Hope Crawls Through Ruins by Kain Rwan Vale 127

Chapter 127 

Briana stood in front of her canvas. 

Her painting was already halfway done. 

Since she couldn’t go anywhere right now, she figured she might as well hole up and focus. 

She’d finish the painting and let Leonard take a look and share his thoughts. 

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“Mrs. Carter,” Daniel said, “Mr. Carter wanted me to let you know you can paint at home. It’s more peaceful and perfect for your inspiration.” 

“Also, at ten a.m., the manager of a top luxury brand will be bringing over the latest designer gowns for you to pick out. 

“And the teams from the jewelry store, makeup and styling studio, shoe and handbag boutiques, plus the beauty and nail salons, will all be stopping by throughout the day.” 

Briana cut him off. “Stop.” 

Briana thought, ‘It’s just a dinner party, what’s the big deal? 

‘I had been to at least twenty or thirty of these things. 

‘I am a pro at this. 

‘But this time, Shepard is acting like I never done this before, micromanaging my look from head to toe. 

Daniel asked carefully, “Mrs. Carter, is something wrong? Is there anything you’d like changed?” 

Briana paused for a couple of seconds, then gave him a gentle smile. “No, just stick to the plan.” 

Briana thought, “Time to go on a shopping spree. 

‘Go all out. Spend like crazy. 

‘Swipe Shepard’s card till it screams! 

‘If I don’t blow his cash, Vivian will just get her hands on it anyway. 

She was only supposed to pick one dress, but Briana ended up grabbing ten. 

And that was just the dresses. She didn’t even bother counting the shoes, bags, or jewelry. 

If she liked it, she bought it. 

If it looked good, she bought it. 

Even if she wasn’t that into it, she still bought it. 

Back in the CEO’s office, Shepard’s phone buzzed with a bank alert. 

Shepard thought, Just what did Briana buy this time? 

‘2.5 million?‘ 

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Before he could even process that, another alert popped up. 

Another 1 million gone. 

Shepard raised an eyebrow. 

He thought, ‘So she’s just maxing out the credit card at home to let off some steam? 

Alright, no problem.‘ 

Shepard could totally roll with it. 

Shepard thought, ‘If money could fix it, it would not even be a problem. 

‘As long as Briana does not make a fuss anywhere else. 

‘Blowing cash does not even count as drama.‘ 

Anyway, Shepard had money to burn. She could splurge all she wanted. 

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“Mr. Carter? Any thoughts or suggestions on this plan?” The marketing director reporting in called out carefully, trying to get Shepard’s attention. 

Shepard set his phone aside and asked, “What’s the budget for this campaign?” 

“Around 5 million,” the director replied. 

“Alright, approved,” Mr. Carter said. 

The director blinked in surprise. ‘That was surprisingly straightforward,’ he thought. 

Before coming in, he’d been worried the budget was too high, and Mr. Carter would slash it. 

But Mr. Carter just signed his name with a flourish, not even hesitating. 

Briana had already burned through the Carter Group department’s budget in just one morning. 

And that was just the morning. 

There were still two and a half days left before the dinner party, 

Briana thought, “Time to go on a shopping spree. 

No stopping now. Let’s max out that card!‘ 

On the day of the dinner party, Shepard got back to the Carter tate an hour early. 

The place was quiet. 

“Where is she?” Shepard asked. 

“Mrs. Carter is upstairs getting her makeup done,” Daniel replied clearing his throat. “She’s been at it for two hours now.” 

“Is that so?” Shepard said. 

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He wondered, ‘Is she really going all out for this? 

Or is she planning to mess up her makeup on purpose, just to make me look bad? 

Shepard made a beeline straight for the bedroom upstairs. 

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At her vanity, Briana had just finished putting on her lipstick, checking herself out in the mirror, and feeling pretty pleased with her perfect makeup. 

It had been ages since she’d put this much effort into her look. 

Briana heard footsteps and glanced over. 

Their eyes met. 

Shepard froze in place, momentarily forgetting how to move. 

He just stood there, unable to take his eyes off her. 

The only other time Shepard had seen Briana dressed to the nines was their wedding day. 

But back then, he hadn’t been in the right headspace to really take in her beauty. 

Now, five years later, seeing her like this again. She was dazzling, refined, and impossible to look away from. 

“What’s wrong? Don’t recognize me? I’m not going to make you book bad, am I?” Briana stood up, her gown sweeping the 

floor. 

She walked over and stood before him. 

Her perfume lingered in the air. 

It was captivating. 

Her custom–tailored gown hugged every curve, the skirt adorned with countless sparkling gems that caught the light with 

every step. 

As she moved, the hem of her dress flowed and trailed gracefully behind her. 

Each step she took was utterly captivating. 

Briana wore a full set of jewelry, gracing her neck, wrists, and ea. 

Compared to diamonds, emeralds gave her a more dignified and composed look. 

Shepard couldn’t tear his eyes away from Briana, completely transfixed. “Absolutely stunning.” 

Briana flashed him a playful smile. “So, do you like what you see 

Briana reached up, grabbed his tie, and teasingly wrapped it around her fingers before giving it a sharp tug. 

She yanked Shepard right up close, leaving no space between them. 

Shepard let her pull him in, leaning forward until his lips grazed her neck. ‘God, I just want to bite her right now, leave a mark on that pale skin, he thought. 

“I like it,” Shepard replied, his voice low and husky. “I really like 

He went to wrap his arm around her waist, but Briana caught his wrist before he could get any closer. 

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“Ex–husband, you can look, but hands off. Try to behave, will you” Briana shot him a playful warning. 

He let out a low chuckle. “Spent tens of millions on this whole look, and I still can’t touch you?” 

“Yes,” Briana replied. 

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“Briana. Come on, you know that’s not how this works,” he said, catching her wrist and tugging her effortlessly into his arms. 

Shepard was staring like he was hypnotized, totally unable to look away. 

Shepard thought, ‘Can’t even touch her? 

Yeah, right! 

‘Unless I’m not a man.’ 

Briana tilted her head, her voice low and teasing in his ear. “But the dinner party is about to start. Are you really going to be late?” 

“So what if I am?” Shepard shot back. 

‘I’ll show up whenever I feel like it, he thought. 

Briana suddenly braced her hand against his chest and gave him a playful shove. 

“Honestly, typical,” she said with a pout. “Men are all just visual creatures.” 

‘Just dress up a bit and give them a little wink, and they come flocking right over, she thought. 

Briana’s attitude cooled instantly. She wasn’t in the mood for any more flirting with Shepard. 

She gathered up her dress and strode straight past him. “Let’s go 

She didn’t spare him a single glance. 

Her scent still hung in the air. 

Shepard could even smell it on himself now. 

‘How come I never realized before that showing up to these things with her could actually make me happy?‘ he thought. 

Turning around, he fell in step behind her. 

The dinner party was in full swing, with a long red carpet rolled out at the entrance. 

Reporters lined both sides, cameras flashing as they tried to capire every moment. 

“Mr. Carter’s car just pulled up!” 

“Move it. Get the best angle. Don’t miss this shot!” 

“I bet it’s Mr. Carter and Mrs. Carter arriving together.” 

“We’re about to find out.” 

The car pulled up at the end of the red carpet. 

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The door swung open, and Shepard stepped out first. He walked around the front of the car, then reached in to offer his hand to Briana. 

First, the hem of a dress appeared, trailing gracefully to the ground. 

Then a slender, pale foot emerged. 

But instead of high heels, she was wearing flat shoes. 

Briana stepped out of the car, head slightly bowed, her hand just barely brushing Shepard’s palm for a fleeting moment before she pulled away. 

That quick touch was all it took to keep up appearances for him. 

“Why is Mrs. Carter wearing flats? That’s not really the usual thing for an event like this.” 

“Maybe Mr. Carter’s just being sweet. Doesn’t want his wife standing in heels all night.” 

“Wow, I’m totally shipping them again.” 

“Or maybe Mrs. Carter can’t wear heels right now. As if, maybe she’s pregnant or something.” 

The cameras flashed nonstop. 

Shepard held Briana’s hand as they walked in together, making their entrance to the dinner party. 

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