Hope Crawls Through Ruins by Kain Rwan Vale 257

Chapter 257 

Chapter 257 

One could really see just how narrow–minded Edward was. 

“Alright,” Shepard nodded. “Let’s pick up the pace.” 

“Wait, pick up the pace on what?” Briana asked. 

“On Lane Group’s bankruptcy,” Shepard said flatly. 

Anyway, Dreamscape Corporation already had all the clients and business locked down. 

The Lane Group was nothing but an empty shell now. It could come crashing down any day. 

The night was deep and heavy. 

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At the Lane residence, Wrenley leaned on her cane, with Daniel helping her as she headed back to her room. 

Edward, Diana, and Sophia sat together on the couch, their faces dark with worry. 

“Briana won’t budge, and Grandma isn’t even trying to help us out. She’s planning to spend the winter on some island, just to get away from all the drama at home,” Sophia said, her voice trembling. 

“Dad, are we just supposed to sit here and wait for disaster to hit us?” she added. 

Sophia had been pampered her whole life. She was a total princess. There was no way she could handle being broke. 

Besides, being broke wasn’t just about having nothing; it meant everyone would treat you like dirt. 

Edward kept chain–smoking, one cigarette after another. 

Diana let out a sigh, said nothing, and quietly took his lighter away. 

With no way to light up, Edward was forced to stop smoking. 

He crushed the cigarette butt hard, jaw clenched. “Briana really needs to be taught a lesson!” 

‘Dad, didn’t you say you had it all figured out?” Sophia asked. 

“But I never expected her to be this heartless, just cutting us off like that!” Edward snapped. 

“So what do we do now, Dad?” Sophia pressed. 

Diana chimed in, “Edward, is there anything Sophia and I can do to help?” 

“No need,” Edward said. “Just stay out of it.” 

Sophia looked confused. “Dad, what are you-” 

“I told you not to ask!” Edward snapped, cutting her off. “I know what I’m doing!” 

He got up in a huff and walked away. 

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Diana hurried after him. “Edward, calm down.” 

That left Sophia sitting alone on the couch. 

She had no idea what her dad was planning next. 

At this point, going tough on Briana wouldn’t work at all. 

And if they played the sympathy card, Briana wasn’t falling for it. 

‘So how are we supposed to break this deadlock?‘ Sophia wondered. 

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Sophia absolutely hated Briana. Ever since they were kids, she’d always been messing with Briana, coming up with new ways to bully her. 

There was even a time when Sophia saw Briana squatting by the river, and she almost wanted to push her in. 

But with other people around, and since she was just a kid herself, the idea just flickered and disappeared. 

But right now, after all these years, that dark thought resurfaced in Sophia’s mind. 

‘Yeah,’ Sophia sighed inwardly. ‘What if Briana just died? That would solve everything She should’ve died years ago!‘ 

Suddenly, another memory popped into Sophia’s head. 

The day their parents died in that car accident, Briana was supposed to go with them. But she was just a kid, and she was so sleepy she couldn’t get up. She overslept. 

Rayden and Judith were total softies for their little girl. They just couldn’t bring themselves to wake her up, so they let her stay home and sleep. That was how Briana managed to dodge that disaster. 

If she’d gone with them, Charles would’ve been the only one left after the accident. 

And Charles was just a good–for–nothing playboy. He’d probably blow through the family fortune in no time, let alone running the company. 

‘Car accident, Sophia thought, the memory flashing through her mind. Her plan was coming together, clearer than ever. ‘That’s it!‘ She had an idea. 

Sophia quickly started to imagine, scheme, and plot. 

In the Evergreen Estate, Briana slept in naturally. She glanced at the clock. It was already ten. 

Lately, she’d been feeling sleepy all the time, sleeping in for hours. But even after waking up, she never felt refreshed just totally wiped out. 

Maybe it was just part of being pregnant at this stage, always tired. At least she didn’t have bad morning sickness. 

After washing up, Briana headed downstairs. 

As soon as she got to the top of the stairs, she could hear everyone talking and laughing below. 

She looked down into the living room. The couch was packed with people. 

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Evelyn, Wrenley, Richard, and Isabelle were all there. Even Charles was there. 

And Shepard, who should’ve been at the office, was just sitting there on the couch. 

Briana’s eyes widened in surprise. 

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‘Seriously? All these family members showed up, and I slept in until noon!‘ Briana thought, feeling totally embarrassed. Ugh, I really messed up this time. 

“Briana, Shepard called out. He was the first to notice her, got up with a slight grin, and walked over to the stairs. 

His greeting made everyone pause mid–conversation, all eyes turning to Briana. 

Briana wanted the ground to swallow her up. She hurried down the stairs, her footsteps thudding loudly. 

“Slow down,” Shepard called out from the foot of the stairs, looking up at her. “Careful. You’ve got a baby on board.” 

Briana hurried down the steps. He reached out his hand to her. 

She placed her hand in his, and as she got closer, she grumbled softly, “Why didn’t you wake me up?” 

‘I was going to wake you up, but Wrenley said to let you sleep in,” Shepard replied. 

‘Huh?” Briana said. 

‘So, Shepard arched an eyebrow, “you can’t pin this on me.” 

Briana muttered, “Just because Grandma said not to, you actually listened?” 

“Well, I wanted you to catch up on sleep, too,” Shepard said with a small grin. 

Briana gave him a mock glare. 

She hurried over to the couch, looking embarrassed. “I–I overslept,” 

Before she could finish, Evelyn waved her hand with a smile. “No worries at all. We just came by to see you. It’s nothing urgent, so why bother waking you up?” 

That’s right, Isabelle added. “Evelyn told me to bring you lots of tonics and goodies. I already handed them to the maid. Make sure you eat well and take care of yourself. 

‘Get nice and plump, so when it’s time to have the baby, it won’t be so tough.” 

Thank you,” Briana said. 

‘No need to be so polite,” Isabelle replied. “It’s what we should do. As long as you and the baby are healthy and safe, we can finally relax. 

Briana nodded sweetly. 

Evelyn looked at her, absolutely smitten by how sweet she was. 

“Oh, and Briana, Evelyn said with a bright smile, “Wrenley and I just decided. We’re heading to the island tomorrow. We’re going to spend the winter there, just the two of us, keeping each other company.” 

“That’s great!” Briana agreed right away. “The weather’s perfect over there. I hope you both have a wonderful time.” 

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“And you and Shepard should have fun, too,” Evelyn added with a teasing smile. “He barely goes home anymore. He’s always here with you.” 

Wrenley chimed in, “It doesn’t matter where they stay, as long as the young couple is together.” 

“Exactly,” Evelyn agreed. 

Shepard put his arm around Briana’s shoulders. “Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of Briana.” 

Everyone here was a seasoned pro when it came to relationships. Just by watching Shepard and Briana, their gestures, the way they looked at each other, the easy body language. It was crystal clear to everyone that their relationship had softened. 

‘Looks like it won’t be long before they’re back to being lovey–dovey again!‘ everyone thought. 

The Carter family lingered for a while before getting ready to head out. 

After all, they’d just come by to catch up and check on how Shepard and Briana were doing. 

And from the looks of it, things were looking up. 

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