Hope Crawls Through Ruins by Kain Rwan Vale 253

Chapter 253 

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Briana was feeling great today. She wasn’t overthinking or daydreaming anymore; her mind felt clear and steady. 

Maybe it was because she and Shepard had finally cleared the air and opened up to each other about what was really on their minds. 

Shepard just wanted Briana to give him an answer as soon as possible. 

He just wanted to stop feeling anxious, worrying about it day and night. 

But Briana wanted to take things slow, really slow, so she could figure out what she truly felt inside. 

Shepard wanted to speed things up. Briana wanted to slow things down. Obviously, that led to a lot of tension between them. 

But after they talked things through, things went a lot smoother. 

Shepard felt a weight lift off his shoulders. Briana could finally relax, too. 

Briana grabbed her paintbrush and got so caught up in painting that she totally lost track of time. 

As the evening rolled around, her phone buzzed with a call. 

“Hello, Grandma,” Briana answered. “Were you looking for me? How have you been lately?” 

“I’m doing great,” Wrenley replied. “And you? How did your last prenatal checkup go? Everything okay?” 

“All good, Grandma,” Briana said. 

Wrenley chuckled, “It’s been a while since I’ve seen you. Why don’t you come home for dinner and keep me company?” 

Briana glanced at the time and replied without hesitation, “No problem!” 

Since Wrenley was the one who asked, Briana couldn’t possibly turn her down. 

‘Where are you? At the gallery?” Wrenley asked. “Are you there by yourself?” 

“Yes,” Shepard said. 

‘Why don’t you bring Shepard along, Briana?” Wrenley suggested. 

Briana agreed right away. “Okay.” 

‘Huh?” Wrenley was genuinely surprised. 

Wait, are those two finally back on track? Did they patch things up?‘ Wrenley wondered. 

‘Really?” Wrenley said, still skeptical. “You’re actually going to ask him? Don’t tell me you’ll show up by yourself again and 

make up some story about him being busy at work or stuck in a meeting.” 

‘I’m serious, Grandma. As soon as I hang up with you, I’ll let Shepard know,” Briana said. 

‘If you ask him, he’ll definitely say yes,” Wrenley replied. 

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Chapter 253 

Anyone could see that these days, Shepard was totally wrapped around Briana’s finger. 

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It wasn’t just about having dinner together. If Briana asked for the stars, Shepard would move heaven and earth to get them for her. 

Everyone had seen how hard Shepard had been chasing after Briana all this time. 

Briana scratched her cheek, a little embarrassed. “But if he really is busy, there’s nothing I can do about it.” 

“You’re the most important thing to him,” Wrenley said. 

Shepard had told her that a million times already. 

Briana was always number one in his heart, the one he revolved around. 

“Alright, I’ll be waiting for you both,” Wrenley said with a smile. “I’ll make sure the kitchen prepares all your favorite dishes.” 

“Okay, Grandma,” Briana replied. 

As soon as she hung up, Briana wasted no time and called Shepard right away. Shepard picked up instantly. 

‘Briana’s calling me. How could I possibly miss this?‘ Shepard thought. He didn’t dare waste even a second. 

And since it was right at the end of the workday, he guessed she was probably inviting him to dinner. 

Shepard was feeling absolutely delighted. 

“Hey, Briana,” Shepard answered. 

“Are you still at the office?” Briana asked. “Got anything going on tonight?” 

“Not really, I’m just about to head home,” Shepard replied. 

Hearing that, Briana said, “Grandma invited us over to the Lane residence for dinner. Since you’re free, let’s head over together.” 

“Sure,” Shepard agreed right away. “Want me to come pick you up at the gallery?” 

“Okay, I’ll be waiting for you,” Briana replied. 

“I’ll be there as soon as I can,” Shepard said. 

As soon as the call ended, Shepard stood up right away, grabbed his coat and car keys, and walked out of the office. 

James was in the middle of his report when he suddenly froze. 

‘Seriously? Mr. Carter’s just walking out like that?‘ James thought, totally baffled. ‘And what about the big international meeting tonight?‘ 

“Mr. Carter?” James called out, a little unsure. 

Shepard didn’t even seem to hear him; he vanished in a flash, leaving nothing but a blur behind. 

James didn’t dare call out again. He knew Shepard had just gotten a call from Briana. 

Nothing else in the world could ever outrank Briana in Shepard’s heart. 

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10:34 am 

Chapter 253 

Even a billion–dollar deal was nothing in his eyes compared to his wife right now, let alone a meeting. 

‘Looks like I’ll have to see if I can reschedule the meeting,‘ James sighed inwardly. 

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The light outside was fading. Rush hour had hit. The streets were gridlocked, cars stretching endlessly in snaking lines, bumper to bumper as far as the eye could see. 

At the Lane residence, the kitchen was buzzing with activity as everyone prepared for the family dinner. 

Diana was hovering around the kitchen. 

“Briana’s pregnant, so we need to be extra careful with her food. Don’t use anything that’s not safe for pregnant women,” Diana reminded the staff. 

“How’s the soup coming along? Make sure to strain it a few times. Don’t let it get too greasy, so it doesn’t upset Briana’s stomach,” she added. 

“Mr. Carter likes his food light, so go easy on the oil and salt,” Diana instructed. 

Diana was meticulous, personally overseeing every dish to make sure it met her standards. She was worried that her hospitality might fall short. 

Meanwhile, Edward was busy in the living room, directing the servants as they tidied up the house. 

“Put the vase over here. Go out to the garden and cut a few fresh branches to stick in. Makes the place look so much better,” Edward said. 

“Sweep it spotless, not a speck of dust anywhere,” he reminded them. 

“Where’s the gift I bought? Put it right on the coffee table, front and center, so everyone can see it,” Edward instructed. 

Edward and Diana were pulling out all the stops for this family dinner, making sure everything was perfect, all just to please Shepard and Briana. 

Sophia sat on the couch with obvious disdain. 

She was still young, too proud to humble herself before Briana, the girl she’d always looked down on and pushed around growing up. 

“It’s not like it’s her first time here. Why are we making it such a big deal?” Sophia scoffed. “The more we do this, the more her tail’s practically up in the clouds.” 

Edward didn’t bother arguing with her and just said, “Just say that when we’re alone.” 

“Yeah, I know, Dad. I’m not stupid. I won’t ruin things for you,” Sophia replied. 

After all, Sophia understood that the family’s fortunes were tied together. 

Wrenley sat at the head of the table, holding her cane in both hands as she watched everyone rushing around, getting ready for dinner. After a while, she sighed softly and leaned back in her chair. 

Noticing this, a servant hurried over to adjust the cushion behind her. 

“I always knew this day would come,” Wrenley said. “I just never thought it would happen like this.” 

Lane Group was a ticking time bomb just waiting to go off in the Lane family’s hearts. Now, it was finally going off. 

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Chapter 253 

Wrenley wasn’t going to take sides, and she couldn’t help anyone, even if she wanted to. 

Whoever got the skills got to sit at the top. That was just the way things were; only the strong survived. 

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Wrenley glanced at the clock and instructed the servant, “Go brew some coffee. I figure Mr. Carter and Briana will be here any minute.” 

“Yes, Wrenley,” the servant replied. 

“Make sure you use the best coffee beans!” Edward quickly added. “They’re in the bottom drawer of the cabinet!” 

“Understood, Edward,” the servant replied. 

Wrenley glanced at him. 

Edward beamed and hurried over to her. 

“Mom,” Edward said, “when they get here, could you back us up a bit and say a few words? You know, one word from you is worth a hundred from us.” 

“What can I even say?” Wrenley replied. 

“You know what I mean, Mom,” Edward said. 

Wrenley let out a sigh. “I’ve told you a million times, and I’ve been honest with you. 

“If you keep hogging Lane Group and never give Briana and Charles a shot, it’s only a matter of time before things blow up. Did it ever sink in?” 

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