Chapter 76 A Desperate Plea
Chapter 76 A Desperate Plea
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Suddenly, a cold, trembling hand clutched his thick arm. The woman’s eyes were wide and ssy, filled with despair and heartbreak. “Please! I’m begging you! Someone took my child!”
“What?!”
The cab driver’s eyes flew open in shock. He grabbed Tess from the ground in one swift motion. “Don’t panic, ma’am. Quick, tell me everything.
“Who took your kid? Did you see them? I’ll help you chase them down!”
His voice was full of righteous fury, ready to act. Tess, unable to hold it together anymore, broke down. Tears streamed down her face.
She choked on her sobs, barely able to form a full sentence. “It was too dark; I didn’t see who it was.”
That stopped the driver cold, He clenched his jaw, helpless. He was ready to help but wasn’t sure where to start.
“But!”
Tess suddenly grabbed him again, as if clinging to thest strand of hope.
“I know where to look. Evermount Vi
Please, take me there!”
The driver blinked.
Evermount Vi?
He cast a skeptical nce at Tess.
Wasn’t that one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the city? Rich folks didn’t go around snatching kids, did they?
But when he looked into her devastated eyes, he couldn’t bring himself to say no. “Alright–get in!”
He threw her suitcase into the trunk, mmed it shut, and hit the gas.
The cab was warm inside, the heater humming softly, but Tess couldn’t stop shivering. Cold sweat still clung to her back. Her mind was racing.
She wasn’t the kind of person who made enemies easily. She’d always kept her head down, lived a quiet life. So why La? Why her daughter?
Tess struggled to control her breathing, trying to piece things together.
The receptionist–she’d been acting strange from the beginning. Had this been nned? Did someone set this all up after she booked that hotel, waiting to trap her?
A <b>chull </b>ran down her spine at this thought.
This had been premeditated. It wasn’t random. They hade for her and La specifically.
Tess suddenly felt as if she’d been plunged into icy waters
Aside from Nadine, she hadn’t crossed anyone.<fn492c> Original content can be found at Find★Novel</fn492c>
Nudine?
Her breath hitched. A glint of sharpness shed in her eyes.
If it really was Nadine, she would make sure she paid.
Tess clenched her fists and turned to the driver, her voice tight. “Mister, how much longer?
10:28 AM
Chapter 76 A Desperate Plea
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The man didn’t look away from the road. “You started in the south part of the city. Evermount Vi’s on the opposite end- it’s the nicest spot in Aetheris besides downtown. It’s a haul.”
Still, he pressed harder on the gas.
Tess’s heart dropped.
“Ma’am, why didn’t you call the cops? I mean, your kid got taken. Wouldn’t the police be faster?”
The driver seized a lull in traffic and nced at Tess through the rearview mirror.
“Wouldn’t calling the police be faster?”
Tess shook her head.
For most people, yes–the police would be their best option.
But La’s father was Finn.
And Finn? Finn was the wealthiest man in Aetheris. The kind of man whose power and reach went beyond thew.
And if Nadine was behind this, then Finn was the only one who could fix it.
Going to him would do more than any police officer ever could.
The driver didn’t get it, but he respected her choice.
After all, judging by how anxious she looked, there was no way this mother would joke about her child’s safety.
He said nothing more, just kept pushing the car to its limit within thew.
Time slipped by in anxious silence.
“Ma’am! We’re here!”
The driver reminded her.
Tess didn’t even wait for the car to stop. She leapt out, snatched her suitcase, and bolted for the gate. “Thank you!”
Her words were carried <i>away </i>by the wind.
The driver only caught a glimpse of her disappearing silhouette, wild with panic.
It was nearly midnight. In the garden of the vi, the flowers had just been watered by the household staff. Droplets clung to the petals, glowing under the soft porch lights.
Finn happened to nce out the window. The water shimmered under the light, catching his eye.
For some reason, his heart was unsettled.
He rubbed the bridge of his nose, turned off the lights, and prepared to turn in for the night.
Then-
Knock, knock-
A sudden knock broke the silence,
Finn frowned and looked toward the door.
At this hour? Who would it be?
Knock, knock, knock-
He hesitated for just a moment, but the knocking at the door grew more urgent.
10:28 AM <b>P </b>
Chapter 76 A Desperate Plea
Finn’s eyes darkened in irritation as he strode over and opened it himself.
But the moment he turned the knob, the door was shoved open by a sudden force.
A figure rushed in–one he never expected to see.
s
Tess. She stood there in front of him, her hair a mess, her face drained of color, as pale and brittle as a dead branch.
Finn froze, startled. “What happened?”
His gaze instinctively dropped to her empty arms.
Something was wrong. Where was the baby?
Before he could ask. Tess suddenly grabbed the cor of his shirt. “Finn, please—save our
She stopped herself just in time. The words nearly fell apart in her throat. She sobbed, struggling to speak, then rasped in a hoarse voice, “You once said you had the power to protect us. Does that promise still stand?”