Hope Crawls Through Ruins by Kain Rwan Vale 115

Chapter 115 

Chapter 115 

Everyone thought Briana was the underdog in this marriage 

But when it came time to file for divorce, it was Shepard who didn’t show up. 

And just like that, the whole narrative would flip on its head. 

Shepard smirked, lips curling into a teasing smile. “Briana, howe you planning to get there, huh?” 

Briana’s eyes widened in surprise, 

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I want you to stay inside the Carter Estate. Not a single step out Shepard said. “If neither of us shows up at the courthouse, then no one wins or loses,” Shepard said. 

“You’re keeping me prisoner again!” Briana shot back. 

“That’s right,” Shepard replied, straightening up and suddenly putting distance between them. “Did you really think you could challenge me? Just because I let you stay in the gallery, you thought you had your freedom?” 

“Shepard!” Briana yelled. 

“Get out,” he ordered, circling his desk and dropping into his chair in front of the computer. “Go get some sleep.” 

He might as well have said. Just wash up and go to bed; quit struggling. 

Briana glared at him. 

She stared at him until her eyes felt dry, but Shepard didn’t even look her way. 

Fuming, Briana stormed out of the study, slamming the door so hard it echoed through the house. 

The windows on the second floor rattled in their frames. 

Shepard sat there, completely unfazed, his expression unchanged. 

Back in the bedroom, Briana got pissed off again the moment she saw Shepard’s crap scattered everywhere. 

Ties, packs of cigarettes, lighters, and charging cables. He just left his stuff wherever, never cleaned up after himself. 

Briana thought, ‘Some things never change, huh? He’s still the same after all these years. 

‘Besides keeping me locked up, what else does he even do? Thats all he knows. Just this one move! 

He can keep me locked up, but he’ll never cage my heart! 

‘No matter what, I have to get to the courthouse tomorrow. No excuses. 

I’m going to let the whole world know. I’m dead set on this divorce, and it’s Shepard who’s stalling, refusing to let me go!” 

Briana paced restlessly at the foot of the bed, wracking her brain for a plan. 

She was on her own, ready to outsmart and outfight Shepard if that’s what it took. 

But no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn’t come up with anything. 

Briana thought, I am stuck inside the Carter Estate, couldn’t even get out the door. What could I possibly do?‘ 

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Chapter 115 

Feeling thirsty, Briana started searching for a cup 

The first thing she spotted was Shepard’s cup sitting on the nightand. 

It was black, resting on the nightstand, its matte surface still smulged with his fingerprints, 

Suddenly, a lightbulb went off in Briana’s head. 

“That’s it! Briana thought. 

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It was almost midnight when Shepard finally left his study and headed back to the master bedroom. 

When he pushed the door open, Briana was already asleep. 

Just like always, she was lying on the very edge of the bed, her back to him. 

Shepard always worried she’d fall off to sleep like that. 

But she never actually did. 

He had no idea how she managed to stay so balanced. Shepard thought ‘Does she ever roll over in her sleep?” 

Shepard unbuttoned his shirt and headed for the bathroom. 

After washing up, he walked over to the bed and, out of the corner of his eye, noticed the glass of milk sitting on the nightstand. 

Shepard thought, ‘I never drink milk before bed. 

“The servants never prepared it for me either. 

‘But Briana always did. 

‘But ever since the divorce drama began, there hadn’t been a warm glass of milk on my nightstand at bedtime. 

‘But now, that glass of milk is back. 

‘So, Briana must’ve left it there for me. 

‘What’s that supposed to mean? 

Without even realizing it, a gentle smile tugged at Shepard’s lips 

He didn’t notice he was smiling at all. 

Shepard thought, Women, huh. They always say one thing but mean another. 

‘She keeps going on about getting divorced tomorrow, but look at this. She still worries about me working late and leaves me a glass of milk. 

Maybe I really should try sweet–talking Briana a little. 

Just a little effort, and her heart would melt. She’d end up staying by my side again, maybe even going back to being the good old Mrs. Carter. 

‘Let’s see how it goes tomorrow. 

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Chapter 115 

Shepard leaned over, grabbed the glass of milk, and drank it slowly. 

His Adam’s apple moved as he finished the milk. 

Briana slowly opened her eyes; they were clear, not the least bit sleepy. 

She heard the sound of gulping. 

Shepard was the one drinking milk. 

He just went ahead and drank it; didn’t even need her to say a word. 

‘Nice, Briana thought. 

Shepard set the glass down softly, slipped under the covers, and settled next to Briana. 

Briana closed her eyes. 

Like it was just another ordinary night, as if nothing had happened at all. 

The lights clicked off, and the master bedroom went pitch black. 

Everything was still, the night perfectly silent. 

Shepard drifted off to sleep, his breathing steady and even. 

Briana fell asleep soon after. 

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But the moment the alarm went off at eight, Briana’s eyes snapped open. 

She’d kept the alarm at the lowest volume, right by her ear. Just so she’d wake up the second it buzzed. 

Meanwhile, Shepard was dead to the world, sleeping soundly right next to her. 

Briana rolled over and glanced at him. 

“Shepard,” she called out softly. “Shepard 

No response. 

So she raised her voice a little. “Shepard, wake up. Come on, time to get up and head to work.” 

Still nothing. 

Briana decided to go for it. 

She scooted right up next to Shepard, poked his arm, and gave him a little shake. “Hey, quit sleeping.” 

No matter how much she called out or shook him, Shepard didn’t budge, his breathing slow and steady. 

Briana couldn’t help but smirk, feeling pretty pleased with herself. 

She thought, ‘Perfect. He’s totally out. 

If my calculations are right, Shepard would be out cold until the afternoon 

Because Briana had slipped some sleeping pills into that glass of milk. 

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Just to be sure he’d stay down long enough, she’d gone ahead an doubled the dose. 

After all, he was tall and built like a tank. Regular strength probably wouldn’t do the trick. 

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“I might’ve put in a bit extra, but it doesn’t matter,” Briana muttered to herself. “By the time he wakes up, I’ll already be at the courthouse. When he finally gets there, it’ll be afternoon. Just inime to get the divorce done…” 

‘He’ll definitely show up. If he doesn’t, he’ll totally lose face and look like a coward who’s too chicken to go through with the divorce. There are so many eyes on him. He’d hate being the bu of everyone’s jokes,‘ Briana thought. 

With that, Briana got out of bed. 

She glanced at the glass. 

Not a single drop of milk was left. 

She’d actually been worried that Shepard might not even touch the milk. 

Briana stayed awake, waiting for him to come back to the bedroom so she could casually bring it up, act like she was concerned, and maybe find a way to get him to drink a few sips. 

But to her surprise, Shepard chugged it all down in one go. 

Briana thought, ‘He’s not even a fan of milk. 

Eh, whatever. Not my problem. 

Briana grabbed her documents and headed downstairs. 

“Mrs. Carter,” Daniel asked, “how come you’re down here first today? Where’s Mr. Carter?” 

“He’s still sleeping. He probably worked too late last night, so he’s just sleeping this morning,” Briana replied. 

Daniel nodded. “Alright, I won’t disturb Mr. Carter then.” 

“I’m going to the gallery now,” Briana said. 

“Aren’t you having breakfast?” Daniel asked. 

“No, I’ve got things to take care of,” Briana replied. 

Briana made a beeline for the exit. 

She thought, ‘Like hell I am going to hang around the Carter Estate any longer. 

Just gotta get out of here first!‘ 

Maybe Shepard was so sure of himself, thinking he could watch Briana personally today, that he didn’t bother telling the Carter Estate’s bodyguards to keep her inside. 

So Briana slipped out of the Carter Estate and drove off, smooth as butter. 

Looking out at the world beyond the gates, Briana was so happy she wanted to scream out loud. 

Briana thought, ‘Why wait? 

‘Courthouse, here I come! 

‘Divorce, let’s do this!” 

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