Hope Crawls Through Ruins by Kain Rwan Vale 206

Chapter 206 

76 

“Will you ever bring me ha 

her voice trembling. 

Shepard? You know 

what you’ve really brought into my life all these years, Briana said, 

“I…” Shepard stammered, at a loss for words. 

Briana suddenly stood up. 

She got up so quickly that her vision blurred and dizziness washed over her. 

She swayed unsteadily. 

Seeing that, Shepard instinctively moved to help her. 

Briana shoved his hand aside, not holding back. “Are you leaving or not? If you’re not, then I am. Fine, stay here if that’s what you want!” 

She turned and walked away. 

Shepard started to follow her, but after a couple of steps, he stopped in his tracks. 

She didn’t want to see him. If he kept hanging around in front of her… 

It would just get on her nerves. 

He told himself, ‘Don’t rush it. Just take it easy. 

‘Let Briana cool off on her own for a bit. 

He needed a moment to get a grip on his tangled emotions. 

He watched Briana walk away. 

Once outside the gallery, Briana stared blankly at the street, feeling lost for a moment. 

‘Where am I even supposed to go?‘ she thought to herself. 

After thinking it over, Briana slid into the driver’s seat, fired up the engine, and drove off toward the outskirts. 

She ended up at the cemetery. 

Henry’s tombstone stood out among all the graves. 

It was so new. 

New graves always draw the eye. 

Briana walked over, knelt down, and gently placed the bouquet she’d brought at Henry’s grave. 

She said, “Henry, I’m here to see you again. 

“I’m back already. Bet you didn’t expect me so soon.” 

“Honestly, I didn’t expect it either,” Briana murmured, her eyes lingering on the photo on the tombstone. “You were planning all along to tell Shepard the truth about our child.” 

“Why couldn’t you ever put yourself first? Why didn’t you ever fight for me, try to take me from Shepard? You loved me so 

14:35 Sat, Jan 10 Gu 

Chapter 206 

much, I know you did, she said, her voice trembling 

She went on, “Or maybe you understood what love really means long before I did. Maybe you saw right through me, my heart always belonged to Shepard, and I could never give it to anyone else. 

“So you just wanted me to stay with the one I truly loved, for as long as I could.” 

The wind kept blowing, never stopping for anyone. 

Briana lingered at Henry’s grave, lost in her thoughts for what felt like forever. 

She kept talking, saying everything she’d never had the chance to say. 

Right now, she was completely at a loss, not sure what to do next. 

The divorce had been set in stone. There was no more opposition. 

But all of a sudden, Shepard found out the child was his, and now he wanted to call it off. 

‘Now what am I supposed to do?’ Briana thought to herself, feeling lost. 

After leaving the cemetery, Briana drove over to Olivia’s company to find her. 

knew 

Olivia was at her family’s business, learning the ropes of running things. She was sitting in her office, looking completely frazzled and buried in work. 

When Briana walked in, Olivia blinked in surprise. “Briana? What brings you here? You look totally out of it.” 

Briana’s head hung low; she looked really out of it. 

“What’s going on?” Olivia asked, concern in her voice. “Is Shepard acting up again?” 

She took Briana’s arm, and they sat down together on the sofa in the lounge area. 

Briana sighed. “Shepard knows the kid is his now.” 

“What?” Olivia was totally shocked. “Who let it slip? It wasn’t me, I swear! My mouth usually runs wild, but I know when something’s serious…” 

“It wasn’t you. Henry told him,” Briana replied softly. 

Olivia’s jaw dropped even further, totally stunned. 

“Shepard got a letter from Henry,” Briana explained. “Before he died, Henry was already planning to come clean to Shepard about everything.” 

“You scared me half to death,” Olivia said, patting her chest. “I thought Henry…” 

I thought he had somehow come back to life or something, Olivia thought, her mind racing. 

“Yeah, I thought so, too,” Briana said. Her smile tinged with sadness. “If only he were still alive… things would be so different.” 

Olivia 

gave 

her a gentle pat. “Don’t be too sad, Briana. So, where does Shepard stand now?* 

“He wants us to raise the kid together,” Briana said quietly. 

“So basically, he wants to stick with you for good? He’s backing out of the divorce now?” Olivia asked, eyes 

inhed “Using this kid gives him hone 

wide. 

14:35 Sat, Jan 10 G MR 

Chapter 206 

Olivia snorted. “Hope? Please, he’s just fooling himself. Just ignore him, act cold, and don’t give him any attention. He’ll get the hint and back off eventually. 

“But honestly, if you were hoping to raise this kid all by yourself, that’s probably not happening anymore. 

Now that Shepard and the Carter family knew the kid was a member of the Carter family, there was no way they’d just sit back and watch. 

Olivia’s eyes spun as she pondered, trying to figure out what to do next. 

Briana sat there in a daze, not knowing what to say or do. 

“Just steer clear of him,” Olivia said. “If you can’t deal with him, just hang out here with me. Don’t see him, and let him keep hitting a wall.” 

“Belaris isn’t that big, you know. Where could I even hide? But honestly, I just don’t want to see him today,” Briana muttered. 

“Then just crash at my place tonight,” Olivia suggested. 

“Sure,” Briana murmured. 

***** 

Over at Evergreen Estate, the sky was slowly turning dark. 

Charles got home and spotted a car parked out in the garden. 

He recognized it right away. 

‘Wait, isn’t that Shepard’s car?‘ Charles blinked, a bit surprised. 

He picked up the pace and headed into the living room, and just as he expected, he spotted Shepard sitting on the sofa. 

Hearing footsteps, Shepard, who’d been quietly sipping his coffee, looked up in a hurry. 

But when he realized it was Charles, his expression instantly fell. 

“Looks like you’re not exactly thrilled to see me,” Charles joked as he walked in. “You’re here for Briana, right?” 

“Yeah, she’s not back yet,” Shepard replied. 

Charles glanced at the clock. “She’s been coming home pretty late these days, seems like…” 

He scratched his head, thinking 

Leonard’s work will be featured. 

“She’s been painting nonstop. There’s a big art show coming up soon, and both her and 

“She’s been practically living in the studio, trying to finish everything before the deadline.” 

“An art show?” Shepard echoed. 

“Yeah, Shepard, do you want to come?” Charles asked. 

Shepard didn’t answer, just kept sipping his coffee. 

Of course he was going. 

He didn’t want to miss a single thing when it came to Briana. 

Charles walked over and sat down across from Shepard. 

14:35 Sat, Jan 10 G MA 

Chapter 206 

“What do you want with Briana?” Charles asked. “Why didn’t you just go to the gallery?” 

Shepard didn’t want to get into it with Charles, so he just brushed it off. “It’s just easier to wait here.” 

“Alright then… Well, since Briana’s not back yet, why don’t we chat for a bit?” Charles said. 

Charles was dying to know how Shepard was going to handle all those projects he’d run up debts on. 

Even though he knew he could trust Shepard to take care of it, he still wanted to ask a few questions. 

After all, it was his mess to begin with. 

Shepard saw right through him. 

He set his coffee cup down and raised an eyebrow. “I’ve already sorted out all your debts. Altogether, it was… 

“Oh, come on, Shepard, talking money just hurts feelings, right?” Charles joked, trying to keep things light. 

Shepard didn’t press the issue. 

“For you, that’s nothing,” Charles said with a dry laugh. “Honestly, I got totally played by Eric. It’s all his fault. Funny how we’re both Carters, but we’re worlds apart.” 

Shepard said casually, “You don’t have to pay me back.” 

Charles grinned so wide that his eyes nearly couldn’t be seen. 

AD