Hope Crawls Through Ruins by Kain Rwan Vale 243

Posted by Adminj, ? Views, Released on February 16, 2026

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Chapter 243

Shepard wanted her to be with him through all the years ahead, never leaving his side. He wanted Briana to live her life to the fullest.

Even if they never had children, it didn’t matter to him. If they ended up childfree, it didn’t matter.

His lifelong pursuit wasn’t about carrying on the family name. It was about finding a soulmate whose heart truly resonated with his.

Briana nestled in Shepard’s embrace, her thoughts utterly scattered.

That evening at Evergreen Estate, dinner was being prepared in the kitchen.

Shepard and Briana sat side by side on the couch, pretending to watch TV.

But honestly, neither of them was really paying attention to what was on the screen. They were both lost in their own thoughts.

Just then, the sound of light, cheerful footsteps echoed through the house, along with a happy whistling tune.

Charles was home. As soon as he walked into the living room and saw Briana, he turned right around and walked out

“Charles,” Briana called out without even turning around. “Where are you headed?”

“Uh, nothing. I just remembered I left something in the car. Guess I got to grab it,” Charles mumbled, still trying to slip away.

“Go ahead and hide,” Briana said, eyes still on the TV. “Let’s see how long you can keep this up.”

Charles stopped in his tracks. After thinking it over, he finally shuffled over and dropped onto the couch.

He glanced at Shepard. “Shepard, that’s pretty sneaky of you. You called me back, and I thought you had something private to discuss, just between us. But in the end, you tricked me into coming home for Briana?”

Charles had gotten a message from Shepard earlier. It was short and direct. [Back to the Lane residence.]

Charles didn’t think much of it. He just finished up what he was doing and headed over. He hadn’t expected to find Shepard and Briana together.

Briana gave Charles a cool, unreadable look.

Charles coughed, trying to sound casual. “So, what’s this about? Go ahead and ask. I’ve got a clear conscience.”

“A clear conscience?” Briana shot back.

“What’s wrong?” Charles protested.

“Shepard already spilled the beans,” Briana said, a faint smirk tugging at her lips. “Still pretending?”

Charles coughed again, his voice a little shaky. “W–What did he say?”

“He told me everything you did,” Briana replied coolly.

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Chapter 243

Charles quickly ran through everything he’d done in his mind.

6 vouche

He’d done two things. First, he’d sent Camila to provoke Briana. Second, he and Camila had bribed a doctor to lie about Briana needing heart surgery and having to get rid of the baby.

So far, the second thing was still tightly under wraps. No one had caught wind of it. So it must be the first thing.

Once he realized that, Charles immediately knew how to handle it.

“Come on, I was looking out for you, Charles shrugged. “Without a little competition, you’d never see just how much everyone wants Shepard. He’s practically a hot commodity!”

Briana sat there, her frustration stuck in her chest, unable to vent or move past it.

After thinking for a while, she finally snapped at Charles, “Seriously, I have no clue what you do all day. You never handle anything important, but you’re an expert at all those sneaky tricks!”

“Who says I don’t do anything important?” Charles shot back. “Ask Shepard. I’m at Dreamscape every day, working nine to five, handling all the business.

“You get to be the artist, and I’m the one making sure everything runs smoothly behind the scenes. It’s tough, you know.”

Shepard nodded. “He really has.”

Charles hadn’t pulled any stunts lately.

He no longer drank, no longer partied, and no longer messed around. He was actually out there networking, visiting clients, and putting all his energy into work.

‘Did my brother and my husband become partners in crime?‘ Briana thought, completely thrown off.

“Alright, enough with the chit–chat. That’s all minor stuff,” Charles waved his hand dismissively. “Briana, your health is what really matters here. So, have you decided when you’re going to take care of the pregnancy and get admitted for your heart surgery?”

Briana fell completely silent.

Charles glanced over at Shepard. “Shepard?”

“She’s still as stubborn as ever,” Shepard said with a sigh. “No matter what I say, she won’t listen. Even Olivia tried talking to her, but it didn’t help.”

“That’s how she’s always been, so headstrong, ever since she was a kid,” Charles muttered.

“Charles,” Briana interrupted, “don’t you want to be an uncle?”

“Sure, I do,” Charles answered right away. “It’d be awesome to have another kid in the family.”

Briana’s eyes sparkled as she wondered, ‘Is Charles actually okay with me keeping the baby?”

But in the next moment, Charles switched gears. “But listen, I’m your brother first, and your kid’s uncle second. If you’re not around, what’s the point of me being an uncle?”

Briana’s hopeful look dimmed instantly.

“See, Shepard’s got your back. He puts you above everything, and that’s something you don’t see every day,” Charles said,

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Chapter 243

trying to convince her.

He added, “Focus on getting healthy, and you two can spend your whole lives loving and supporting each other.

“Honestly, most guys only care about passing on their bloodline. But those big–shot families like the Carter Even if they put you first. Your life matters more than anything else.

Charles was really laying it on thick. “True colors show when times get tough, Briana”

Briana wondered, ‘Can’t argue with that. When everything’s calm, you never really know what’s in someone’s heart. It’s only when things get messy that you see who’s real and who’s faking it.

During the whole divorce drama, Briana lost hope countless times. She didn’t want to walk this road with Shepard anymore

She kept doubting whether Shepard ever really loved her at all. She couldn’t find the answer.

It wasn’t until she was diagnosed with a heart condition and told she needed major surgery.

“Be good, Shepard whispered softly in her ear, his voice gentle and low. “Briana, please stop insisting on your own way.

Briana looked down, saying nothing.

Charles said, “That’s settled, Briana. You need to get admitted for surgery. Anyway, I’ve got something to take care of, so I‘ head out. See you!”

He got up in a hurry and left the couple to themselves.

Briana kept her head down, her fingers resting on her knees. Nobody could tell what was going through her mind.

Initially, Shepard didn’t think anything was off. It wasn’t until he noticed the tiny droplets on the back of her hand.

Shepard realized it wasn’t water. Those were her tears. Briana was crying.

Shepard’s heart tightened instantly, as if it were being squeezed hard.

“Briana?” he murmured, worry lacing his voice. “Why are you crying?”

He reached out and gently wiped beneath her eyes with his thumb. His thumb was damp with her tears.

“Hey, don’t cry.” Shepard held her close, soothing her with gentle strokes on her back. Im not going anywhere. No matter how hard things get, I’ll always be right here with you.”

Briana kept crying, not making a sound.

“Briana, do you have any idea how much it hurts me to see you like this? It hurts more than anything else you could do to me,” Shepard said. “If you want to cry, let it out. Cry as loud as you want.