Hope Crawls Through Ruins by Kain Rwan Vale 220

Briana was silent for a long moment before asking, “So, if I wasn’t pregnant, there’d be no point in us staying together, right?” 

“You’re the one who doesn’t want to keep going with me,” Shepard replied. “So I can only respect what you 

want.” 

He gently pulled her shawl back up over her shoulders, wrapping it around her. 

He said, “I used to think love was about getting, about possessing, and about holding on. But now I realize love is about supporting, about letting go, and about hoping she finds the freedom she really wants. 

“Some of these things you taught me, and some Henry did. 

“Briana, if Henry had survived, I would’ve let you two be together without a second thought. I truly believe he’s more worthy of you, and he understands how to love you in ways I never could. 

“Only with him could you find real happiness, because he truly gets you. 

“But life had other plans. He passed away, and there was nothing anyone could do. And now, against all odds, you’re carrying our child. Briana, if I chose to walk away now, I’d be failing you, and failing myself as a man.” 

Shepard’s voice was low and velvety, carrying that magnetic charm. 

Briana nestled into his embrace, breathing in the scent she knew so well. 

She felt a deep sense of peace. 

“Actually…” Briana said quietly, “Even if Henry were still alive, I wouldn’t end up with him.” 

Shepard froze for a moment, genuinely surprised. “Why?” 

“I’m not good enough for him. I can’t be the one standing in the way of him finding the love and marriage he truly deserves,” Briana explained. 

“He deserves the absolute best, and I’m not his best choice. And honestly, I don’t love him,” she admitted, feeling strangely at peace with herself. 

If there was no love, there was no point in spending one’s whole life with someone. 

That would be so unfair. 

Briana had poured all her love into Shepard, so there was no way she could ever open her heart to someone else. 

She couldn’t accept all the kindness Henry gave her and not feel guilty, knowing she didn’t love him. 

Shepard’s voice was low, almost a whisper. “But at Henry’s grave, you said if there was another chance…” 

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Briana countered softly, “Is there really another chance?” 

Shepard stayed silent. 

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“If everything was forgotten and we could start all over again, maybe then being with Henry would actually be fair to him. But in this life, he deserves better than me,” Briana admitted. 

Briana forced a smile, her eyes rimmed with red. 

Every time she thought of Henry, she still felt like crying. 

“In this life, I only love you,” Briana whispered, closing her eyes and fighting back the tears. “I just can’t love anyone else. It’s like my heart is dead inside. It just doesn’t beat anymore.” 

Whenever she faced other men, she felt nothing at all. No thoughts, no feelings, no emotions. 

So Briana knew, deep down, that her life would either be tangled up with Shepard forever, or she’d spend the rest of her days alone. 

She figured maybe she’d end up spending her whole life alone, never loving anyone else. 

But Shepard kept closing the distance, never letting her go. 

Everyone around her kept urging her to give it a shot, to take a chance on him. 

But Olivia was the only one who never wavered. 

From the very start, Olivia had been against Briana and Shepard being together, and even now, she’d never budged. 

She always thought Shepard and Briana just weren’t a good match. 

One was cold as ice, the other pure–hearted and naive. 

Shepard could never give Briana the beautiful love she dreamed of. His world was packed with things way more important, and Briana only ever got the leftovers. 

A flame burst with a sharp pop. 

“Briana,” Shepard said, his eyes fixed on the horizon, “I’m no different from you. I can’t love anyone else either. I’ve thought it all through. 

“If you turn me down, I’ll just grow old alone, keeping my distance and watching over you from afar. I’ll only step in when you need me. If you never do, I’ll stay out of your life.” 

“But the way you treated Vivian… The way you treated her…” Briana murmured, her voice trailing off. 

She couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence. 

He had once poured all his affection and devotion into another woman, holding nothing back. 

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Chapter 220 

She couldn’t handle that. 

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“I thought she saved me, and I thought I loved her,” Shepard said with a bitter smile. “Briana, I just couldn’t see my own heart clearly. I’m truly sorry for everything.” 

“You two were so intimate… so many times…” Briana murmured, her voice trembling. 

Shepard cut her off. “Nothing ever happened between us. Nothing at all.” 

Briana just nodded, not saying another word. 

She took a sip of her tea, then got up and headed into the tent behind her. 

The tent was quiet and warm, even if it was a bit cramped. 

She just lay down. 

Soon, Shepard came in after her and zipped up the tent. 

Briana rolled over. 

Shepard pressed his chest against her back and wrapped his arms around her. 

The two of them fell asleep, holding each other close. 

In the middle of the night, rain started pouring and the wind began to howl. Briana could hear the biting wind outside, and right by her ear was the steady sound of Shepard’s breathing. 

With all that racket, he could still sleep so soundly. 

‘Is it because… I’m here?‘ Briana wondered.. 

Briana drifted in and out of sleep, barely awake one moment and half–asleep the next, until morning finally 

came. 

She knew Shepard had woken up, pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, and then slipped out of the tent. 

She could hear noises coming from outside, but had no idea what he was up to. 

She lingered in bed for a while longer before finally sitting up and unzipping the tent to peek outside. 

Shepard was mixing up some hot milk for her. 

There was a sandwich sitting nearby. 

But since it had been left out all night and was cold, after finishing the milk, he kept reheating the sandwich on the portable stove until it was warm enough for her to eat. 

“Hey, you’re awake?” Shepard looked up at her. “Hungry?” 

Briana nodded. 

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“Then come over and eat,” Shepard said. 

: 

The morning air was crisp, and the ground was slick and wet from last night’s rain. 

Everywhere they looked, the valley was shrouded in a thick blanket of white mist. 

It felt almost ethereal, like the whole place was wrapped in a dream. 

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Briana took a sip of her milk, bit into her sandwich, and sat there in her chair, gazing out at the clouds drifting by, her mind wandering. 

“Makes me want to just hide away here,” she said with a soft laugh, sniffing. “No need to go back to that crazy city and deal with all the drama and headaches.” 

Shepard didn’t even hesitate. “Sure, let’s do it. We can just hide away together.” 

Briana raised an eyebrow. “You really think you could walk away from all that?” 

He was the CEO of Carter Group, so rich that he could probably buy a country. 

He was living like royalty, always surrounded by people who worshipped him. She didn’t think he could ever walk away from all that luxury and admiration. 

“Who says I can’t?” Shepard said, warming up the other half of the sandwich before sitting down next to her. “You’re the only one I could never let go of.” 

Briana kept smiling as she finished her sandwich, bite by bite. 

It was hands down the best sandwich she’d ever had. 

“Whenever you feel like coming here, we can just pack up and go,” Shepard said softly. “Spend a few nights, relax, and leave the world behind… Wouldn’t that be nice?” 

Briana didn’t say anything. She just got up and quietly went for a walk around the area, letting her silence speak for her. 

Briana had hoped the rain would clear up after last night, but instead, it started pouring again, and this time, it was even heavier. 

She was forced to scrap her plans to stay longer. 

They had no choice but to pack up and head back to Belaris. 

Briana sat in the car as it jostled and rocked along the winding mountain road, the wipers going full blast just to keep up with the pouring rain.