Hope Crawls Through Ruins by Kain Rwan Vale 268

Chapter 268 

First, Shepard was covered in blood, slumped over in the driver’s seat. 

Then, he was lying unconscious in the ambulance. 

After that, he spent several days in the ICU. 

Now, he was finally out of danger. 

His wounds would heal, as long as he had enough time. 

After the doctor left, Briana bent down and sat at Shepard’s bedside, her eyes full of worry. 

“I want to go to the church and get you a lucky charm,” she said. “So you’ll be safe, nothing bad will happen to you, and you’ll live a long, peaceful life.” 

‘I can’t take it anymore, Briana thought, ‘everyone I care about keeps leaving me, one by one.” 

“Shepard, you have to hang in there,” she said, holding his hand tight. “Promise me nothing will ever happen to you. 

“Okay,” he replied. 

Shepard gazed at her, his eyes never leaving her face. 

Even though he was still weak, his eyes were strikingly clear. 

He could see Briana’s face reflected in his eyes. 

With her by his side, he finally felt at peace. 

While he was unconscious, Shepard was trapped in darkness, lost and unsure how to find his way back to the light, back to life. 

Briana’s voice, softly speaking hope and comfort in his ear, became his lifeline,/filling him with the strength to hold on. 

Because of her, Shepard finally found his way back. 

With pure determination, he battled death itself. 

In the end, he made it. 

“How could I ever leave you alone?” Shepard murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. “If I’m not here, who’s going to look after you?” 

Henry was gone. 

Charles couldn’t be counted on. 

His Briana, his child, there was no one left to protect them. 

For Briana and their child, Shepard had to survive. 

He couldn’t rest easy. 

“Yeah,” Briana said, “Shepard, you have to take care of me for the rest of your life. You know I’m stubborn and hot–tempered, but you’re the only one who always puts up with me. You’ve already spoiled me, so you have to keep doing it.” 

0:06 Wed, Fed lʊ 

Chapter 268 

“Got it,” Shepard replied. 

“You promise?” Briana pressed. 

Shepard smiled, his gaze gentle. “Have I ever let you down?” 

Briana smiled, finally feeling a sense of comfort wash over her. 

She leaned in and nestled up next to his arm, gentle and close. 

This was the only way she felt safe, the only way she could really relax. 

“You’re so reckless,” Briana said, her voice trembling. “In such a dangerous situation, you still stepped on the gas and rushed over… Weren’t you afraid you might die?” 

“Of course, I was scared. How could I not be?” Shepard replied quietly. 

Even now, Shepard could remember every moment of the crash, clear as day. 

“But…” Shepard paused for a moment, then said, “I was even more afraid of losing you.” 

Her 

eyes welled up with tears. 

Tears slid down her cheeks. 

Briana sniffled, her voice trembling. She said, “I’m scared of losing you, too, Shepard. I really am.” 

Her voice was thick with emotion, and she couldn’t hold back the tears. She said, “You were supposed to be heading to Carter Group. Why were you behind my car?” 

“Honestly, I don’t even know why,” Shepard replied softly. “I just really wanted to drive you to work.” 

“You’re such an idiot…” Briana murmured, her voice trembling. 

“You said no, and I didn’t want to push you,” Shepard said gently. “So I just followed your car. Just seeing you drive ahead made me feel calm. Once you get to the gallery, I’d head over to Carter Group./ 

“Maybe it was fate… Like, maybe some things are just meant to be. Briana, if I hadn’t randomly decided to follow you that day, then…” 

Shepard didn’t even dare to finish that sentence. 

Shepard was still so weak that after saying all that, he had to stop and rest for a moment, his strength spent. 

His mind flashed back to that day. 

He actually noticed the truck as he was passing through the intersection. 

But it was rush hour, and the roads were packed. He didn’t pay it much attention, never expecting that the truck was actually targeting Briana. 

When he saw the truck heading straight for Briana’s car, he reacted in a split second. 

He had to save Briana. 

The only way to save her was to ram her car out of the way. 

He let his own car take the full force of the truck’s impact. 

10:06 Wed, Feb 18 

Chapter 268 

It was an all–or–nothing gamble. 

If he won, he and Briana would both live to see another day. 

If he lost… Luckily, he didn’t lose. 

“That truck was no accident,” Shepard said, his voice hoarse. “Briana, someone set this up.” 

“I know. Charles is already looking into it,” Briana replied. 

“Charles?” Shepard said, sounding skeptical. 

‘Can he really figure this out?‘ Shepard thought, doubt creeping in. 

Shepard still wasn’t sure if Charles could really handle it. 

“We both know who’s really behind all this,” Briana said, lifting her head to meet Shepard’s eyes. “Who wants me gone more than anyone?” 

“Edward,” Shepard replied quietly. 

“That’s right,” Briana said, her voice unwavering. 

Now, all that was left was evidence. Just one step away from exposing everything. 

“I can’t help but wonder if my parents‘ car accident all those years ago was really just an accident, or if it was orchestrated,” Briana said, biting her lip. Her face went pale. “Uncle Edward probably had a hand in it, too.” 

Shepard’s gaze grew cold, a shadow passing through his eyes as he processed what Briana said. 

Shepard thought, his heart sinking, ‘Damn, that’s almost a certainty. 

‘But that accident happened more than ten years ago. Time has covered up so much. 

Trying to get to the bottom of it now would be insanely hard. 

‘This accident that happened to Briana; there’s no way I’m letting it go. I’ll dig up the truth, no matter what it takes. 

Shepard was breathing hard, clearly worked up. 

It looked like he was just too emotional. 

“Charles will handle it, trust him,” Briana said softly, trying to comfort him. “You just focus on healing, and rest easy. Don’t worry about anything else.” 

Shepard’s eyes filled with pain. He said, “Briana…” 

If Edward really was behind both her parents‘ accident and this one, it would be a crushing blow for her. 

Her own parents, the people she loved most, died at the hands of the one relative she trusted the most. 

And now, he was pulling the same trick again. 

‘Can she really take it?‘ Shepard wondered, worry gnawing at him. 

“I’m fine, really,” Briana said, seeing the concern in his eyes. “Right now, my biggest wish is for you to recover soon.” 

“I will. I’m right here in front of you,” Shepard replied softly. 

wea, rep 18 

Chapter 268 

Just give him for recovery. 

‘ 

143 

“Let’s not dwell on all that; it’s just exhausting,” Briana said softly. “Shepard, there’s something I’ve been dying to ask you, but I haven’t had the chance yet.” 

Shepard’s gaze locked onto hers. “Go ahead.” 

“When I was driving, I snapped a picture of the clouds and sent it to you. You saw it right away, and the app showed you were typing back. You were about to reply to me, weren’t you?” Briana asked, hope shining in her eyes. 

“Yeah,” Shepard replied. 

“So, what did you reply to me?” Briana asked, her eyes full of anticipation. 

Her phone was shattered, so all her messages were gone. 

His phone was destroyed, too. 

So their conversation was lost forever, leaving only unanswered questions. 

At that moment, just being able to sit here and ask Shepard this question in person felt like the greatest blessing to Briana. 

She still had the chance to ask him. 

And he was still here to answer her. 

Shepard’s lips curved into a gentle smile. 

He remembered it all too well. 

“I was about to say…” Shepard said slowly, savoring every word, “From dawn to dusk, whether I’m walking or just sitting still, all I do is think about you.” 

Sharing the clouds with someone was an incredibly romantic thing. 

He understood exactly how she felt. 

But before he could send those words, fate intervened. 

He only managed to type out the first half of the message. 

Briana never got the chance to see it either. 

Thankfully, they could still talk in person, face to face.