Hope Crawls Through Ruins by Kain Rwan Vale 229

Chapter 229 

“Just try to enjoy it,” Shepard said. 

“Enjoy it? This is pure torture,” Briana scoffed, letting out a couple of sarcastic chuckles. 

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“I only love you. There’s no room for anyone else in my eyes or my heart,” Shepard said, holding her close, soothing her with gentle strokes on her back. “Even if we have a daughter, you’ll always come first, even before her.” 

“Sweet talker. Shepard, you’re getting slicker with your sweet talk, Briana teased. 

“I’m just being honest,” Shepard replied. 

Briana squirmed a bit. “Alright, I need to get back to the gallery.” 

But Shepard didn’t let go. 

“Seriously, what are you doing?” Briana said. “Let go already! How long do you plan to keep holding me in the ladies‘ room?” 

‘If someone walks in and sees us like this, I’ll never live it down, Briana thought. 

Shepard raised an eyebrow. “No one’s coming in.” 

“Still, we can’t just keep hiding out in here together,” Briana said. 

“Alright,” he agreed without missing a beat. “Let’s go to my office.” 

“I said,” Briana emphasized, “I need to get back to the gallery!” 

Shepard looked dead serious. “I’m not letting you go until you’ve calmed down and I’ve made things right.” 

He knew better than to let a woman’s bad mood linger overnight or even for more than two hours. 

Otherwise, she’d just end up holding a grudge. 

Shepard had gotten the hang of it by now. 

Briana glared at him. 

He just grinned and gave her cheek a playful pinch. 

“I’ll sleep on the couch tonight, and you can have the bed,” he offered. “How about it?” 

Briana didn’t answer. 

Shepard said with a soft smile, “As long as I get to sleep in the same room as you, I’m happy. 

His voice grew softer. “Briana, you can’t just treat me like this. Back in the valley, we held each other close, depending on each other just to get through the night.” 

He continued, “But as soon as we got back to Belaris, you left me out in the cold… It really makes me sad.” 

He pulled her closer, hugging her tightly. 

It was rare for Shepard to show this kind of vulnerability. 

When they were trapped, he was always calm and collected, comforting and encouraging her, paying close attention to her feelings, never caring about his own safety. 

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Chapter 229 

But now, he was actually saying he was sad. 

It was because Briana didn’t get him, kept her distance, and tried to avoid him. 

Her feelings meant more to him than anything, even his own life. 

Briana looked down at his chest. 

She blinked. 

It was so quiet she could hear her own heartbeat, and Shepard breathing right above her. 

Just as Briana was about to speak, she suddenly heard the sound of high heels clicking outsi 

A woman was coming in. 

Clearly, she was heading straight for the restroom. 

Briana’s nerves kicked in. She shot Shepard a panicked look. “Quick, get into a stall!” 

‘If anyone sees us like this, I’ll die of embarrassment,‘ Briana thought. 

But Shepard didn’t move an inch. “Don’t worry, she won’t come in.” 

“She’s right at the door!” Briana hissed. 

“I put up an ‘Under Maintenance‘ sign,” Shepard said, cool as ever. 

Briana froze for a second. 

‘No wonder he’s so confident,‘ she thought. 

‘So that’s his move,‘ Briana thought. 

But to her shock, the footsteps really reached the door, and someone actually moved the sign out of the way. 

Briana’s heart was in her mouth. 

Shepard still didn’t budge. 

‘Fine, I’ll hide then!‘ Briana thought. 

She cared about her reputation. There was no way she could stand the embarrassment of getting caught like this. 

Just then, Camila’s voice called out, “Mr. Carter, Mrs. Carter, are you two still in there?” 

‘Wait, that’s Camila?‘ Briana thought, completely caught off guard. 

Briana was even more stunned, her mind going completely blank for a second. 

“What is it?” Shepard asked, his voice low and serious. 

“Oh, it’s nothing, just wanted to check,” Camila said with a light laugh. “I needed to use the restroom, too.” 

“There’s another restroom on a different floor,” Shepard replied. 

“Understood, Mr. Carter,” Camila said. “I’ll put the sign back up and won’t disturb you and Mrs. Carter.” 

The sound of her heels gradually faded away. 

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Chapter 229 

But all of a sudden, Briana made a beeline for the door. 

“Briana?” Shepard called out after her, sounding confused. 

What was she up to?‘ He was baffled. 

Briana was moving so fast that Shepard could barely keep up with her. 

Briana hurried out of the restroom and caught sight of Camila heading away. 

“Hey, Ms. Terrell,” Briana called out, “you can go in now.” 

Camila stopped and turned around. 

“Mrs. Carter?” Camila smiled. “Did I interrupt you and Mr. Carter?” 

“No,” Briana replied. 

“Guess I did interrupt you after all,” Camila muttered under her breath. “Sorry about that.” 

Briana walked right up to Camila, flashed a small smile, and said, “Ms. Terrell, as I said, you didn’t.” 

Briana was known for her gentle nature. 

She rarely ever let her edge show. 

But if she was truly pissed off, or someone really crossed her, that was when her claws would come out. 

Women can always sense each other’s vibes, and it was never simple. 

Camila immediately picked up Briana’s unfriendly vibe. 

But instead of confronting Briana directly, Camila just looked over at Shepard. 

“Mr. Carter, I know you and Mrs. Carter are super close,” she said with a sweet smile. “But getting all cozy in the ladies‘ room is not the best place for romance, you know?” 

She added, “Honestly, I just wanted to remind you two. Why not take it to the office? This place doesn’t exactly smell like 

roses.” 

Shepard gave her a glance, said nothing, and simply walked over to Briana. 

Right then, his phone started ringing. 

But he didn’t answer it. 

“You should answer your phone,” Briana reminded him. “Go on, I’ll wait for you.” 

Shepard frowned, looking a bit reluctant. 

Briana gave him a gentle nudge. “Just go, it’s fine.” 

Left with no other option, Shepard finally went to take the call. 

Once Shepard was out of earshot, Camila’s smile vanished. “Mrs. Carter, do you have something you want to say to me?” 

“Ms. Terrell, you’re no fool,” Briana replied. 

“Now that it’s just us,” Camila said, “let’s not beat around the bush. Mrs. Carter, you’re Mr. Carter’s wife and my boss, as if I’d 

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ever cross you.” 

As she spoke, Camila raised an eyebrow, her eyes sparkling with mischief. 

Her words sounded polite, but she was anything but shy. 

Briana shot back, “If you already know what’s going on, then why are you always throwing yourself at Shepard?” 

“Oh, you’ve got me all wrong,” Camila replied, feigning innocence. “It’s strictly professional between Mr. Carter and me.” 

“You know perfectly “at’s 

on your mind,” Briana said coolly. “Don’t make me spell it out fr. 

Camila just smiled. “Mrs. Carter, go ahead and spell it out. I’m not that clever, I can’t guess wh 

said, let’s be direct. Guess you really do have a selective memory, Mrs. Carter.” 

‘She’s a master at playing mind games, Briana thought. 

‘No wonder she’s such a seasoned office shark, Briana mused. 

Briana was pretty green when it came to office politics, and dealing with people wasn’t really her thing. 

But one thing was clear. Camila was definitely hostile toward her. 

inking. I already 

“I know you’ve got your eyes on Shepard,” Briana said, meeting her gaze head–on. “Just hold back for now. He’s still my husband. When I finally divorce him, you can make all the moves you want. Whatever you do then, it’s none of my business.” 

Camila shot back without missing a beat, “So, Mrs. Carter, when exactly are you planning to divorce him?” 

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