Hope Crawls Through Ruins by Kain Rwan Vale 208

Chapter 208 

Charles jumped up from the couch in shock, and his voice rang out, echoing in the room. 

His face was a mask of disbelief. 

He thought, ‘What the 

hell? It’s alive? 

‘Seriously? Is this for real?‘ 

“Are you sure?” Charles asked, his voice tight with disbelief. “That’s not something you can just say. 

“I’m absolutely sure. Briana admitted it herself,” Shepard replied, his tone unwavering. 

Suddenly, it all made sense to Charles. 

He thought, ‘No wonder Shepard’s attitude did a complete 180, from being so distant at first to now actively trying to get her back and make things right… 

‘It’s all because of the baby!‘ 

“Oh my god, what happened?” Charles blurted out, completely baffled. “She already had the surgery. I thought it was all done.” 

“You really don’t need to think about all that,” Shepard replied. 

Charles was about to ask more, but just then, outside, a car’s headlights swept past the living room window. 

Briana was home. 

Charles immediately turned to Shepard. “Are you going to stay here, or do you want to duck out for a bit?” 

“Why bother?” Shepard replied, raising an eyebrow. 

Charles said, “Seriously, if Briana sees you, she’ll just turn around and leave. Are you really going to run after her? What if she doesn’t come back?” 

He suggested, “Just head upstairs and wait in her room. Shut the door, and you two can talk in private. No one will interrupt.” 

Seeing Shepard still hesitating, Charles strode over and gave him a shove. 

“Come on, hurry! If Briana walks in, you’ll miss your chance,” Charles urged. 

Charles was basically playing the ultimate wingman. 

All he wanted now was for Shepard and Briana to get back together. 

Honestly, for him, it couldn’t be better. No flaw for him at all. 

Besides, he could see that Shepard was truly remorseful. 

He thought, ‘It’s tough for Briana to handle everything on her own. 

Why make her tough it out all by herself?‘ 

“Hurry up, hurry up!” Charles urged, practically pushing Shepard up the stairs. 

After watching Shepard head upstairs, Charles rushed toward the door to greet Briana. 

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Chapter 208 

Briana got out of the car and picked up her pace. 

She thought, I wonder how Charles is feeling now. 

Is the flu really hitting hard lately?‘ 

As soon as she stepped into the entryway, she ran right into Charles. 

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“Hey, you’re back,” Charles said. “That was fast. Seriously, why insist on living out there? It’s not even a half–hour drive.” 

Briana looked him up and down, a little skeptical. 

No matter how she looked at him, he didn’t look sick in the slightest. 

“Are you… still coughing?” Briana asked tentatively. 

“Oh, yeah, I’ve been coughing like crazy,” Charles nodded, putting on a show. “But I just had some water and took some cold medicine, so I’m feeling a bit better now.” 

“Really?” Briana asked, her tone skeptical. 

“Of course,” Charles replied, trying to sound convincing. 

But Charles sounded way too lively for someone who was supposed to be sick, and Briana couldn’t help but frown. 

Still, she couldn’t quite put her finger on what was off. 

“I keep telling you, I’m fine, but I still want you home,” Charles said, giving her a look. “It’s not safe for a girl to spend the night out alone.” 

Briana nodded. “Alright, get some rest, Charles. If you feel bad in the middle of the night, just give me a call anytime, okay?” 

She felt a lot more at ease being home. 

At least she could keep an eye on him. 

“You should get some rest, too,” Charles said, giving her shoulder a reassuring pat and ruffling her hair. 

“You’ve been holed up at the gallery so much lately, and you look totally drained,” Charles teased, eyeing her up and down. “Honestly, you look worse off than me.” 

“I’ll be fine once things calm down a bit,” Briana said quietly. 

She made her way toward the stairs. 

Charles moved out of the way. 

He thought, ‘Alright. 

‘Better sneak out now. 

‘For my own safety, there’s no way I’m sticking around tonight. 

‘If Briana came after me, she’d give me hell. 

‘Should I just lock myself in my room and hide? 

‘No way, that’s not gonna work. 

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Chapter 208 

‘Better lay low for a while. 

Just make a run for it. 

As soon as Briana disappeared up the stairs, Charles bolted out of the living room. 

Briana didn’t suspect a thing 

She strolled down the hallway to her 

ro 

There was a silhouette by the window. 

and casually pushed the door open, like she’d done a thousand times before. 

Tall, lean, and radiating a commanding presence. 

Briana froze on the spot. 

She thought, ‘Wait, what am I seeing? 

‘Is there something wrong with my eyes?‘ 

Shepard turned around to face her, his gaze steady and unreadable. 

He hadn’t tried to hide. He was worried that if he suddenly appeared out of nowhere, he’d end up startling her. 

So he’d just stayed by the window, waiting for her to come in, letting the tension build. 

Their eyes locked, neither willing to look away. 

Briana blinked, double–checking to make sure she was really seeing Shepard standing there. 

She thought, “That’s definitely Shepard! 

‘No doubt about it!‘ 

Briana stood frozen for a few seconds, silent, and then started to back away, one step at a time. 

Her pace quickened as she retreated. 

She almost tripped over her own feet, but managed to catch herself on the doorframe just in time. 

Shepard’s heart jumped. He moved instinctively to help her. 

But she was already gone, bolting out of the room before he could even react. 

“Charles!” Briana shouted, her voice echoing through the house. 

She kept calling out, her voice growing more desperate with each shout. 

But there was no answer. 

Shepard came rushing out after her. 

“Charles, where are you? Where did you go? Why is Shepard in my room? Did you not see him come in?” Briana yelled, her voice shaking with panic. 

Finally, Briana was at her wits‘ end. “Charles Lane!” she screamed, her voice echoing through the house. 

Still, there was no answer. 

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Chapter 208 

Slowly, it dawned on Briana. 

Charles and Shepard were totally in cahoots. 

“Briana, slow down.” Shepard called out, following close behind her, keeping several feet between them. “Careful, you’re pregnant!” 

His whole face was etched with anxiety. 

Briana backed into the hallway and stopped in her tracks. 

She knew there was no way she could escape now. 

Shepard had this all schemed out from the very beginning. 

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“I knew something was off. Charles was way too lively and looked way too cheerful for someone who’s supposed to be sick,” Briana scoffed. Turns out he was in on your little scheme to trick me.” 

Shepard didn’t say a word. 

“What do you want?” Briana shot back. “Haven’t I made myself clear enough? Yeah, the baby’s yours, so what? I don’t want you anywhere near it! 

“You don’t deserve to be a father. You’re not even close to being good enough!” 

“Briana, for the baby’s sake, we can’t keep being apart,” Shepard said, his voice low and sincere. 

“Cut the crap,” Briana snapped, biting her lip and jabbing her finger toward the stairs. “Get out of my house, right now!” 

Shepard stood his ground, refusing to budge. 

‘Like hell I’m leaving,‘ he thought, stubborn as ever. 

“We need to sit down and talk,” Shepard sighed, keeping his voice calm. “Briana, don’t shut me out like this.” 

“There’s nothing to talk about,” Briana said coldly. 

He just wanted to make up. 

But she wasn’t having any of it. 

He’d shattered her heart. Just thinking about their marriage felt like living through a nightmare all over again. 

No way she’d ever let herself fall into that nightmare a second time. 

“Do you really not feel anything for me?” Shepard asked, his voice barely above a whisper. “Not even a little bit?” 

“No. Nothing. There’s nothing left,” Briana replied, her tone icy and final. 

“That can’t be true, Briana. We’ve known each other since we were kids, and we were husband and wife… How could you…” Shepard’s voice faltered, pain clear in his words. 

Briana covered her ears, refusing to listen. “Enough, Shepard. Are you leaving my house or not?” 

“I… I’m not leaving.” Shepard muttered, his voice low and stubborn. 

“Fine, you stay, I’ll go. The place is all yours, happy now?” Briana snapped, her words laced with biting sarcasm. 

Briana turned her back on him, not even sparing him a glance. 

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Chapter 208 

Shepard was tall and quick, so he closed the distance in just a few strides. 

He grabbed her wrist, not letting go. “Briana, it’s late. Go back to your room and get some rest first.” 

“With you here? How am I supposed to go back to my room?” Briana shot back, her frustration boiling over. 

As she spoke, Briana yanked at her wrist, trying her hardest to break free from his grip. 

AD