Chapter 49 Selling the House
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“And anyway, Mr. Lock, yeah, you set this trap for me. But don’t forget, my firm’s been handling Lock Group’s cases for years. If you’re so set on dragging me down, just remember that you’ll take a hit too. Hurt me all you can make your preciouspany bleed.”
<i>Is </i><i>that </i>kid <i>his</i>?
want, but even someone like me
The thought mmed into Finn like ice/water pouring down his spine.
Yeah, he had always known Tess had a kid with someone else, but now that it was right in front of him, raw and real, it made his chest tighten and his rage burn hotter.
His jaw flexed as he let out a cold, bitterugh.
His lips ttened into a thin, merciless line.
“Fine, you’ve got guts. Remember this, thirty million. One week. Not a cent less. If you can’t
cough it up, I have plenty of ways to make you wish you had.
“Charles, if you’re bold enough to y this game, then let’s see you y it to the end!”
Then, Finn hurled his coffee cup to the floor, porcin shattering. “Get out!”
Charles stood up slowly and nced at Finn onest time.
“Mr. Lock, I know I’m nothingpared to you. But did it ever cross your mind that your wife, the one you toss aside so easily, is someone else’s whole world? And you dragged her through hell with your own hands. Do you ever regret itte at night, when you remember she was the only one who ever truly loved you?”
He turned and left, legs still trembling from the showdown.
Thinking back on everything he had just done, he was suddenly at a loss for words.
Charles ran a hand over his forehead.
<i>What </i><i>the </i><i>hell </i><i>did </i><i>I </i><i>just </i><i>do</i><i>? </i>
In a stupid, reckless moment, he had practically made Finn think La was his kid.
His eyes darkened for a second, but then a strange calm settled over him.
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Chapter 49 Selling the House
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If Tess did not want Finn to know the truth, maybe this lie was the only shield she had left.
“But did it ever cross your mind that your wife, the one you toss aside so easily, is someone else’s whole world?
“And you dragged her through hell with your own hands.
“Do you ever regret itte at night, when you remember she was the only one who ever truly loved you?”
Behind him, Finn swayed a little, dizziness washing over him.
Zane panicked and rushed to ask if he was okay.
“Mr. Lock! Are you okay?”
Finn waved him away. His lips were pressed together so tight they had gone pale.
Did he regret it?
He had spent who knows how many nights holed up in that study until dawn.
But regret? No way. If you messed up, you paid for it. Simple as that.
He had already given her <i>a </i>chance to fix things.
Meanwhile, Charles had barely stepped out of the office when his assistant caught up to him, whispering that <i>a </i>few major clients had just pulled out.
He did not even need to ask. He knew exactly who was behind it.
Only Finn had that kind of pull.
The firm was young, but with Lock Group’s name behind it and his own solid wins, clients had trusted him.
Business had been good until now.
One flick of Finn’s finger, and the whole thing was copsing.
???????????
He was just an ant trying to shake a tree, all because he wanted to stand up for a woman he cared about.
However, reality hit hard. Charles shoved his phone back into his bag, ignoring the relentless buzzing. He did not need to answer to know what those calls were about. His chest felt like it
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Chapter 49 Selling the House
was stuffed with lead.
If he fell now, he would have no way to protect her.
The thought made him sick with frustration.
He rubbed his temples and climbed into the car, his mind a jumble.
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When he pulled up to a quiet side street near his ce, Charles stared nkly out the window, still stuck on that crushing thirty million.
Then, his eyes drifted to an old, weather–beaten house nearby.
He squinted at it for a second, then quickly looked away.
He shoved down the reckless thought that had just shed through his mind.
Tess had spent the whole day running errands, and by the time she got back, she was stunned to see a bunch of men in suits outside the house–some snapping photos, some measuring things with long rulers, others scribbling notes on clipboards.
She stepped inside, puzzled, and spotted Charles talking to the guy
in charge.
She stayed back at first, quietly watching until she saw Charles shake the man’s hand.
The suited men filed out one by one, and soon the ce was quiet again.
Charles stood by the window with his hands in his pockets, staring nkly at the shifting tree shadows outside. He did not even realize Tess was behind him.
“Charles, I’m sorry,” Tess said softly. “I reached out to a lot of old contacts today, but none of them could help.”
She let out a bitterugh. “It’s Finn after all. No one wants to stand up to someone like him.”
Then she nced around, confused. “But, what’s going on here?”
Her gentle voice finally pulled Charles out of his daze.
He turned and met her worried eyes, hesitating for a moment before answering, “It’s the breach of contract. Right now, the only thing I can do to ease the pressure is to sell this old ce.”
<i>Sell </i><i>the </i>house<i>? </i>
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Chapter 49 Selling the House
Tess froze, her mind going nk for a moment.
She opened her mouth, wanting to say something–anything–but nothing came out.
After all, Charles was only in this mess because of her.
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