Hope Crawls Through Ruins by Kain Rwan Vale 138

Chapter 138 

Charles was screaming on the other end of the line. 

“Briana, help me. Hurry up, or I’m really going to die. 

“They set me up. I got played. 

“I’m here. Sorry, I–I came here on my own. You guys didn’t trick ne. I was just spouting nonsense,” he yelled. 

Shepard frowned. 

‘Did Charles screw up overseas?‘ Shepard thought to himself. 

Before he could say a word, Briana came to her senses and grabbed the phone right out of his hand. 

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Her hands were shaking, and her voice trembled as she pleaded, Please, don’t do anything crazy. Let’s talk, okay? Just don’t hurt Charles. Whatever you want, just say it. I’ll do whatever I can.” 

She only had Charles left in this world. 

Nothing could happen to him. 

These past few days, Briana had been feeling a vague sense of unease, but she still held onto a bit of hope. She figured Charles had finally gotten his act together, gotten smarter, and wouldn’t go stirring up trouble again. 

Turns out, she’d given him way too much credit. 

“We want money,” the man on the other end barked, his voice rough and menacing. “He lost big at the casino and can’t pay up. If you want him to make it back home alive, you’d better pay off his debt.” 

Briana swallowed hard. “How much did he lose?” 

“Over 60 million,” the guy replied. “We’ll cut you some slack. Just pay back 60 million.” 

Briana’s hand nearly slipped from the phone again. 

’60 million? 

‘How could he lose that much? 

‘Where did Charles even get the guts to do something like this? she thought, her mind reeling. 

“No, it’s not 60 million,” Charles protested. “How can you ask for a king’s ransom like that? I only lost 10 million.” 

“10 million is just the principal. The rest is interesting,” the guy said, his voice icy. 

“That’s highway robbery,” Charles shouted. 

“You calling us crooks?” the man shot back. 

Charles clammed up instantly, not daring to make a sound. 

Right after, a muffled thud came through the phone. 

Charles was definitely getting roughed up. 

Briana took a deep, shaky breath. “I’ll raise the money as fast as I can. Just don’t lay a finger on my brother. If anything 

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Chapter 138 

happens to him, you’ll answer to me.” 

“Relax. Just the money. We don’t care about him or his life,” they replied. 

“Let me talk to my brother for a moment,” Briana said. 

“Sure thing,” the guy said without missing a beat. 

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Soon, Charles’s voice came through again, shaking with fear. “Brina, there’s some money in my company account, but it’s nowhere near enough. Take out whatever you can first. Figure out the rest somehow. Ask Grandma or Uncle Edward. 

“Or Shepard. Yeah, he’s loaded for sure. Briana, saving my life is all that matters right now. Pride means nothing right now. You’ve got to save me, I’m begging you. 

“If you don’t, I’m never coming back. You’ll never see me again, ever.” 

Charles was crying his eyes out. 

Briana was at her wits‘ end with him, so disappointed she couldn’t even find the words. 

“Charles, weren’t you supposed to be on a business trip? How did you end up in a casino?” she demanded, disbelief clear in her voice. 

“They all said it was just for fun, so I–I went along with them. I got caught up in it and ended up losing big before I even realized,” Charles stammered, his voice shaking. 

“I thought you’d finally turned your life around,” Briana shouted. “But you’re still the same old you. Just how am I supposed to bail you out? Do you even care how hard this is on me?” 

She would never yell at Shepard like this. 

There was no need. 

Getting worked up over an ex–husband just wasn’t worth it. 

But when it came to her brother, Briana just couldn’t hold back. 

She could walk away from a marriage, but when it came to her siblings, that bond sticks with her for life. 

“I know I screwed up. I swear, I’ll never gamble or mess around again. I’ll focus on work, I promise,” Charles pleaded, his voice shaking. “Briana, please, you’ve got to save me. I’m begging you.” 

Before he could finish, the rough voice cut in again. “That’s it, here’s the deal. Three days. Get the cash together and send it to the account. If you’re even one second late, don’t blame me if things get ugly.” 

The line went dead. 

Briana was still frozen in place, her hand lingering in the air as if she were still holding the phone. 

It wasn’t until Shepard gently took her wrist and lowered her hand back to her side that she finally snapped out of it. 

She looked up at Shepard, her eyes lost and her face full of worry. 

‘Was I really about to beg him for help?‘ Briana thought, her mind racing. 

It seemed like he was her only option now. 

The Lane family wouldn’t care if Charles lived or died. 

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If Wrenley found out, she’d probably blow a gasket. 

Shepard was watching her, too. 

He was just waiting for her to speak. 

If she asked, he’d help her, no questions asked. 

Only silence remained between them. 

Briana looked into Shepard’s eyes, her lips moved slightly as if she was about to speak. 

But in the end, she didn’t say a word. 

She silently walked out of the restaurant. 

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As she walked, her mind raced, trying to figure out how she could possibly pull together that insane amount of cash. 

If she couldn’t, she’d have to figure out some other way to get Charles back in one piece. 

Those guys had definitely set Charles up. 

Even though she knew it was a setup, she was completely powerless. 

‘Looks like I’ll have to borrow some money. 

‘Maybe I could ask Olivia for help? 

‘But Olivia didn’t have that kind of cash lying around. She’d have to ask her family for it. 

“The Hughes family would definitely want to know what the money was for. 

‘Should I ask Henry for a loan? 

‘Do I really have to trouble him again? 

‘Guess I have no choice but to go to him,’ Briana thought, a wave of guilt washing over her. 

She couldn’t even ask Shepard for help. She couldn’t possibly open up to Henry, either. 

How can I always turn to Henry whenever things go wrong?‘ Briana thought, guilt gnawing at her. 

He didn’t owe her anything, and he’s already helped her way too much. 

Briana was deep in thought when suddenly Shepard’s voice broke through. 

“Watch out,” he said. 

He caught her by the shoulder and gently pulled her into his arms. 

Only then did Briana realize she hadn’t been watching where she was going. If she’d taken one more step, she would’ve tripped right over the threshold. 

“You’re really out of it,” Shepard said softly. “Seriously, this is something that could be sorted out in no time.” 

He knew exactly what she was thinking. 

She should know better than anyone what the smartest way out was. 

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Chapter 138 

But she was just too proud, too headstrong, to actually ask him for help. 

And Shepard was just as proud. 

He thought, ‘If Briana wouldn’t even ask, should I really jump in and help? 

“That would just make me look like I had nothing better to do, like I was cheap and just trying to win her over: 

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So they both knew exactly what was going on, but neither of the was willing to be the first to say what they were both thinking. 

Back at Carter Estate, it was already deep into the night. 

Briana sat at the edge of the bed, clutching her phone, her heart racing with anxiety. 

Where am I supposed to get 60 million in just three days?‘ she thought, panic rising in her chest. 

The bathroom door swung open. 

Shepard stepped out, a towel wrapped around his waist, water droplets still clinging to his skin. 

Silence hung heavy between them. 

Neither of them said a word. 

It felt like they were acting out a mime, neither willing to break the silence. 

Shepard walked into the walk–in closet, towel–drying his hair as he went. 

When he came back out, he was already in his pajamas. He pulled back the covers and reclined against the headboard, settling in for the night. 

“Shepard,” Briana finally broke the silence, her voice steady but resolute. “Let’s cut a deal.” 

He’d 

get 

what he was after. 

She’d get what she needed. 

That way, neither of them would owe the other a thing. 

‘Pretty fair, isn’t it? Neither of us owes the other anything,’ she thought. 

Shepard answered in a calm voice, “So, what kind of deal do you have in mind? What could you possibly offer me?” 

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