Hope Crawls Through Ruins by Kain Rwan Va 318

Chapter 318 

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Rocco had thought he could avoid using Plan B, but he ended up underestimating Ryan and overestimating that old couple. Romy nodded. “Don’t worry, Rocco. I promise I’ll save you.” 

It wasn’t long before Romy came out. 

Ximena saw that Romy looked different than when she went in, so she hurried over. “Did you find a way to help them?” 

Romy shot her a look. “I brought you along to lead the team, not to be dead weight!” 

She thought, ‘We’re still standing right outside the Enforcement Bureau, and she’s already running her mouth. Is she in a hurry to get Rocco and the others convicted or what?‘ 

If Rocco hadn’t told her to keep Ximena around, Romy would’ve kicked her to the curb without a second thought. Ximena was annoyed by Romy’s attitude. “You’re not that great yourself, so what’s with the attitude?” 

Romy was already pissed, and Ximena’s comment just made her snap. “Just shut up if you want your man saved!” Ximena clammed up. 

Of course, she wanted to save her man. Why else would she be sticking with Romy? 

Romy looked so sure of herself, Ximena figured she must have something up her sleeve. 

***** 

Out on the Betrico outskirts, Nina shot Vincent a frosty look. “Are you just showing me around or what?” 

They’d been wandering around for hours, stopping and starting, but still hadn’t run into Samuel. 

It felt more like they were just strolling through a garden than actually looking for anyone. 

But honestly, Samuel’s hideout was pretty impressive. It had that underground lair vibe. 

Vincent chuckled. “How else are we supposed to get the lay of the land?” 

Nina shot him a sideways glance. “Get the lay of the land? What, you planning to crown yourself king or something?” 

Vincent smirked. “Exactly. I’ll be king, you’ll be my queen, and Ryan can be our janitor eunuch. Isn’t that just great?” 

Nina kept a straight face. “If you’re still dreaming, maybe you should go back to sleep.” 

Vincent stared at Nina, then smirked. “Nina, let’s make a bet. I bet when you go back, Ryan will move on. If I’m right, you’ll divorce him and marry me. We’ll find a beautiful, quiet place, disappear, and live out our days together.” 

Nina raised an eyebrow. “And what if you lose?” 

“If I lose, I’ll never mention my feelings for you again. And at your wedding to Ryan, I’ll show up in person and give you a huge gift,” Vincent said, looking her dead in the eye. 

This was his last chance to win Nina over. 

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If he failed again, he’d finally let it go. 

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Deep down, he knew that no matter what he did. Nina would never have feelings for him. The best outcome for them was just being friends. 

But that just wasn’t enough for him. 

He just had to gamble on that one–in–a–million chance. 

Nina looked up at Vincent. After a long moment, she just said, “Deal!” 

She knew exactly why Vincent was pulling this stunt today; it was all about targeting Ryan. 

For all she knew, Vincent probably already had some woman planted by Ryan’s side. 

She guessed that the woman probably looked just like her, maybe even got surgery to mimic her face. 

Vincent wanted that woman to take her place by Ryan’s side. 

He was convinced Ryan didn’t love her enough to spot the difference between her and the lookalike. 

But this was Ryan we were talking about. 

He was the one she had her heart set on. 

Ryan would never mistake a fake for the real her, no matter who was standing by his side. 

Vincent hadn’t expected Nina to agree so fast. The mix of surprise and a pang of heartache hit him all at once. 

He wondered to himself, ‘Just what kind of love does it take for her to trust someone so completely, without hesitation?‘ 

He knew he loved her just as much as Ryan did; hell, he’d die for her if he had to. 

But when it came to trust, Nina gave Ryan so much more than she ever gave him. 

‘Fine‘ he thought. 

He told himself. 

“This is how I’ll close the chapter on all these years of loving her,‘ he convinced himself. 

Neither Nina nor Vincent said another word. 

Nina kept her eyes on the terrain around them. 

She’d already memorized the entire setup; it was all laid out in a star pattern. 

Samuel wanted to revive Yusra, so he left some clues. 

She soon figured that Samuel was currently in the southeast. 

“Lead the way!” Nina said. 

This time, Vincent didn’t play any games; he took Nina straight to the cell where Scarlet was locked up. 

The place had all sorts of torture gear and clear signs someone had been living there, but Scarlet herself was nowhere in 

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Chapter 318 

sight. 

Samuel really was a crafty old fox. 

He decided to work with Vincent, but he’d already covered all his bases. 

“I know you’re watching. Why don’t you come out and talk?” Nina said, her gaze icy and unwavering. 

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Samuel’s laughter echoed around them. “Nina, it’s such a waste for someone as sharp as you to give up on your research.” 

Vincent frowned. “You old fox, you actually tricked me!” 

He thought he could have it both ways, but ended up just a pawn in the old fox’s game. 

Samuel scoffed. “You little brat, weren’t you the one who started playing games with me? But you’re still way too naive.” 

“Nina, I…” Vincent blurted out, desperate to apologize. 

He’d been plotting against Ryan, but he never meant to drag Nina into it. 

He knew how much saving Scarlet mattered to Nina, so he’d made sure not to mess things up on that front. 

But in the end, he’d ended up as Samuel’s pawn. 

Nina raised her hand, cutting Vincent off before he could say another word. 

She’d always known her grandpa would never reveal his lair so easily. 

Nina lifted her gaze to Samuel. 

The man who’d supposedly been dead for more than ten years was now standing before her, alive and real. 

For a moment, it all felt unreal. 

She’d always been starved for love. 

Growing up in a family where her mom hated her and her dad couldn’t stand the sight of her, she’d be grateful for even the smallest scrap of kindness anyone threw her way. 

She’d even been grateful to her grandpa. 

But compared to the love her grandma had given her, Nina couldn’t help but hate her grandpa even more. 

Her grandma had devoted her whole life to the Swanson family, only to realize in her old age that her marriage had been nothing but a lie. 

These days, even though her grandma never showed it, Nina could sense the pain her grandma was hiding inside. 

Every time she felt that pain, she just wanted to rip her grandpa to shreds. 

But now… 

She was strangely calm. 

It wasn’t forgiveness. 

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She just felt that giving him even a little bit of her feelings would be a slap in the face to her grandma. 

‘Sincerity’s always been the real deal, from way back to now. Don’t tell me you actually need me to teach you the bass, 

Nina said. 

Samuel let out a dismissive laugh. “Nina, you’re way too eager. Didn’t I tell you? Someone’s coming for you! 

“I’m already here, so what’s the point of sending someone after me?” Nina said, her tone icy. “Enough with the nonsense. I you want to negotiate, bring Scarlet out.” 

“I can let you see Ruby, but first, you need to show me that needle method, Samuel replied calmly. “You should know, this isn’t your moment to bargain. You can refuse to give me what I want, but Scarlet’s safety is your responsibility 

Nina didn’t answer. She just swept her gaze around, taking in the place. “Building a catacomb like this must’ve taken you decades, huh? Quite the masterpiece.” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Samuel narrowed his eyes. 

Nina smirked, hands in her pockets. ‘Weren’t you always bragging about how well you know me? What, can’t read me this time?‘ she thought, her tone dripping with sarcasm. 

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