In truth, she had forgotten what Soren''s abs felt like.


    They had been divorced for so long, and theirst intimate encounter had been months ago. Besides, those moments were almost always about Soren''s unteral release of frustration. Whether her hands could even touch him depended entirely on his mood. When he was pleased, he might tolerate it. When he wasn''t, he would simply tie her hands and pin her to the side.


    She didn''t even know if Soren had abs.


    But judging by his build, he probably did.


    Finn''s lips curved into a satisfied smile at her answer.


    "Good taste."


    Then, as if another thought struck him, he sat down next to her and whispered conspiratorially, "Since we''re on the topic, what do you think about—"


    He didn''t finish his sentence, but seeing the mischievous glint in his eyes, Evangeline knew exactly what he was about to ask. She immediately pped her hand over his mouth.


    In the flickering firelight, her face looked as if it was about to bleed, though it was hard to tell if it was from the glow of the mes or her own blush.


    Finn raised an eyebrow, guessing that if he pushed any further, she would explode in a fit of embarrassed anger.


    He made a gesture of surrender.


    "Okay, okay, I won''t ask," he said, his voice muffled by her hand.


    "Promise me," she demanded.


    Finn nodded.


    Only then did Evangeline release him.


    Her clothes were thin, but at that moment, even the palm of her hand was burning hot.


    After his clothes were dry, Finn went out to gather more firewood.


    The rescue team hadn''t arrived yet, and the sky was already darkening. He couldn''t be sure if wild animals roamed the area at night, so he found arge boulder and rolled it in front of the cave entrance.


    Evangeline had been feeling a knot of fear and anxiety, but watching Finn handle everything with such calmpetence was like a shot of adrenaline, and she began to rx a little.


    Meanwhile, on the mountaintop, the cluster of tents glowed, bright as day.


    Glenn was listening to a report from one of the search parties when amotion broke out near the entrance to the encampment.


    He looked over instinctively and saw Soren striding forward, with Carlisle bodyguards scrambling behind him, trying to reason with him in a desperate, pleading manner.


    Soren ignored thempletely, heading straight for Glenn.


    "Sorry, Mr. Carlisle, we couldn''t stop him," one of the guards said, ncing helplessly from Soren to Glenn.


    Glenn nodded, signaling for the guard to leave.


    "What the hell is this, Glenn?" Soren''s voice was seething with rage as be grabbed Glenn by the cor. "Evangeline''s life is on the fine, and you''re ying these stupid games, shutting me out? Is this fun for you?"


    "Have you even considered that every second we waste could be the difference between life and death for them?"


    From the bodyguards'' attempts to stop him and his conversation with Gregory, he had pieced most of it together. He knew Glenn and Arabe were forbidding the Fawkes family from participating in the rescue.


    Glenn tilted his head, his gaze falling on Soren''s hand gripping his shirt.


    Normally, he wouldn''t hesitate to retaliate against Soren, for whom he felt nothing but contempt. But


    krowing Seren''s temper, he didn''t


    want to waste time on a fight. His voice was ice. "I don''t trust your people."


    "On what grounds?" Soren demanded.


    Glenn looked him straight in the eye. "On the grounds that the only reason


    Evangeline is in danger this time is because of one of your people!"


    He clenched his fists, trying to suppress the inferno of rage in his chest. He had suspected Victor, been wary of Finn, and even considered others in the Lockridge family. But he never, ever imagined that the terrible fate he had foreseen for her would be brought about by Soren.