Chapter 189 A Storm in the Dark
Chapter 189 A Storm in the Dark
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Nadine blurted everything out in one go, her eyes full of expectation as she looked at Finn.
But his expression was anything but pleased.
<i>Adopt </i><i>a </i><i>child </i><i>from </i><i>an </i><i>orphanage </i><i>with </i><i>Nadine</i><i>? </i>
<i>Charity </i><i>work </i><i>was </i><i>fine</i><i>, </i><i>but </i><i>this</i>… <i>whose </i><i>stupid </i><i>idea </i>was it<i>? </i>
A chill seemed to settle around him.
He’d always been aware of the gossip about him and Nadine, but he’d chosen to ignore it, believing the truth would speak for itself. He never imagined they’d take it so far as to spin such an absurd story.
Finn pressed his lips together, his gaze turning cold as itnded on Nadine, making her shift ufortably.
“If you want to do charity, put it through thepany’s ounts. Adoption is out of the question. Have the PR department handle the rest. Will that do?”
Nadine froze, staring at his increasingly distant expression. “But… ” she began.
Her words died. Even with only a close distance between them, Finn’s handsome face was impassive, yet it felt like an icy wall had risen between them.
In the end, Nadine left, swallowed by the thick darkness of night.
Finn’s staff worked quickly. By the time Tess woke up, the vi was quiet except for the asional trill of sparrows passing through. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and opened the door to find Zane standing there, his hair still damp with morning dew.
“You … ” Tess couldn’t hide her surprise.
Zane gave her a polite, professional smile. “Mrs. Lock, Mr. Lock’s gone to the office. The matter you asked him to look intost night–there’s news.”
“Oh?” Tess arched an eyebrow, curiosity pushing away thest traces of sleep.
Zane pulled a folder from under his arm. “Take a look.”
He pointed to a page showing the monitored route of a car, his finger sliding toward the edge.”
20:38 Mon, Oct 6 <b>N </b>
Chapter 189 A Storm in the Dark
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“You were right,” he said. “The driver was in contact with someone tied to the red district you suspected. But there’s more. That area borders the coast, and there’s a port handling outbound cargo. We believe the n was to get you there, then transfer you to a waiting boat offshore. It possibly involves a bigger criminal operation.”
His exnation was thorough. Tess’s mouth widened, and a cold shiver ran down her spine with the morning breeze.
Yet deep down, she couldn’t shake a strange feeling.
Zane’s ount connected the dots perfectly, but an uneasy knot still twisted in her chest. Something was missing.
“How’s Finn handling it?” she asked.
Tess couldn’t quite pin down why she felt so uneasy, but she pushed the thought aside for now.
“Mr. Lock had us contact the cops. The evidence is already submitted,” Zane reported.
“But since it crosses the border, chances are the other side will let it fade away.”
Tess nodded. She knew Finn had already done everything within his power.
She thought about checking in with Bessie for updates, but before she could take more than two steps, Zane stepped in front of her. “Mrs. Lock, it’s not a good idea for you to go out right now. The rumors about you online are everywhere, and after what happened, it’s not safe out there.”
The concern on his face seemed genuine.
Tess frowned slightly. Something about his solemn expression unsettled her.
When she’d first woken up in the hospital, she’d skimmed a few headlines—enough to know her custom gown had sparked a media frenzy. But since then, she’d been busy running her store, and then the kidnapping; she hadn’t looked at the news again.
If this was just the usual gossip, Zane–a veteran who had worked with Finn for years- wouldn’t be rattled. He’d seen far worse. So why was he so grim now?
Her suspicion sharpened; something felt off.
She gave him a long look, then pulled out her phone and scrolled through thetest news.
With each swipe, her expression darkened. And then she saw La’s name. The headlines were riddled with wild, sensational spection. Her breathing hitched, anger ring hot in her
20:38 Mon, <b>Oct </b><b>6 </b>N
Chapter 189 A Storm in the Dark
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“Those shameless vultures–don’t they have any line they won’t cross? They would <i>go </i>as far as dragging a child into this mess.”
Rage crept onto her face.
Zane rushed to calm her. “Our team is working hard to bury the story. The inte has a short memory–give it a couple of weeks and people will move on.”
Tess pressed her lips together, refusing to answer.
Zane shifted uneasily under her silence–until she suddenly looked up, her gaze cutting straight through him.
It made the hair on the back of his neck stand up.
“Move.”
Her voice was cold and cutting.
Zane sucked in a sharp breath, opened his mouth to argue–but she shoved him away.
He watched her stride away. Given her identity, he couldn’t forcefully stop her.
With a sigh, he rubbed the bridge of his nose and pulled out his phone to report to his boss.
Finn listened in silence before letting out a weary breath. “Send someone to follow her. Keep her safe.”
He added, “Make sure she never finds out.”
Zane nodded; it was the only thing they could do.
Meanwhile, Tess took a cab straight to the supermarket where Wanda worked. On the way, she sent a quick message to the nanny and reminded her to take good care of La.
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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.