hapter 174 Collision in the Hospital Room
Chapter 174 Collision in the Hospital Room
Tess let out a quietugh, a little mocking.
Finn’s brows drew together ever so slightly.
What did this have to do with him?
+10 Free Coins
She looked at him quickly, enough to see he was confused, but she had no patience left to exin.
Was he simply slow to catch on, or did he trust Nadine too much?
Closing her eyes, Tess reyed the moments before she fell into the water.
Nadine and Sydney had clearly nned it in advance. One hand pushed on her lower back, sending a tingling shock shot through her body, and the next moment she lost all her strength. She fell into the water with no warning.
Her eyes lowered.
She leaned toward thetter exnation—which made her want to see Finn even less.
Bang! Bang!
A sharp bang rattled the door.
Finn, still locked in a tense staring contest with Tess, finally rose to answer.
He’d only cracked it open when Steven shoved his way in.
Striding into the room, Steven sat down in the seat Finn had just left. “You know how to swim -so how on earth did you hurt yourself falling into a pool?”
The calm, confident look Steven usually had was gone, reced by clear, worried restlessness.
Pushed aside, Finn stared at Steven holding Tess’s hand, his coldness making Steven shiver.
Somehow, his wrist felt cold.
“When are you getting out of here?” Steven asked warmly.
Tess shook her head. She didn’t know.
Chapter 174 Collision in the Hospital Room
10 Free Coins.
He leaned forward, speaking with the tone of an older brother lecturing a stubborn sibling. “You knew it was a trap from the start, and you still walked right into it. You got lucky this time -but what if you’d been seriously hurt? Who would speak up for you then? Who would take your side?”
It sounded like he was scolding Tess, but every word was aimed squarely at the man standing off to the side with a grim expression.
Tess caught the subtext, a faint smile tugging at her lips. But underneath, she couldn’t stop thinking.
After all, she’d agreed to attend the party just to irritate Nadine.
She’d even requested a custom Cavrielle’s gown, determined to steal the spotlight and make Nadine jealous.
But she never expected Nadine to be so brazen–blocking the crowd’s view with a plus–size girl before shoving her into the water in front of everyone.
“Mr. Lock,” Steven said, standing up to face Finn, “Don’t you think you owe us an exnation? Tess wouldn’t fall into a pool for no reason.”
“An exnation?”
Finn repeated, his tone unreadable, though the dropping temperature in the room hinted at his mood.
A humorlessugh escaped him, his patience finally snapping. “Steven, Lock Group’sst project owed some of its sess to you. I’ve always remembered your contributions, and I’ve been generous in return. But…
“1
His voice sharpened, eyes shing with clear possessiveness over Tess. “But you–an outsider- want me to give you an exnation about my wife?”
The words “outsider” and “wife” were said sharply, slicing through the air.
Their eyes locked, tension bristling in the air.
“Wife?” Steven’s smile vanished. He met Finn’s gaze. “If you truly saw Tess as your wife, you wouldn’t be teaming up with outsiders to hurt her.”
Finn frowned, clearly bewildered.
When had he ever sided with anyone against Tess<b>? </b>
<b>15:51 </b>Fri, Oct 3
Chapter 174 Collision in the Hospital Room
+10 Free Coing
Both of them clearly saw the look of confusion in his face–one meeting it with silent ridicule, the other with clear disdain.
Steven gave up on arguing. He turned toward Tess, about to peel an apple for her, but before he could reach for the fruit, Finn caught his wrist.
“What did you mean? When have I ever teamed up with outsiders to hurt her?”
Steven pressed his lips together. He tried to pull free, but Finn’s hold didn’t let go.
“Fine,” Steven said with a cold chuckle and stopped trying to get the apple.
He turned around and met Finn’s eyes. “I spoke with the doctor. Tess swallowed a lot of water. Let me ask you this. She can swim, so how did she nearly drown in a pool that size?”
Finn froze.
Steven didn’t give him time to recover. “A year ago, I demanded for a deeper investigation, but you insisted the evidence was conclusive. Tell me–back then, did you treat her like your wife?”
The mention of the past made Finn’s brow knit tighter. Irritation red. “That case can’t be overturned. If she was guilty, she had to ept the punishment. And besides-”
But his eyes met Tess’s, cold and distant, and the rest of his words died in his throat.
Back then, all he’d felt toward her was the resentment of a man forced into a marriage by his elders–nothing like now.
He clenched his fists but said nothing.
“Besides, you trusted Nadine more than
your
wife.”
Steven’s voice was filled with sarcasm.
“Nadine’s her sister. Why would she go after Tess?” Finn countered.
“She’s not.”
Sara Lili
<strong>Sara Lili</strong> is a daring romance writer who turns icyndscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of d’s breathtaking cold.