Chapter 754 Like a Mom
Tess reached out to ruffle his hair and realized it took more effort than usual.
She couldn’t help thinking to herself how fast kids grew once they hit their teens.
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Raven nced at the two of them and chuckled. “You act like you’re his real mom the way you’re always fussing over him.”
Lyra’s expression changed first.
Ken’s actual mother was still locked up because of everything that happened. That kind of joke could hit hard for a kid going through puberty.
She stole a nce at Ken. When she saw that his face didn’t change and he was still smiling easily, she let out a small breath of relief.
“Tess is obviously like a big sister.”
Ken jumped in with a cheeky grin.
“You’re such a sweet talker.”
Tess pushed his forehead lightly with her finger.
Kenughed again and took the nudge without missing a beat.
They kept chatting as they reached the front of the building.
“It’s already dark out. I’ll have the driver take you back to Evermount Heights first.”
C
Tess opened the car door before Ken could get out.
“I’ve got some work to finish up at the office.”
Ken heard the calm exnation and didn’t argue. He just slid back into the seat.
“See youter.”
Tess shut the door and headed into the building with Lyra and Raven at her side.
The fall air in Aetheris was already too cold. Tess wound her scarf tighter around her neck.
Luckily, Kingnd stayed mild year–round.
Far behind them, Finn stood watching until she disappeared through the doors. Then he finally turned and got into his car.
“What did you think about what happened at dinner with Ann?”
Tess spoke first.
Lyra let out a softugh, her gaze sharp and clear. “What about you?”
“I don’t remember ordering anything from Kingnd.”
<b>5:30 </b>pm WM <b>W </b>
Chapter 754 Like a Mom
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Tess raised her brow.
The two of them locked eyes and smiled knowingly.
Raven wasn’t listening to any of it. She pulled up the cor of her coat, wrapped it halfway around her head, and dashed straight into the building.
She only stopped once the warm air hit her. Raven clicked her tongue. “What is Max even trying to do by sending her here? I’m at the office most of the time. Other than coaching Ken, she hasn’t done anything shady.”
“Maybe putting her here wasn’t about what she would do,” Tess said as she touched her chin. “Maybe it was about what she would see.”
Raven felt her stomach drop.
Lyra’s expression turned serious. “Raven, discreetly tell the staff not to let Ken anywhere near confidentialpany files. No exceptions.”
Raven knew it was serious now. The usual smirk disappeared from her face.
She nodded without joking. The three of them exchanged a sharp look midair and headed straight to the top floor.
“By the way, I’m not just here in Aetheris to deal with the Embers. I’ve also got twopanies under my belt to keep running.
“I need you both.”
At the same time, Ann had just arrived outside her apartmentplex. The streetlight behind her cast a long, narrow shadow.
The moment she shut the door behind her, she copsed onto the couch. Her legs were aching.
But there was no time to rest.
She immediately pulled out her phone and called Max. “Mr. Hunt, it’s me.”
Then she told him everything that happened at the dinner table.
Max listened with a frown. By the time she finished, his face had rxed.
“You blew your cover.”
His voice was low and steady. There was no anger, just cold certainty.
“No way!”
<i>Ann’s </i>voice jumped up several octaves<b>, </b>sharp and panicked.
Max’s brow twitched. His eyes darkened.
“Do I really need to spell it out <i>for </i>you? If they hadn’t noticed anything, they wouldn’t have asked those questions. They were probing you.”
He let out a dryugh.
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<b>1:30 </b><b>pm </b>WMW
Chapter 754 Like a Mom.
Ann felt ice flood her veins.
So they’d known her intent the whole time. And they still kept up that friendly act.
“If it’s really blown, you might as welle back,” Max saidzily. “You’re not gonna get us anything useful now.”
His tone was casual, but it made it very clear he’d already written her off.
Ann felt like she’d fallen into a frozenke.
She was Max’s personally recruited agent. If she got yanked from the mission like this… the fallout afterward…
She bit her lip, clinging to hope. “Mr. Hunt, maybe not. Maybe they were just curious. I didn’t actually say anything.”
‘You didn’t?”
Max chuckled on the other end. The sound was cold enough to slice skin.
‘You think someone who’s never lived in Kingnd would just randomly order a Kingnd–style dish in Aetheris?”
The moment he said that, Ann finally understood the mockery in his tone.
He was calling her out for being clueless.
Her whole body went cold.
And worse, she had gone along with it. She even said it tasted authentic.
Her fingers curled tight around the phone.
‘But since they didn’t call you out,” Max said again, “maybe you’re still worth keeping around.”
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<b>3/3 </b>
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<strong>Olivia Harris</strong> is an emerging author celebrated for her captivating romantic and steamy novels. With a talent for crafting deep emotional connections and fiery chemistry between her characters, Olivia’s stories offer readers an escape into worlds filled with passion, intrigue, and heart-stopping drama.