Hope Crawls Through Ruins by Kain Rwan Vale 169

Chapter 169 

Olivia instinctively grabbed the seatbelt. “Shepard, just drive safe, okay? Don’t mess around. 

I need to stay alive, Olivia thought. 

Otherwise, she’d be a goner before she even got a chance to rescue Briana. 

Shepard’s face was unreadable, his lips pressed into a thin line. Olivia had no idea what was going through his mind. 

Even as the car shot up to nearly 120 miles per hour, Shepard still managed to glance at the GPS and ask, “Has Henry arrived yet?” 

He was too late. All he could do at that moment was count on Henry. 

If Henry ended up saving Briana this time, their relationship would probably level up again. 

Shepard thought to himself, ‘Maybe I really should just give up. In every possible way, he just wasn’t good enough for her. He was utterly unworthy. 

On an emotional level, he’d failed her and caused her pain. In reality, he hadn’t managed to keep her safe. Every danger she faced was his fault. Shepard didn’t deserve to keep being Briana’s husband. 

He should be drowning in shame and just vanish from Briana’s world. Watching her be happy from afar would be enough. At least he’d still get to see her, even if it was from a distance. 

her old 

“Henry’s location isn’t moving anymore,” Olivia cried out, her voice anxious. “Did he find Briana, or did someone block him?” 

“Call him,” Shepard said. 

“Okay,” Olivia replied. 

Olivia quickly called Henry. It connected almost instantly. “Henry, did you find Briana-” Olivia asked, her voice trembling with worry. Before she could finish, a sudden bang came from the other end. 

It sounded like the phone had just hit the ground. “Hello? Hello?” Olivia kept shouting, panic creeping into her voice. “Henry?” There was no response. 

Olivia was freaking out. “Is he in trouble, too? There’s gotta be a bunch of them, and he’s all alone… What are we supposed to do? When will our team catch up to him?” 

“Ten minutes at least,” Shepard said. Those ten minutes were the most critical, deadly window. 

Shepard was driving as fast as he possibly could. No one was more desperate than he was to get there in time. He’d give up his own life if it meant Briana would be safe. 

Car after car raced down the road. They sped past, engines howling. 

Out in the suburbs, it was dead quiet. When Henry got there, the riverbank was empty, not a soul in sight. The river just kept moving along, flowing forward as if nothing had happened. 

Henry rushed up to the bank, his eyes fixed on the still surface of the water. 

“Briana… Briana!” Henry yelled, his voice ringing out in the empty night. He kept shouting, desperate for any response. 

But there was nothing. His voice echoed through the silent, lonely darkness, carrying far into the night, but no one 

Chapter 169 

“Briana, where are you? Can you hear me? Please, answer me!” Henry shouted, his voice desperate and echoing through the night. 

“Just say something, please. Briana!” he pleaded, his voice trembling with hope and fear. 

“I’m here to save you!” Henry shouted, his voice shaking with emotion and urgency. Henry’s voice was getting hoarse, every shout scraping his throat raw. 

But the silence around him was suffocating. Henry’s nerves were shot as he stared at the river, the urge to dive in getting stronger by the second. 

‘Maybe Briana’s underwater. I need to go in and find her, Henry thought, his heart hammering in his chest. Henry inched his way right up to the very edge of the riverbank. 

The old wooden planks beneath him groaned, sounding like they could give way at any moment. Just one more step and Henry’d be stepping off into the river below. 

He lowered his head, staring at his own toes. If he dove headfirst, he might not only fail to save Briana but also end up risking his own life, too. 

Henry’s mind spun. He thought, ‘What the hell should I do now?‘ 

Suddenly, something caught his eye. He stared hard, trying to see what it was. A hairpin caught his eye. It was pink, studded with glittering rhinestones that shimmered under the pale moonlight. 

Henry’s heart skipped a beat. He thought, ‘Briana’s hairpin… 

His hands trembled as he picked it up, turning it over and over in his palm, staring at it as if searching for a sign. 

‘Maybe when they tossed her in, she fought back so hard that her hairpin fell off, Henry thought, his heart twisting. It was all she left behind. 

Henry curled his fingers around it, gripping so tightly that the sharp pin dug into his skin. 

He couldn’t think about anything else now. Henry looked at the river and decided. He was going in after Briana. 

“No-“The scream ripped through the night, raw and piercing, echoing in the darkness. But in the next instant, the silence closed in again, as if nothing had happened. 

‘Wait, that voice…‘ Henry thought, his heart skipping a beat. 

“Briana!” Henry shouted, his voice echoing through the night. 

He froze, spinning around to stare into the pitch–black woods behind him, scanning every shadow, desperate to catch even a glimpse of Briana. 

But there was nothing. But he was sure he’d heard it! 

Inside the woods, Briana saw Henry about to jump into the river. In a flash of desperation, she bit down hard on the bald guy’s hand, right between his thumb and index finger. 

The bald guy yelped in pain, and his grip on her mouth loosened for a split second. 

That split second was all Briana needed. She managed to scream, “No!” 

But as soon as the words left her mouth, the bald guy landed several harsh slaps on her, then his grip over her mouth became even more brutal. 

10:53 Wed, Jan 7 w 

Chapter 169 

Briana could barely breathe. She couldn’t just stand by and let Henry dive into the river right in front of her 

It was nighttime, the current was wild, and the water was ice–cold. If he jumped in, making it back to shore would be tough as hell. If he ran out of strength or got swept away, he was done for. 

“Damn it,” the bald guy spat, “this crazy bitch is strong as hell.” 

Blood dripped steadily from his hand. Briana’s bite was so savage that she nearly ripped the flesh right off his hand. 

She was terrified that holding back would be useless, so she bit down with every ounce of strength she had, desperate to make it count. 

Briana’s mouth was filled with the taste of blood. She glared at the bald guy, her eyes startlingly clear and determined. 

Henry was here, which meant backup was on the way. She knew she wasn’t alone anymore. 

Just hang in there, just a bit more, and I’ll make it out of this,‘ Briana told herself, clinging to hope. 

After scanning the riverbank for a long moment, Henry headed toward the woods. 

He bent down and picked up his phone, which he’d dropped earlier when his hands were shaking with panic. The call had already ended. 

He didn’t have time to call Olivia back. He just stuffed his phone in his pocket and headed straight for the woods. 

He knew Briana had to be there. No matter how dangerous it was, he was going in, no questions asked, because Briana needed him. It was just him. He was all she had left. 

Briana watched Henry getting closer, step by step. She shook her head frantically, again and again. 

‘No, don’t come over. Stop. It’s dangerous, Briana screamed in her head, her heart pounding with fear. 

Beside her, the bald guy snapped, “Who’s gonna deal with him?” 

“All of you, go now. Just hold him down. Don’t give him a chance to fight back,” he ordered. 

While they were still talking, a chilling voice came from behind. “Hold him down? Just get rid of him, too.” 

Her eyes widened in disbelief. “That voice… That’s Eric, Briana thought, her heart froze. ‘So, it wasn’t Edward behind this kidnapping. It was Eric. Why him? Why Eric?” 

It didn’t take long for Briana to figure it out. ‘Eric and Vivian are working together, Briana realized, her heart sinking. The bald guy’s attitude instantly shifted to one of deep respect. “Sir.” 

“Take him out in three minutes,” Eric ordered, his voice cold and ruthless. “Then toss him in the river. The sooner, the better.” 

Briana tried desperately to let out muffled whimpers, shaking her head frantically. 

This can’t be happening. Briana thought. ‘Weren’t they supposed to be friends? Even with how close they were, Eric’s really going to have Henry killed?‘