Hope Crawls Through Ruins by Kain Rwan Vale 280

Chapter 280 

Briana was the one and only mistress of this place. 

No one else could ever have this honor but her. 

Briana looked at him and gave him a warm smile. 

“To be precise, it’s welcome home to us,” Briana said gently. “Shepard, this is our home.” 

“Yes,” Shepard replied. 

Briana snuggled into his embrace. 

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“But there’s still a lot going on at the company,” Shepard said. “Briana, I won’t come in just yet. You’ve been looking after me lately, and I know it’s been tough on you. Make sure you get some rest.“. 

‘Wait, what? He’s here, but not even coming inside? Just heading straight back to work?‘ she wondered. 

Her heart had just been warmed, but after hearing that, Briana suddenly felt a hollow emptiness inside. 

But she didn’t want to let it show. 

He’d just spent a whole month in the hospital; of course, the Carter Group had work stacked sky–high waiting for him. 

Shepard had always put work first. 

So Briana could understand him. 

She could get where the employees at the company were coming from, too. 

After all, the company really depends on Shepard to keep things running smoothly. 

“Alright, alright,” Briana replied with a teasing smile. “Shepard, you’re always so busy, barely have time to catch your breath. Go on, get back to work. I’ll head inside, take a nap, rest up, and wait for you to come home for dinner.” 

She paused, then asked, “Don’t tell me you’ll be so busy you won’t even make it home for dinner?” 

“Of course not,” Shepard said, hugging her tight. “I’ll make sure to leave work early and come home to have dinner with my wife.” 

Briana teased, “It’s okay, you can work overtime until late at night if you want. I’m really generous and totally understand 

you 

Shepard raised an eyebrow. “Really?” 

She almost said ‘really, but the word lingered on her tongue and simply wouldn’t come out. In the end, all she managed was a soft huff. 

Shepard leaned down and kissed her forehead. “Go on, I’ll stay right here and watch you go in before I leave 

Briana slipped out of his arms and gave him a little wave. “Bye.” 

“Bye, Shepard called back. 

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10:57 am 

Chapter 280 

She walked into the Carter Estate. 

Before entering the living room, she looked back. 

Shepard was still standing by the car door. 

He shot her a smile. 

Only then did Briana walk into the living room. 

Once Briana had completely disappeared from view, Shepard finally turned around and ducked into the car. 

“To Carter Group,” he instructed. “And make it quick.” 

“Yes, Mr. Carter,” the person replied. 

Shepard spent the entire afternoon in his office. 

He attended meetings, handled stacks of paperwork, and caught up with the main department heads. 

By the time he finally got a chance to catch his breath, the sun was already starting to set. 

“Mr. Carter,” James said, “about the Marketing Department…” 

Before James could finish, Shepard waved him off. “Push everything to tomorrow. I’m done for today.” 

“Wait, Mr. Carter, where are you going?” James blurted out. 

As soon as he blurted it out, James realized he’d probably crossed a line. 

Who am I to question Mr. Carter’s whereabouts?‘ he thought. 

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But honestly, with Shepard being such a workaholic and just out of the hospital, James figured he’d probably be stuck at the office till midnight, as usual. 

Could it be…? James wondered. 

Are you rushing home to have dinner with your wife?” James asked. “Well, you’d better hurry, or with this traffic, you might not make it home before dark.” 

By the end, James’s voice was barely above a whisper. 

But Shepard was already grabbing his coat and car keys, heading out of the office. 

What home? What dinner? I have more important things to do! Shepard thought. 

As soon as he stepped out of the elevator and reached the reception, Shepard wasted no time in calling Briana 

“Hey, Briana, his voice was gentle. 

“Hmm, what is it?” Briana answered. “Are you on your way home?” 

“I… His voice paused. 

Briana figured it out instantly. “Let me guess, you’ve got to work late again, right?” 

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0:57 am 

Chapter 280 

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“Yeah, Shepard nodded. “Sorry, there’s just so much going on, and it’s all urgent and important. I…” 

“I get it,” Briana replied. “I was prepared for this.” 

Shepard almost never made it home in time for dinner. 

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Even if he did manage to eat with her, he’d probably just head back to the Carter Group afterward and come home late at night. 

Or he’d just hole up in his study. 

Brianna also felt sorry for him, running back and forth like that. 

Honestly, it’s really not necessary for him to wear himself out just to make it home for one dinner. 

“Go ahead and take care of your work,” Briana said. “Just try to wrap things up and come home soon… You’re not really going to make me sleep alone tonight, are you?” 

Shepard let out a soft sigh. “Never, Briana.” 

He wouldn’t miss holding her in his arms and sleeping together till dawn. 

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

“You’re not mad, are you?” Shepard asked. 

“No,” Briana muttered. 

Shepard pressed, “Are you sure?” 

“I am,” Briana nodded. “But if you keep dragging this out and asking me again, I really will get annoyed. The longer you stay on the phone, the less you get done, and the later you’ll get home to me…” 

Briana was about to complain. 

But as she kept talking, she realized she was just amusing herself. 

“Alright, enough joking around. I’m not the type who needs you to pamper me every day,” Briana said with a cheerful tone. I’m gonna hang up now and spend the evening with a good book.” 

“Miss you, Shepard murmured. 

“Miss you too,” Briana replied. 

After hanging up, Shepard got into his car and closed the door behind him. 

He was heading straight to the proposal venue. 

He wondered how Charles and Olivia had done with the decorations. 

He needed to inspect everything himself. 

And do a quick rehearsal while he is there. 

He was getting nervous, his heart thumping like crazy. 

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10:57 am 

Chapter 280 

It was rush hour, and the traffic was a nightmare. 

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Shepard sat in his car, gripping the steering wheel as the sky faded into dusk. Memories of all the years he and Briana had spent together played on loop in his head. 

They’d known each other since they were kids. 

They were childhood sweethearts. 

Briana’s love had always been steady and passionate, never once wavering. 

He hadn’t stayed true to his heart, and that’s why their happiness took so long to come. 

Thankfully, he could spend the rest of his life making it right for her. 

Shepard chose the rooftop of the highest skyscraper downtown for his proposal. 

Standing up there, you could see all of Belaris spread out beneath you, the city lights sparkling like a sea of stars. 

By the time he got there, the place was already cleared out. It was quiet, warm, and the vibe was pure romance. 

“Ta–da!” Olivia popped her head out from behind the door, her voice bright and playful. 

“Shepard, your proposal setup is ready for inspection! If anything’s not perfect, just let me know, we’ve still got time to tweak it,” she said. 

Of course, Olivia had to be part of her best friend’s proposal. 

And it was Shepard who personally invited her to help out. 

Honestly, none of this would have come together without Olivia. 

She handled all the decorations, and she was the only one who could get Briana here without her suspecting a thing. 

Seriously, we couldn’t do any of this without her. 

Shepard nodded, taking a careful look around the rooftop, inspecting every detail. 

The venue was adorned with fresh flowers everywhere, a pristine red carpet rolled out, and the air was fragrant with 

blossoms. 

It was like something out of a dream. 

“Take your time and look around,” Olivia said. “I need to call Briana now.” 

“Alright,” Shepard replied. Then, as if recalling something, he added a quick reminder, ‘Don’t let it slip” 

Olivia shot him a confident look. “Relax, I’ve got it covered. Just wait, Briana will be downstairs in thirty minutes. guaranteed.” 

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