Chapter 13 Will You Recognize Me, Finn?
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“Tess?
“Tess? Layla’s crying!”
The baby’s wails and Bessie’s urgent calls snapped Tess back to reality.
She looked down and realized she had been clutching Layla too tightly. She was terrified and crying hard.
She quickly loosened her hold, guilt flooding her heart. She began to soothe Layla in a broken, trembling voice.
Her eyes turned red, and her lips trembled as she bit down hard. Though the room wasn’t cold, she was shaking all over.
Her beautiful eyes brimmed with tears, streaming down her cheeks. She was crying, but her twisted smile made it hard to tell whether it was grief or madness.
She clutched Layla close.
“I need to look him in the eyes and ask–why me? Haven’t I suffered enough? What’s left for him to take? My life?” Her voice splintered, raw with grief.
She stood up suddenly, grabbed the baby sling, and strapped Layla in.
“Tess, where are you going with the baby?”
By the time Bessie realized what was happening and ran after Tess, her frail figure had already vanished.
“What’s going on?” Bessie muttered to herself.
Just then, crack of thunder split the sky.
A chill crept into Bessie’s chest as she looked up at the heavy clouds, feeling increasingly uneasy.
Those women who had been gossiping also fell silent. They glanced at each other in confusion. What had triggered Tess’s breakdown?
All they did was mention Aetheris‘ richest man–Finn.
On the rain–slicked street, Tess’s figure moved through the rain and mist.
Her destination was clear–the towering, magnificent Lock Group where she had once worked.
She was going to see Rinn. She wanted answers.
A year and a half might not seem long, but the suffering in prison had been enough to reshape her completely.
Her beauty remained, but her heart had gone numb.
Time flies. Finn, after all these years, will you still recognize the woman you once knew?
Meanwhile, in the CEO office of Lock Group, Finn’s expression turned icy after he heard the report.
“You’re saying a street cleaner stole my grandmother’s ring?”
Zane replied, “Don’t worry, Mr. Lock. Since it concerns Mrs. Vale, the police assigned a special officer to handle it. According to the housekeeper, Jade, the ring has been recovered.”
“But
Zane pinched the bridge of his nose, bewildered. “It wasn’t the police who found the ring; it was some quick–thinking street cleaner who set a trap, caught the thief, and returned the ring. Mrs. Vale took a real liking to her.”
Zane continued, “Here’s the twist. You’ve met this janitor before. She’s the one who got drenched by your car and whom you helped afterward. The one who cleans with her baby strapped to her back.”
Finn remembered.
So, it’s her.”
2/4
10:42 PM
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Chapter 13 Will You Recognize Me, Finn?
He stood by the panoramic window, tall and silent. He recalled seeing her on a bus outside the prison once, cradling her baby gently.
Later, when his car accidentally splashed her, she didn’t complain and just shielded her baby without a second thought.
He kept thinking of her after that. He didn’t know why. He’d met countless women, yet something about her stayed with him.
Despite all the suffering in the world, for some reason, he had money transferred from his private account to help her. He even broke protocol to donate supplies specifically to street cleaners like her.
Now, hearing about her again brought her plain yet unforgettable image back to mind.
Finn massaged his brow. The last time a woman disrupted his thoughts like this was Tess.
“What’s her name?” he asked, then waved it off. “Never mind. It’s just a street cleaner with a kid. Since she helped my grandma, call her supervisor. Tell them not to let anyone push her around. That’s the least we can do.”
“Understood.” Zane then added, “Regarding the donation, her supervisor said she recorded a thank–you video. It’s in your inbox. The PR team asked if you’d like to do a promotional feature.”
Finn pressed his lips into a thin line.
“No need.”
He clicked a few times on his mouse, then stood up, his tall figure straight and cold as he strode toward the meeting room.
Zane quietly closed the office door behind him. Silence settled over the room, broken only by the faint blue glow of the monitor.
In the trash folder of Finn’s email, the thank–you video lay unseen.
After the meeting, Zane called the chief of the South Street District to relay Finn’s directive that the street cleaner and her child should receive special treatment.
After hanging up, Zane hesitated. What if they pocketed the money and mistreated her? Scrolling through his contacts, he called her direct supervisor–Riven. He was the one who’d sent the thank–you video last time.
At that moment, Riven had just finished his promotion paperwork and was on his way to the dorm to pick a fight with Tess.
He never found her. But his phone rang with a call from Zane himself.
Grinning, Riven answered it. “Zane! Any special instructions from Mr. Lock”
Zane’s voice turned serious. “Riven, Mr. Lock personally said that the street cleaner and her child will be under his protection.
“No one’s allowed to bully them. Help them however you can. If you handle this well, he might even recommend you for another promotion before you retire. Got it?”
Riven froze. For a moment, it felt like the heavens had dropped a golden opportunity onto his lap. Stammering, he blurted out, “R–Rest assured! From now on, she’s my little sister! Her baby’s my niece! I’ll make sure no one dares lay a finger on them!”
As soon as he hung up, Riven’s legs buckled, and he sank to the floor.
Cold sweat soaked his clothes.
Tess… Did she have that kind of connection with Finn? So, it hadn’t been a random act of kindness, after all. Finn had singled her out from the start!
Why else would she be the only one to get the money while the others got nothing? He’d thought it was just a pity gesture after that luxury car splashed water on her.
Turned out, Finn was into her!
Tess–even with scars on her face and a baby in tow–had a slim figure under that oversized coat. That unadorned face hag/4
Chapter 13 Will You Recognize Me, Finn?
its own charm–just the type rich men liked!
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If Riven had known sooner, he wouldn’t have tried anything. Sure, he hadn’t succeeded, but even a rumor reaching Finn’s ears could ruin him!
Now, even though nothing had happened, if word got back to Finn, he’d lose his job and his current promotion too!
Thinking of this, Riven broke into a cold sweat.
Clutching his phone, he barked at the women in the dorm with a dark expression, “Where did Tess go with her kid?”
Meanwhile, Zane hung up, feeling pleased.
He looked up to see Finn sipping coffee from a white porcelain mug, wearing a cryptic smile.
Zane rubbed the bridge of his nose, silently turning things over in his mind. He had followed Finn’s instructions to the letter. There was no way he’d misunderstood… right?
But he saw that slight upward curve of Finn’s lips and knew he had played it just right.
Zane immediately swelled with pride. This was exactly as he’d expected! So what if he’d embellished the mother and child’s situation a little? The real point was driving it home–that woman and her baby were under Finn’s personal protection.
“The person I asked you to find–where is she?” Finn’s icy voice cut through the air as he lightly gripped his coffee cup with slender fingers.
Huh? He had to be referring to Tess, his wife! There were already some leads! But before Zane could respond, his phone suddenly rang.
The receptionist’s nervous voice came through. “Zane, there’s a strange woman here in the lobby. She won’t explain anything and just insists on seeing Mr. Lock. Oh—and she’s holding a baby who looks to be about five or six months old!”
