Chapter 668 Back Off, Kid!


    +30 Free <b>Coins </b>


    Tess guessed Nadine had probably acted cute the same way back then. She would whine and pout until Finn pulled half the medical staff out of the hospital just for her.


    Tess lowered her eyes. Her longshes cast a faint shadow over the calm in her


    When she looked up again, she turned straight to Finn.


    “Mr. Lock, you can stay. But please take Nadine out with you.”


    She lifted her hand casually, her tone t and steady.


    gaze.


    There was no anger,cking any sharp edge, but she made it clear she didn’t care about anything that Nadine did at all.


    For a second, Nadine’s face fell. She hadn’t expected Tess to insult her so smoothly while sounding so polite.


    But Nadine recovered fast and forced a smile.


    “Tess, I know you don’t like me. So no matter what I do, it’s always wrong.”


    She dropped her gaze. Her eyes dimmed. She bit her lip until it turned pale, like she was holding in some huge sadness. She looked fragile enough to break.


    Tess smiled and lifted an eyebrow. “Great. If you’re still here for another minute, I’ll call security.”


    The weak, pitiful act Nadine put up almost copsed.


    She looked up in shock. Tess’s half–smile met her eyes–cool, bored, like she had seen through every little trick and wasn’t impressed at all.


    Nadine’s expression darkened. She turned to Finn for help. “Finn… ”


    “She can leave if she wants, but I’m not going anywhere.”


    Finn didn’t even let her finish. He stepped forward, voice low and firm, not caring at all about the look on Nadine’s face as it crumbled.


    Lyra and Raven were stunned. They never expected the always–by–the–book Finn to say something like that.


    D


    Chapter 668 Back Off, Kid!


    <b>2 </b>


    <b>903 </b>


    +30 Free Coins


    The two women exchanged a teasing nce, clearly enjoying the show, especially Raven–with her eyes locked on Nadine’s hand. Nadine’s fingers clutched at her skirt, the veins on her pale arm standing out.


    She looked beyond furious.


    Raven didn’t bother hiding her reaction. She met Nadine’s re head–on, full of open, unapologetic mockery.


    The moment Nadine saw what happened, anger shot through her so fast she almost fainted.


    And before Tess could even react to Finn’s sudden move, Abel jumped in first. “Uncle Finn, don’t you have work to do? It’s work hours now. What kind of CEO hangs around here like this?<b>” </b>


    He cut in with a teasing grin, but his eyes were sharp with wariness.


    Even though he was talking to Finn, Abel’s gaze never left Tess. “Right, Tess? Otherwise you wouldn’t have rushed to send Uncle Finn away.”


    His wordsnded. Two pairs of eyes met in the air.


    For a split second, Tess could feel the tension, like sparks ready to ignite.


    She lifted her head calmly, meeting both of their gazes head–on.


    “Mmm.”


    Finn’s eyes, once deep and steady with a hint of hope, dimmed instantly.


    His gaze on Tess carried something restrained–something fragile and stubborn.


    “We haven’t seen each other in a long time,” his voice turned soft. “I’m La’s father. At the very least, you need to let me see her.”


    Tess frowned, confused and guarded.


    “Mr. Lock, we agreed when we divorced. From now on, La belongs to me.”


    “Exactly,” Abel muttered with a smirk. “And really, long time? Didn’t you just see her at the hospital a couple days ago?”


    Finn’s control finally cracked. He stopped masking his emotion and shot Abel a frigid re. He had always been calm and self–contained. Tess once thought he was a cold stone sitting at


    the bottom of a well–untouchable, emotionless. This was the first time she’d seen him look like this.


    “Abel, this is between the grown–ups. You don’t get to interrupt.”


    Finn’s voice came out low and rough, edged with authority.


    That single line was a reminder–of rank, of identity, of the past.


    Tess had been Finn’s wife. Even if they were divorced, Abel was not on the same level as Finn. Not in age, not in status, not in the world they came from.


    Tess had turned Abel down many times because of this. And hearing Finn say it so bluntly made Abel’s pride snap.


    “Grown up, huh? Haha.”


    Abel let out a coldugh. His usual easygoing act vanished, reced by a sharp chill that matched Finn’s almost perfectly.


    He stepped forward and nted himself right beside Tess, shoulder to shoulder with her as he stared Finn down.


    “What do you mean by grown–up? Funny, I don’t remember signing up for that rule.”


    He smirked, lifted his hand, and set it lightly on Tess’s shoulder.


    Tess’s brow twitched the tiniest bit, but she didn’t pull away.


    Finn’s eyes turned even colder, his calmness slowly cracking under pressure.


    His face hardened without him realizing it.


    A sudden warmth wrapped around his icy palm.


    Finn frowned and looked down. Nadine was holding his hand, staring up at him with wide, cautious eyes. Her look was timid, but her action was anything but.


    “Finn,” she said softly. “Since Tess and Mr. Shaw don’t want us here, maybe we should go.”


    ADMINJ