Chapter 3 No Way Out
Ten minutes passed.
Maria collapsed to the ground. “I’ve told you everything I know. Please, don’t hurt Mrs. Lock. She’s already been through enough. She-”
“She’s been through enough?” Finn’s voice dripped with scorn. “With her status as Mrs. Lock, she still wasn’t satisfied. She’s playing this little game of cat and mouse with me. Does she really think she can win?”
With a cold sneer, he turned on his heel and strode off.
Behind him, the sea of security guards quietly dispersed, vanishing like a receding tide.
Maria remained on the cold floor, guilt eating away at her.
She muttered to herself, “I’m sorry, Mrs. Lock. This is as far as I can help you. I told them almost everything, except for the one thing that matters most.”
In the study.
“Mr. Lock, do you want us to bring Mrs. Lock back?”
Finn’s gaze was dark and sinister.
He waved it off.
“No. If she wants to run, let her. Freeze all her assets–every property and every penny under her name. Let’s see how long she can last out there with nothing to her name. She’ll come crawling back eventually.”
As he spoke, the fountain pen in his hand snapped clean in half.
His assistant shivered at his scheme.
“But Maria said Mrs. Lock is desperate for money. Are you sure we should leave her with nothing? Where will she even sleep tonight? How will she feed herself?”
Finn shot him a withering look. “What, feeling sorry for her? Let her sleep on the streets and drink from the gutters. It’s her choice. Are you pitying a felon now? Zane, are you serious?”
Zane Black quickly shook his head and explained, “I’m not pitying her, Mr. Lock. But isn’t this a little cruel?”
“Cruel?” Finn’s eyes darkened. “Did she think about that when she sold me out to my biggest rival? If you ask me, she brought this on herself.”
He flung the broken pen across the room.
Black ink spattered across the rug and the wall. A storm was churning in Finn’s
eyes.
Zane hung his head low and sighed softly.
Deep down, he knew that Mr. Lock had once truly loved his wife. What a shame!
“Ma’am, we’re at Evermount Heights.”
The rideshare car slowed to a stop in front of a luxury condominium.
It was past midnight, and Layla, who was in her arms, squirmed restlessly.
She reached down and touched Layla’s diaper. It was soaked.
If she didn’t change it now, it would soak through her clothes.
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Chapter 3 No Way Out
It was freezing outside. Tess couldn’t even bear to imagine what would happen if Layla caught a cold–or worse, came down with a fever. What would she do then?
Before leaving the house, she realized that the last pack of diapers she had brought from the prison was gone.
There was still some formula left, but it was barely enough to last them three or four days.
Before heading inside the complex, she turned toward a baby supplies store by the gate.
The shop assistant saw her walk in with a restless baby in her arms and rushed over.
“Oh goodness, Ms. Ember! What brings you out this late in the cold? Please, let me help. What do you need? I’ll pack it up and deliver it to your door.”
The shop assistant remembered seeing Tess earlier that day entering Evermount Heights–one of the city’s most exclusive high–rises.
Anyone who lived there was either rich, influential, or, at the very least, a standout in their field.
At the time, Tess had been in old clothes, holding a baby. The shop assistant’s coworker had quietly gossiped, figuring she was someone’s mistress here to claim a place at the table.
But Tess had introduced herself as Ms. Ember, owner of a unit in Tower C.
Tower C—the crown jewel of the entire property.
She never would’ve guessed it. This woman in shabby clothes, all alone with a baby in her arms, was actually the owner of a unit in Tower C?
Her respect for Tess shifted in an instant as she watched the security guard swipe her in with utmost courtesy. She found herself stealing a second look, then a third.
And suddenly, she felt ashamed of the gossip she and her coworker had exchanged earlier.
Even behind the mask, Tess was striking–slim frame, delicate features, and, most of all, those large, clear, and expressive eyes. Like the moon, they were still and luminous–quietly beautiful.
“I’ll take three packs of diapers, size 3,” Tess said.
“And two cases of this Infant Formula, and another two cases of the Follow–On from the same brand.
“These baby clothes, cotton, size 3 to 6 months. This whole row, wrap it all up.
Tess continued grabbing baby essentials, piling them high.
Then, finally, she turned to the young woman, who stood frozen with wide eyes.
“Sorry, is this too much?” Tess asked.
There was so much stuff, so it would take multiple trips just to carry it all. Tess hesitated, a flicker of discomfort creeping in. Was she troubling this young woman?
She never used to think this way. But after what she went through in prison, she’d started to understand just how hard life could be for people at the bottom.
Back inside, she’d been at the lowest rung of the prison hierarchy. And because Finn had made a point to personally see to it she was well taken care of, that made her a target. Everyone had taken a turn stepping on her.
Now, she did her best not to bother anyone. She avoided attention. She didn’t want to owe anything to anyone.
Tess reached up and consciously touched her cheek. Under the face mask, which fully covered her face, were scars—bone deep. She could feel them even without a mirror.
Her fingers trembled, and she lowered her gaze. The light in her eyes dimuned
+5 Free Coins
Chapter 3 No Way Out
Meanwhile, the shop assistant had snapped out of her trance.
Jackpot! This one sale would hit her monthly quota, and all it took was a single night shift. Heck, she’d happily work nights every day for sales like this.
“No, no! It’s not too much! Do you need anything else? I’ll pack it up for you!”
“That’s all for now. Thank you.”
“Of course. How would you like to pay?”
“Debit card, please.”
Tess dug through her bag. Tucked between her ID and other papers was her golden debit card.
As long as she had this, Layla would be okay. They’d be okay.
She rubbed her thumb over the edge, then handed it over.
That’ll be 1,500 dollars, Ms. Ember. Please hold on just a moment.”
Beep! Beep!
The shop assistant frowned, puzzled.
She tried again and again, her gaze turning awkward.
“Um, Ms. Ember, do you have another card? This one’s been declined. Insufficient funds.”
“What?”
Tess’s stomach twisted uneasily. Something cold and heavy settled over her chest.
She remembered how easily she had found her cards earlier. Was it possible that …
“Please try these.”
She hastily pulled out the rest.
If she remembered right, each one had tens of thousands of dollars. They were the rewards she’d earned from solving some of Aetheris’s biggest cases.
Beep!
Beep! Beep! Beep!
“I’m sorry, Ms. Ember. None of them are going through.”
The shop assistant’s smile was clearly strained now.
Doesn’t she live in a unit at Tower C? How could this be?
“Any other cards, Ms. Ember?”
Tess stood there, numb and desolate. “No, that’s all.”
I see. So, about these items…”
“I’ll leave them. Thank you anyway.”
Tess forced a polite smile and turned away, dragging her feet.
How could this happen? All of it–gone. Frozen. That’s my money. I’d worked for it. Fought for it. Why? Why does he get to do this?
M Ember—wait!”
+5 Free Coins
Chapter 3 No Way Out
She’d almost reached the door when the shop assistant called after her.
“Your baby’s crying. She’s probably hungry or wet. We have sample packs. Would you like to take one?”
Her reminder brought Tess back to the present. She looked down.
Layla.
Tess hugged her close.
A few minutes later, she emerged from the shop’s nursing room.
Layla had been changed into a fresh diaper, and the shop assistant handed Tess a large bag. She said, “There are all kinds of trial packs inside–different diaper brands, formula samples… We had some promotional tins too. I stuffed the bag full. Take it. It’s for the baby.”
Tess hesitated. She shouldn’t accept it, but the shop assistant said it was for Layla.
That was right. She could go without any food and items. But what about Layla?
“Thank you.” Her voice cracked.
Her nose stung, and her eyes burned.
Finn had driven her into a corner and taken everything. But this stranger–this shop assistant–had given her a lifeline.
She had loved the wrong man.
“It’s no trouble,” the shop assistant said gently. “I don’t have kids myself, but I can’t stand to hear a baby cry. And I can tell that you love her very much. It’s cold out. Please, get her home safe.
“No matter what you’re going through, Ms. Ember, hang in there. Do it for the baby.”
She assumed Tess had a falling out with her family or something.
These rich folks froze a housewife’s cards just because they have a problem with her?
Men like that are the worst. Total jerks.
Tess clutched the baby tighter and quickened her pace toward her house.
It was cold, just as the shop assistant had said. She couldn’t let Layla freeze.
But now, with no money and no source of income, how were
they going to survive?
