Hope Crawls Through Ruins by Kain Rwan Vale 151

Chapter 151 

Lane Group’s current market value was less than 10 billion dollars. 

Meanwhile, the Carter Group was worth a jaw–dropping 100 billion dollars. 

Even if one put ten Lane Groups together, they still wouldn’t be a match for the Carter Group. 

Edward thought, ‘Can one of Briana’s paintings really fetch over a hundred million dollars? 

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‘Even her mentor Leonard’s most expensive piece only ever went for just over a hundred million at auction. 

Edward kept up his friendly smile and said, “Briana, joking is fine, but you can’t just throw claims like that around. I get it: your art is your life’s work, and I know it means a lot to you. 

“But if we’re talking cold, hard cash, there’s no way a company couldn’t cover that kind of cost.” 

Briana just grinned. She shot back, “Hey, that was Shepard’s claim, not mine. Are you questioning him, Uncle Edward?” 

Edward was left speechless. 

Briana continued, “If he says you can’t afford it, then that means you really can’t. So, let’s talk about how you’ll compensate me.” 

Edward’s smile finally cracked, his face turning sour. He didn’t say a word. 

The lounge fell into a brief silence. 

Sophia gritted her teeth and said, “Briana, don’t get greedy. We’ll pay you back, but only at market price. Quit bluffing and asking for the moon!” 

“Forget the cash. I want Lane Group,” Briana shot back, not budging an inch. 

Shepard was right there, and she knew he was on her side. 

He’d already put it out there. 

He had her back, and she was ready to strike. 

Their teamwork was flawless. 

Briana sat up straighter and continued, “Uncle Edward, you’ve been running my parents‘ company for Charles and me for so long, acting like it’s yours. But just because you’ve been holding onto it doesn’t mean it belongs to you. 

“Why not just hand it over now? Otherwise, things will only get uglier, and we’ll all lose face. The big shots in Belaris will have a field day laughing at us. 

“And hey, I’m not going to leave you out in the cold. You can step back, take it easy in a comfy job, keep all 

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Chapter 151 

your salary, bonuses, and perks. Kick back and enjoy your retirement. Sounds pretty sweet, right?” 

Edward had always known Briana had been scheming to reclaim Lane Group for ages. 

That’s why he’d urgently summoned Sophia back from overseas. 

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But he never expected Briana to lay her cards on the table so quickly and so openly, not even bothering to hide her intentions. 

Edward thought, ‘Is she really talking this tough just because Shepard’s backing her? 

‘But isn’t Shepard into Vivian?‘ 

Edward’s eyes flicked around, clearly trying to sidestep the issue. He said, “Yeah, you’re right. But you and Charles just aren’t ready to run Lane Group yet. I can’t just hand it over on a whim.” 

Edward kept things civil with Briana, especially with Shepard watching. 

Briana snapped, “Cut the nice talk. Whether I can run the company or not is my business, not yours. Just give it to me straight. Are you handing over Lane Group or not?” 

She was relentless. 

She kept pressing, not giving Edward a moment to breathe. 

Edward dragged out the words, stalling, “Of course, I will. it’s just that…” 

Briana cut him off sharply, “Enough. Uncle Edward, let’s sign the agreement right now.” 

“Agreement?” Edward echoed, clearly taken aback. 

“Yes,” Briana replied flatly. 

A sly glint flashed in Briana’s eyes as she stood up and strode out of the room. 

She was back in a flash, holding two copies of a contract. 

The title on the front read: [Company Transfer Agreement.] 

Edward’s expression darkened. 

“I was bored, so I had a lawyer draft this up,” Briana said, slapping the contract onto the table. She urged, “Uncle Edward, take a look and sign it.” 

Briana never fought a battle unprepared. 

She’d always known this showdown was inevitable, so she’d made sure everything was ready. 

Edward was totally blindsided. 

Things were moving at breakneck speed. 

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Chapter 151 

He didn’t have time to stall. 

Edward thought, ‘Briana is on a whole other level compared to Charles. She is smart, ruthless, and backed by serious firepower.‘ 

Seeing that Edward was just staring at the contract, not moving, Briana pushed, “What’s wrong? Uncle Edward, don’t you have a pen? Here, I’ll get you one.” 

Without missing a beat, she reached into Shepard’s pocket, pulled out his pen, and handed it over like it was the most normal thing in the world. 

She did it on purpose. 

Using Shepard’s pen was a warning: refuse to sign, and Edward would be going against Shepard himself. 

Now, Edward really had no way out. 

Shepard glanced down at his pocket. 

Briana had pulled out the pen with effortless grace, like it was the most natural thing in the world. 

A faint smile tugged at his lips. 

He thought, “This feels right. 

He liked this: no distance between them, just natural intimacy. 

His pen was hers, and she could use it whenever she wanted. 

Because they were husband and wife. 

Forget just a pen; if she wanted the Carter Group’s seal, he’d give it to her, no questions asked. 

Everything Edward needed to sign was right there: pen and contract, all set. 

But Edward just sat there, frozen. 

Briana had him backed into a corner. There was no way out. 

Diana was sharp. She gave Sophia a meaningful look. 

Sophia got it right away. She rushed over, grabbed the contract off the table, and ripped it in half. 

Sophia yelled, “Sign it? Are you kidding me? Sure, your parents founded Lane Group, but Briana, let’s be honest: would Lane Group even be what it is today without my parents busting their backs for it? 

“After your parents died, my dad was the one who kept the company afloat, stressing day and night until he went gray way before his time. Just because your parents started it, you think you get everything? That’s not fair. You’re crossing the line!” 

Sophia was shouting and ripping at the contract simultaneously. 

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Soon, the contract was nothing but shredded paper. 

“You can’t just steal all my dad’s years of hard work. Briana, have a conscience,” Sophia snapped. 

Briana remained expressionless, calm, and collected. 

She shot back, “Crossing the line? Having no conscience? If anyone should be saying that, it’s me. To your whole family.” 

Briana’s eyes swept over Edward, Diana, and Sophia in turn. 

She continued, “When my parents died, Lane Group wasn’t even public yet, but they’d already started prepping for it. After they were gone, your family just sat back and enjoyed the ride, giving orders while everything was already set up for you. 

“Then Wrenley arranged for me and Shepard to be engaged as kids, so the Carter and Lane families became in–laws, helping each other out, getting even closer. 

“Back then, Richard was running Carter Group, and he really looked after Lane Group, giving us plenty of support and investment. 

“Later, I married Shepard, and he took over the Carter Group. Sure, he didn’t go all out for Lane Group like Richard did, but he never made things tough for us either.” 

At this, Briana asked lightly, almost mockingly, “Uncle Edward, where exactly did you work so hard?” 

Briana scoffed inwardly, ‘With the Carter Group always backing the Lane Group, Edward could do nothing and still make a tidy profit every year. 

‘And now he wants to play the ‘hard work‘ card with me? 

‘Not a chance!‘ 

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