Chapter 519 The End of Us


    The two women nced at each other, then turned toward Tess.


    “No need,” Tess said softly, shaking her head.


    The air seemed to freeze instantly.


    Finn felt like something had mped around his heart, squeezing until he could barely breathe.


    A quiet panic rose inside him–the fear of losing something he’d already lost once before.


    He flexed his fingers slightly and looked straight into her eyes. “Whatever I owe you, I’ll make it right, okay? Tess … please, forgive me.”


    His voice was rough and low, breaking at the end, barely more than a whisper.


    “Finn, after a year behind bars, I’m not the same person anymore. Even if I forgive you, we can’t go back to how things were. So why bother?”


    Her tone was calm, but her eyes were empty.


    Finn stared into those crystal clear eyes and saw his own hunched reflection in her pupils, but it was only a faint image on the surface. He couldn’t reach her.


    She didn’t love him anymore.


    His heart sank, and deep down, he finally epted it.


    At first, he’d been so sure of himself.


    Even when he sent her to prison a year ago, he told himself picking her up when she got out was already a big enough gesture.


    But things didn’t go his way.


    He never found her. When he came home, irritated, he learned she’d already left.


    She was avoiding him. She didn’t want to see him.


    Back then, he thought she was just being stubborn. He figured she’d cool off ande home after a few days.


    But she never did.


    Instead, she started meeting new people, getting involved in things that had nothing to do with him and never once looked back.


    That was when Finn began to panic. He convinced himself it was those people around her who had changed her, so he started going after them, trying to force her to return.


    In the end, it was because of Max’s constant tricks that Tess finally gave in. She only went back to Evermount Heights because she was worried about La’s safety.


    After that, Finn thought things could go back to how they used to be.


    But Tess’s eyes were always distant, filled with quiet sadness.


    It was like she couldn’t see him anymore.


    Or maybe, she had already erased him from her world.


    In the end, she handed him the signed divorce papers.


    She moved out of Evermount Heights and made it clear she wanted nothing <i>to </i>do with him again.


    The memories yed through his head in a blur, each one sharper than thest.


    Finn’s tall frame wavered slightly, and he stumbled back a few steps.


    Tess nced at him, then looked away.


    “Let’s just pretend we never knew each other,” she said quietly. “Go home.”


    She turned and put her hand on the door.


    “No.”


    Finn’s calm expression suddenly cracked, panic flickering in his eyes. He reached out, pressing his hand against the wall beside her. His pupils were dark and unfocused, like ink spreading through water.


    He reached for her arm, his voice trembling. “No … Tess, you were the one who begged me to marry you. How can you just throw it all away?”


    His emotions spiraled out of control, his eyes bloodshot.


    Tess looked at him in disbelief. The man in front of her didn’t look like the Finn she once


    knew.


    The Finn she remembered was calm,posed, always putting his career first. But the man standing here now–he was obsessive, unstable, almost frightening.


    How did <i>he </i><i>be </i>like this<i>? </i>


    Tess frowned, her gaze falling to the hand gripping her wrist.


    He was holding on so tight, like he was afraid she’d disappear.


    “Finn, let go,” she said coldly.


    There was irritation in her voice.


    They were divorced now–strangers, really. She didn’t owe him anything, not even kindness.


    “No. Not unless you forgive me.”


    His lips trembled. His eyes were red, filled with desperation that almost looked pitiful.


    Tess froze for a second. She couldn’t even connect this man with the confident, powerful Mr. Lock she once knew.


    Lyra and Raven exchanged looks, their eyes wide with disbelief. Zane’s jaw dropped.


    <i>Was </i><i>this </i><i>really </i><i>Mr. </i><i>Lock</i><i>? </i>


    Realizing how shocked he looked, Zane quickly tried topose himself–but deep down, he couldn’t help thinking how much Finn resembled Abel right now.


    They really were family. Even the way they chased after women was the same.


    He rubbed his chin, remembering how Abel always acted like a spoiled kid around Tess.


    But Tess wasn’t like that with Finn. She could tolerate Abel’s antics because she saw him as a younger brother. With Finn, she had no patience left.


    “If you don’t let <i>go</i>, I’ll call the cops,” she warned, holding up her phone.


    The emergency dial screen was already open.


    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.