Hope Crawls Through Ruins by Kain Rwan Vale 156

Chapter 156 

Briana instinctively struggled to break free. 

But the more she fought, the tighter Shepard wrapped his arms around 

She glared up at him, her head tilted back defiantly, and saw that he ad 

‘Are all men this shameless?‘ she couldn’t help but wonder. 

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hing was happening. 

“Grandma, come inside and have a seat,” Shepard said. “I brewed a pot of your favorite coffee.” 

Evelyn smiled, watching the couple’s little antics. “Alright, let’s all go in.” 

Deep down, Evelyn thought to herself, ‘Honestly, this kind of playful squabbling is way better than when the were like strangers. 

She couldn’t help but remember how things used to be between Shepard and Briana. 

Shepard always had that stone–cold face, like he was made of ice or wood. 

He only replied when spoken to, never saying a word more than necessary, but sometimes he’d just act clueless or deaf, refusing to say a word. 

Briana, on the other hand, was so gentle and caring, always with that quiet smile that made Evelyn like her and want to look after her. 

They never argued, but there wasn’t any real affection between them. 

It was like their jobs were husband and wife. 

But now, things were different. Shepard’s eyes were finally alive with emotion, no longer cold and distant. 

And Briana could finally be herself, not just Mrs. Carter anymore. 

This was the kind of love that could truly stand the test of time. 

In the living room, Evelyn took a sip of her coffee. “Not bad, this is really good coffee.” 

“When you leave, I’ll have Daniel pack up some for you to take back to the Carter residence,” Shepard said. 

“Alright,” Evelyn nodded. “Actually, I came here today because there’s something I want to discuss with you 

two.” 

She specifically said “you two,” making it clear this was something that concerned both Shepard and Briana. 

“Yes, Grandma,” Shepard said. 

“The board meeting is coming up soon,” Evelyn said. “I’ve still got some Carter Group shares in my name, and after thinking about it, I figured, why not give them to Briana? 

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Chapter 156 

“She’s my granddaughter–in–law, so it makes sense, and nobody on the board will complain 

“Sure,” Shepard replied without hesitation. 

Shares in the Carter Group were worth a lot. 

The Carter Group was the top financial powerhouse in the country. F shares would set her up for life, letting her spend without a care in the 

And Evelyn definitely owned way more than just a measly one percent. 

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ust one percent of their 

‘Is she really just handing them over to me?‘ Briana couldn’t wrap her head around it. She was left completely dumbfounded. 

“Grandma Evelyn, I… I don’t know if this is really okay,” Briana mumbled awkwardly, clearly unsure. 

“It is totally okay. I want to give it to you. Shepard agrees, and nobody else minds. It’s decided then,” Evelyn said. 

The reason she did this was that she was just trying to help Shepard lock down his wife. She wanted to make sure Briana stayed put. 

With those shares, Briana was officially a Carter Group shareholder. There was no way she was ever getting away from the Carter Group now. 

If they ever thought about splitting up, it wouldn’t be a walk in the park anymore. Just splitting up the assets would be a whole mess. 

“Whatever you say, Grandma,” Shepard said, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “I’m all for it.” 

Of course, he saw right through Evelyn’s plan. 

But Briana was stunned. Those shares were worth an insane amount, and she couldn’t possibly accept such a huge gift. 

She’d never just take something that didn’t belong to her. Take the Carter Gr think of it as hers. 

for example. She’d never 

But if something was truly hers, she’d fight for it no matter what, like the Lane Group. 

“No, no, no,” Briana said, waving her hand. “Grandma Evelyn, this is just too much. I really can’t accept it.” 

“Briana, ever since you married into the Carter family, I haven’t really done much for you. The more I think about it, the more it feels like I still owe you. 

“If you don’t take this, I’ll be up all night, unable to sleep,” Evelyn said. 

As she spoke, Evelyn reached out and took Briana’s hand. “You wouldn’t want me losing sleep over this, would you?” 

“Grandma Evelyn…” Briana murmured, at a loss. 

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“Don’t stress about it, really. This is yours by right. If I don’t give my shares to you, who else would I? If I gave them to your Shepard’s parents, they’d still end up with you anyway. 

“If I gave them to Shepard, they’d still be yours. So why not just put them straight in your hands?” Evelyn said, her smile full of kindness. 

Briana’s eyes stung, and before she knew it, they started to water. She 

g to hold them back. 

Ever since she was a kid, Evelyn was the one who cared for her most, always there for her. 

Honestly, she thought Evelyn treated her even better than her own grandmother Wrenley ever did. 

Wrenley was always caught up trying to keep the peace with Edward and his family, never really having much say in the big decisions. 

But Evelyn was like the Carter family’s living legend. Whatever she said was law, and no one ever dared to question her. 

“Alright, go ahead and do whatever you need to do,” Evelyn said. “I’ll head over with Shepard to the Carter Group. It’s been a long time since I’ve been there. I’d like to take a look.” 

Briana lowered her eyes, trying to hide the redness at the corners. 

“I heard your Dreamscape Corporation is also in the Carter Tower, right?” Evelyn said as she stood up, and then suddenly remembered something. “Would you show me around?” 

“Of course, Grandma Evelyn,” Briana replied quickly. She had no reason to say no. 

Evelyn’s smile was especially gentle as she made her way out, cane in hand. 

Shepard and Briana fell in step behind her. He walked right beside her, keeping a comfortable distance, never too close, never too far. 

As soon as word got out that Evelyn was here, all the top execs at Carter Group rushed over to greet her, eager to make sure they were noticed and remind everyone they mattered. 

It was obvious just how much weight Evelyn carried in the Carter Group. 

And she kept Briana by her side the entire time, never letting her out of sight, which showed how much Evelyn valued Briana. 

These folks were no fools. They could read the room in a heartbeat and knew exactly what Evelyn was up to. 

Once they got to the CEO’s office and closed the door, things finally quieted down a bit. 

“This is really nice,” Evelyn said. “Your company’s right here in Carter Tower, so it’s easy for you and Shepard to see and take care of each other whenever you want. I love this, it’s just perfect. Whose idea was this?” 

Briana glanced over at Shepard. 

Evelyn gave him a thumbs–up. 

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Finally, he did something that really pleased her. 

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Just as Evelyn was about to start some light conversation, maybe drop a hint about grandkids, and help smooth things over between them, there was a knock at the door. 

“Grandma,” Eric’s voice called out. “I’m coming in!” 

“Come on in,” Evelyn replied. 

With her permission, Eric pushed the door open, a big smile on his face. 

“What brings you to the office today, Grandma?” Eric said. “I just heard you were here, so I rushed over right away.” 

“You go ahead and do your thing, I’m just here to hang out for a bit,” Evelyn said. 

Eric chuckled. “Come on, Grandma, nothing’s more important than you.” He always knew how to butter people up. 

But Evelyn never really warmed up to him. She thought he was smart in the small ways, but never truly wise, and his mind was never in the right place. 

There was no way Evelyn would ever let someone like Eric, with his scheming little tricks, run the vast Carter Group empire. 

That was why she personally chose Shepard as the heir. And time proved her judgment was uncannily accurate and sharp. 

“Briana, you’re here too,” Eric said, looking her way. “Haven’t seen you in ages. You look great. Got some good news or something?” 

Since he greeted her first, Briana responded politely, “Long time no see.” 

Eric was about to say something else when his eyes landed on the contract sitting on the coffee table. 

It was a Share Transfer Agreement.