Hope Crawls Through Ruins by Kain Rwan Vale 189

Posted by ADMINMMADMIN, ? Views, Released on January 9, 2026

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Chapter 189

“I made up my mind the first time I brought up divorce, and now I know exactly what I want, and I’m more determined than ever.” Briana said.

She took a deep breath. “If you came here hoping to change my mind, I’m afraid you’re wasting your time. I’ve already told Shepard exactly how I feel. I’m pretty sure he passed my message along.”

Evelyn and Wrenley exchanged a glance, and both let out a long sigh.

Shepard’s gaze settled on Briana’s face, his voice calm. “Briana, they’re not here to convince you, and I didn’t ask them to come here and try to talk you out of it.”

Briana met his eyes. “Really?”

“We’re here to discuss how to end things on good terms,” Shepard said.

“Once the divorce papers are signed, we’ll each go our own way,” Briana said. “Isn’t that peaceful enough?”

Shepard asked, “How do we split up our assets?”

“As I said, I’m walking away with nothing,” Briana replied.

Shepard stayed silent.

Evelyn immediately interjected, “No, absolutely not.”

She was already set on giving Briana her shares. There was no way she’d accept Briana leaving without taking anything.

Richard said, “Briana, you’ve been Shepard’s wife all this time. We can’t let you walk away with nothing.”

“That’s right.” Isabelle nodded. “I’ve got plenty of jewelry I was planning to pass down to you one day.”

Briana smiled, “Thank you all for your kindness, but I really don’t need any of it And anyway, Shepard and I have already signed the divorce papers.”

She wrote up the whole agreement.

She even managed to get Shepard to sign it without him realizing what he was agreeing to.

Every detail of those days was still vivid in her mind.

It felt like ages had passed, but when she checked the calendar, it had only been a little over a month.

In that month, she’d tasted every flavor of life, joy, sorrow, love, heartbreak, all packed into those few weeks.

“What?” Evelyn exclaimed, clearly shocked. “Shepard, when did you sign it? You really went through with it?”

“Yes,” Shepard replied.

He paused, lips pressed together, then finally said, “But the agreement is missing.”

“What?” Briana gasped.

“It’s missing?” she repeated, her voice full of disbelief.

“It’s lost, or maybe it got buried in one of the filing cabinets, and I just can’t find it,” Shepard said with a straight face. “So, we’ll need to sign a new divorce agreement.”

14:56 Fri, Jan 9

Chapter 189

As soon as he finished, Briana could see right through him; he was lying.

‘Lost? Yeah, right. He’s just regretting it now,‘ she thought.

Everything he once refused to give, he was now ready to hand over.

But she didn’t want any of it anymore.

Shepard knew Briana could see right through his lie.

But he didn’t care.

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1335 youthala

“I’ll have my lawyer draft a new divorce agreement, make sure everyone here agrees to it, and then hand it over to Briana,” Shepard said. “All she needs to do is sign.”

Evelyn nodded. “That’s fine. And the shares in my name will still go to Briana.”

Richard said, “I have no objections.”

Isabelle gazed at Briana with tenderness and concern, murmuring, “What’s the use of all that money when she’s on her own? Can it really make her happy or give her any real satisfaction?”

She understood, as only another woman could.

The daughter of the man she’d once loved most had ended up with a broken marriage, and all she had now was just a bunch of cold numbers in her bank account.

She wondered how she’d ever face Rayden in the afterlife.

Briana managed a smile, trying to reassure Isabelle. “Honestly, it’s fine. Ten lifetimes wouldn’t be enough to spend it all. I can do whatever I want, whenever I want, completely free.

“If that’s really how you feel, then that’s great,” Isabelle said. “But I know you, Briana, you’re not a gold–digger.”

What Briana really wanted was true love, someone’s real feelings.

Isabelle almost wished Briana were obsessed with money instead.

But the truth was, Briana only had eyes for Shepard.

Because she loved him, she threw herself into the Carter family, took all the crap that came her way, kept the house running, and made sure everyone thought she was doing just fine, even if it was all for show.

Most of all, it was love that kept her going; she endured five long years on her own.

That wasn’t something money could ever buy.

“I was foolish before,” Briana said, her lashes trembling. “Always chasing after love. But now I’ve come to my senses, I want something real, something I can actually see and touch.”

Isabelle’s eyes grew misty with emotion.

After a few seconds of silence, Wrenley, who’d been quiet the whole time, finally spoke up. “Briana, if you’re sure about this, I’ll stand by you. I won’t get in your way.”

‘Grandma, I know exactly what I’m doing,” Briana said.

“But you need to realize, life is long. You’ve got decades ahead of you. Are you really sure you’re strong enough to spend all those years alone?” Wrenley asked.

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Chapter 189

Briana had no parents left, and in a few years, even Wrenley would be gone, leaving her truly on her own.

All she’d have left was her good–for–nothing brother.

No one else would be there to look after her, to keep her company.

“Honestly, being on my own is pretty nice,” Briana said. “It’s calm, no ups and downs. When you’re with someone, it’s just endless arguments and drama.”

Wrenley just kept nodding.

The sound of hurried footsteps came from the entrance of the living room.

Charles walked in with his hands shoved in his pockets, head down, and brows tightly furrowed, seeming deep in thought as he moved quickly.

He was muttering to himself.

It wasn’t until Wrenley asked, “Where have you been sneaking off to this time?” that he looked up.

Charles snapped out of it and finally noticed the room full of people.

“Whoa, what’s with the crowd?” Charles said, spotting Shepard. His frown melted into a grin. “Hey, Shepard, you’re here, too. You came to take our Briana back to Carter Estate, didn’t you?”

“No,” Shepard replied.

“Then what are you here for? To apologize?” Charles asked, dropping down next to Briana and bumping her playfully with his shoulder. “So, did you forgive him yet?”

Briana turned to him. “We’ve already sorted things out.”

“Sorted what out? What did I miss?” Charles asked.

“Just some divorce stuff,” Briana replied.

Charles’s mouth fell open, and he blinked a few times in shock before turning to Wrenley.

“Grandma,” Charles asked, “aren’t you going to say something? You were the one who set this whole thing up.”

Wrenley didn’t even bother to look at him. “Just worry about yourself. Look at the mess you are.”

“Come on, Grandma, I’ve been on my best behavior lately, no trouble, no drama. I’m just worried about Briana’s happiness, you know?” Charles said, trying to sound innocent.