Chapter <i>353 </i>Awkward
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Shannon felt that something was off. Her head tilted just enough to catch Nadine’s face drained pale, her skin the color of
paper.
“Mr. Lock, we should take this conversation inside the restaurant.”
Henry’s temples pounded, yet he forced calm into his voice. He straightened, trying to y the role of host for Finn.
Finn’s cold eyes swept across the restroom. His gaze lingered on the uneasy faces inside before sliding away with disinterest.
“Alright.”
The wordnded heavy, void of warmth.
He turned and walked out, leaving silence in his wake.
The moment his imposing presence disappeared, Nadine’s mask broke. Hatred twisted her features as she spat, “Tess!”
Shannon’s hand moved in slow circles over her daughter’s back. She was trying to soothe Nadine, though her own thoughts were miles away.
She knew that if the photos in Tess’s possession were ever revealed, Henry’s grip on Ember Group would shatter. Even as thergest shareholder and chairman, the scandal would destroy thepany’s reputation overnight.
Her eyes locked with Henry’s, and in them, she saw the same fear mirrored back at her.
When they stepped back into the restaurant, Finn was already seated. He chose a spot at a distance but angled his chair to face Tess and Abel directly, as though his position had been carefully calcted.
“Well?<b>” </b>
The chaos from the restroom had faded. The table was now covered with tes of desserts and entrees.
Abel leaned close to Tess and nudged her softly. “Try the cake.” His eyes lit up with boyish anticipation as he watched her lift her fork.
The vor that touched her tongue was delicate, a mingling of tart and sweet. The familiar
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Chapter 353 Awkward
taste carried memories into her mind.
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Her hand paused in midair, the fork caught between motion and stillness. She lowered her head, blotting her lips with a napkin, trying to hide the flicker of shadow that crossed her face.
When she looked up again, Abel was watching her with hope in his eyes. She gave the smallest nod, her voice short and distant. “It’s fine.”
Abel’s chest sank.
He searched her face, desperate for something more, but no matter how long he looked, he found nothing.
Atst, he lowered his
“What’s wrong?”
gaze,
defeated.
Tess tilted her head, puzzled by his silence. Abel looked tired, his shoulders heavy, yet he still forced a smile. “It’s nothing.”
The smile trembled, frail as a page ready to tear.
A heaviness pressed against Tess’s chest. The unease left her restless, though she had no words to bridge the gap.
She let the question fall away. They both bent their heads over their tes. Abel quietly cut pieces of steak and ced them on her te, his hand clenching harder on the knife and fork with each slice.
The thought burned inside him. <i>Has </i><i>she </i><i>really </i><i>forgotten </i><i>about </i><i>me</i><i>? </i>
The table sank into quiet. A sorrowful air hovered, though underneath lingered a faint thread of warmth.
Finn’s gaze never shifted. He watched their every move, yet the food Nadine set in his te remained untouched.
Nadine bit down <i>so </i>hard her jaw ached.
“Do you not like this ce, Finn?”
Her voice reached for his attention, but he didn’t look at her.
He only shoved the te aside. “Yeah.”
Chapter 353 Awkward
That single word mmed shut everything she had tried to say.
Her breath caught, and she pressed her teeth into her lip to hold back the sting.
(67),
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Shannon noticed her daughter’s unease and spoke quickly. “Nadine, my daughter, you should sit back down and get some rest. You haven’t taken a single bite of what I served you. All you’ve done is pile food onto Finn’s te.”
Finn ignored the exchange. He only lifted his eyes to Shannon, studying her in silence.
He knew Nadine was adopted. Her parents were both dead. Her only mother was Kylie. So who’s <i>this </i><i>woman</i><i>? </i>
The thought stirred the headlines that had been stered everywhere. Ember Group had denied the stories, but the rumors never seemed to fade.
If Shannon truly was Nadine’s mother, then perhaps those whispers held some truth.
If Tess was raised in that kind of family, then the neglect and abuse she suffered might not have been because of her own personality.
Finn’s chest tightened, the ache curling deep into his ribs.
He could not tear his gaze from Tess’s back.
Since the divorce papers were signed, she had disappeared from his world as if the earth itself had swallowed her.
He had epted Nadine’s invitation only because the media had been pressing harder every day. His guilt over Tess left him desperate for any chance to uncover what had truly happened <i>a </i>year ago. Never once had he imagined he would see her here.
At the table, Tess and Abel had softened. Now and then, Abel coaxed augh from her, and her smile curved warm and bright.
The sight pierced Finn like a knife.
“<i>Do </i>you have wine?”
His sudden voice froze the room.
Henry reacted first, though confusion lined his face. He motioned for the waiter. Soon, red wine filled Finn’s ss.
He lifted it and drained it in one swift motion. His eyes clouded further, the weight of sorrow
Chapter 353 Awkward
sinking in.
Nadine’s worry spilled over. “Finn, you shouldn’t drink like that. It’s not good for you.”
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She attempted to stop him from pouring another ss, but Shannon’s sharp nce made her hesitate and step back.
The single ss did nothing to cloud his mind, but he acted as though her words had never been spoken. His eyes clung to Tess, following her every small movement. Even the soft strands of her hair that swayed with the air seemed to hold him captive.
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.