Hope Crawls Through Ruins by Kain Rwan Vale 266

Chapter 266 

It was Briana’s voice calling out to him. 

Shepard thought, ‘Briana is always right. I should always listen to her. 

‘Alright, let’s go. 

‘Wherever the light was, wherever she was, that’s where I’d follow! 

易 

Even though everything before him was shrouded in darkness, so black he couldn’t see his own hand, Shepard pressed on. 

But now, he finally had direction. He was no longer lost in the fog and shadows, no longer confused. 

He had a goal. 

That goal was given to him by Briana. 

Wherever Briana was, that was where his journey would end. 

The medical equipment started beeping more frequently. 

The nurse quickly noticed. 

Soon, a group of doctors and nurses entered the ICU. 

Shepard slowly opened his eyes. 

All he could see was a blank haze of white, nothing else. 

But he could hear the chaotic sounds at his bedside. 

He sensed there were a lot of people gathered around him. 

But he didn’t hear the most familiar voice, the one he longed for more than anything. 

Shepard murmured, “Briana. 

“Briana.” 

Again and again, Shepard murmured her name under his breath. 

It was the name that led him from darkness to light, from death to life. 

“Quick, notify the family.” 

“The patient’s heartbeat is gradually returning to normal.” 

“Blood pressure is normal.” 

Countless voices flooded Shepard’s ears. 

Downstairs in the hospital, Briana stood in the garden, walking slowly. 

The sun was warm on her skin. 

“Olivia,” Briana asked, “when Shepard wakes up, and we get back together, will you support us and give us your blessing?” 

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Chapter 266 

“Of course,” Olivia replied. 

“But you’ve always…” Briana said, her voice trailing off 

Olivia didn’t let her finish. “Hey, that was then, this is now. Back then, Shepard really let you down, no doubt. But now? He’s changed a lot. Honestly, I think he’s way better than before.” 

Olivia thought, ‘If a guy’s willing to put his life on the line for a woman, what else could you possibly ask for? 

‘Seriously, what more could one want?‘ 

After a moment, Olivia said, “To be honest, I think Shepard just didn’t know how to love someone. He’s always so uptight, kind of boring, and stiff. And before, he was totally fooled by Vivian, so he did a lot of things that hurt you. 

“But you know what they say? Making mistakes isn’t the scary part. What’s scary is refusing to change. Shepard has truly changed for the better, and that’s something worth forgiving and recognizing.” 

Briana nodded and said, “Yeah. If we hadn’t gone through that car accident, if we hadn’t experienced separation and near- death, it might’ve taken us ages to figure all this out. Or maybe… we never would’ve understood at all.” 

Fortunately, there was still room for her and Shepard to make things right. 

There was still a glimmer of hope. 

“That just proves you and Shepard are meant to be,” Olivia replied. “No matter how many twists and turns you go through. that red string of fate keeps tying you two together.” 

“So, I guess Henry and I just weren’t meant to be,” Briana said softly. 

They went to school together and worked side by side in the student council. 

They admired each other and grew together. 

But there was never any spark between them. 

In the very end, Henry died, giving his life to save her. 

That was a wound Briana would carry in her heart forever. 

So when Shepard got into that car accident, it was an even heavier blow for Briana. 

She really couldn’t handle losing another person who meant so much to her. 

“Briana,” someone called out. 

Out of nowhere, Charles’s voice echoed from across the garden. 

Briana stopped and turned around. 

“Charles,” she answered, “you made it.” 

“Yeah, I was heading over to Dreamscape Corporation and happened to pass by, so I figured I’d check in on you,” Charles said, walking up to her. “Out here soaking up the sun and taking a stroll?” 

“Yeah, I just went to see Shepard, but I only got ten minutes with him,” Briana replied. 

Charles nodded. “How is he?” 

Briana paused, not really sure how to describe it. 

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Chapter 266 

He was just lying there, like all the life had been drained from him. 

Noticing her hesitation, Charles switched topics. He said, “He’ll wake up, just be patient a little longer. Have you been getting enough rest these past couple of days? You actually look a lot better.” 

“Come on, with me around, how could she not be doing great?” Olivia said. “I swear, I’ll have Briana healthy and happy in no 

time.” 

Briana laughed and said, “Healthy and happy? Sounds like you’re raising a kid, not me.” 

Charles couldn’t help but laugh, too. 

“Oh, by the way,” Charles said, “I stopped by the Lane residence and figured out a way to collect evidence about the car accident. If it really was Uncle Edward behind it, I won’t let them off easy. Family, seniority, to hell with all that.” 

The accident…every little moment from that day came flooding back to Briana’s mind. 

She still had no clue what Shepard had texted her back. 

She thought, ‘When would this mystery finally be solved? 

“Mrs. Carter. Mrs. Carter,” a nurse came running over, out of breath, calling out as she went. “Why are you out here? I’ve been searching everywhere for you.” 

By the time she reached Briana, the nurse was so winded that she could barely get a sentence out without pausing. 

“Mr. Carter… he…” the nurse said. 

Briana instantly grew anxious, asking, “What happened to him?” 

She had just visited him, and everything seemed fine. 

She thought, ‘It hadn’t even been half an hour; what could have possibly happened?‘ 

“He’s awake…” the nurse said, still catching her breath. “But the doctors are still examining him, so I don’t know all the details yet. I just had to let you know right away…” 

Before the nurse could finish, Briana was already sprinting toward the ICU. 

She couldn’t hear anything else, couldn’t remember a thing. 

Her mind was filled with just three words. 

He was awake. 

Shepard was awake. 

As long as he opened his eyes, as long as he wasn’t asleep anymore, he would slowly recover and live to a ripe old age. 

On her way, Briana felt like even the wind was sweet, and the whole world was bursting with birdsong and the scent of flowers. 

She was on her way to see the man she loved. 

She thought, ‘But why did it feel like the hallway stretched on forever? 

‘T’d been walking for what felt like ages, yet I still wasn’t at Shepard’s bedside.‘ 

Briana kept calling out, “Excuse me, coming through,” as she pushed her way through the crowd, racing toward the ICU. 

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Chapter 266 

But no one was there. 

The ICU door was closed, with no doctors or nurses anywhere. 

Briana stood there, frozen in place. 

She thought, ‘Where is everyone? 

‘Wait, didn’t they say Shepard was awake? 

‘So I should be able to see him whenever I want, right?‘ 

But it was totally empty. 

Her emotions were all over the place, like riding a rollercoaster. 

Up one second, down the next. 

Briana looked around, finally spotting someone at the nurse’s station. She rushed over. 

“Excuse me, do you know where the patient from that ICU room is now?” Briana asked. 

“Oh, you mean Mr. Carter?” the nurse replied. 

“Yes, that’s right,” Briana nodded and replied, “I’m his wife.” 

The nurse answered, “He’s been moved to a VIP room. If you want to see him, I can take you there now.” 

“Alright, thanks,” Briana said.