practically burying it in his chest. 

Shepard’s voice cut through the silence. “Raise your head.” 

Eric didn’t move. Shepard shot a look at the bodyguard. 

The bodyguard immediately understood, grabbing Eric by the hair and forcing his head up. 

Eric was forced to face Shepard; no way to dodge it. 

“Shepard, what a coincidence running into you here…” Eric forced a nervous laugh. “Hey, why are you guys grabbing me? Don’t you know who I am?” 

He was just trying to play dumb and bluff his way out. 

“I was just fishing nearby,” Eric said, feigning innocence. “No idea why a bunch of guys suddenly grabbed me. I was confused, Shepard. Turns out they’re your men. 

“Looks like something big’s going on. What are you guys fishing for? Need my help or something?” 

Shepard approached Eric with slow, deliberate steps, his face cold as ice. His presence was downright 

Inu, san 

Chapter 174 

overwhelming, making it hard to breathe. 

Eric kept playing dumb, acting like butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth, as if he were just an innocent bystander. 

But then Shepard said, “Vivian already confessed. Are you still going to keep up this charade?” 

Eric’s smile went still on his face, but only for a moment. 

Then, trying to play it cool, Eric blurted out, “Vivian and me? What are you talking about? What did she say? Shepard, isn’t she…” He faked a cough, trying to change the subject.. 

Shepard raised an eyebrow. “There’s something that’s been bugging me.” 

“What is it?” Eric replied, trying to play it cool. 

“Why would Vivian hook up with you? She had no reason to team up with you at all,” Shepard said coldly. 

“If Vivian went after Sam, it was because he was useful. But what about you, Eric? What do you have that’s worth anything?” he asked. 

Eric kept playing dumb. “Shepard, I seriously have no clue what you’re talking about. I was just out here fishing, I swear…” 

“Fishing?” Shepard repeated, his voice dripping with sarcasm. 

“Yeah, yeah, exactly!” Eric nodded frantically. “Look, my gear’s still right here, see?” 

Shepard crouched down and picked up the hook from the ground. He looked it over, then held it threateningly right up to Eric’s lips. Eric hesitated for a moment. 

“Open your mouth,” Shepard ordered, his voice icy and commanding. 

Eric had no choice but to obey. Shepard jammed the fishhook into Eric’s mouth and jerked it back hard. 

God knows where the hook snagged Eric, but blood gushed out instantly. 

Eric’s face contorted in pain, his mouth twisted into a grotesque grimace. 

The hook was buried deep, stuck fast, and impossible to pull free. 

Eric tried to reach up and pull it out, but Shepard just gave a quiet, menacing “Hmm?” 

Shepard kept giving the line intermittent, painful tugs, yanking it every so often. 

After about ten rounds of this, Eric finally couldn’t take it anymore. “Shepard, what are you trying to do? I… 

I…” 

“This is what happens when you lie,” Shepard replied coldly. “And this is just the mildest consequence.” 

Eric refused to meet Shepard’s eyes, his gaze shifting nervously. 

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“You’re just like Vivian. Won’t shed a tear until you’re staring death in the face.” Shepard said, his expression cold as ice. “Even now, with the end right in front of you, you still keep your mouth shut. 

Eric knew exactly what was going on. But he wasn’t going to talk, not until the very last moment. At the very least, he wasn’t going to be the one to spill it. 

“Briana!” Olivia’s scream cut through the air. “Briana, wake up. Someone, call an ambulance.” 

Shepard’s whole demeanor shifted in a heartbeat–the cold composure he’d had just seconds ago vanished, and now he looked totally freaked out and anxious. 

He whipped around to look. Briana was lying unconscious on the ground, her face even paler than when she’d just gotten out of the river. 

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