Chapter 22 No Place to Hide
The unspoken truth was–right now, he had no idea where Tess had gone.
Zane snuck a glance at Finn’s unreadable expression and quickly lowered his head.
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Tess was the kind of woman who couldn’t lift a box or carry groceries if her life depended on it. She’d grown up pampered, born into a powerful family, went straight into law school, and quickly became a top attorney–hands never even touched dish soap, let alone real hardship. Now, she was broke, homeless, and alone. Zane honestly couldn’t imagine how she was managing to survive.
Even he, someone close to the situation, sometimes felt that Finn had been too ruthless with her.
But he was just the assistant–Finn was still his boss.
“We found out that she opened a new bank account,” Zane said carefully. “Small amounts of money have been deposited regularly.
He noticed the ice–cold look on Finn’s face flicker ever so slightly.
Pushing forward, Zane added, “She doesn’t have any family in Aetheris, no close friends either. We don’t know how she’s getting by, but if we freeze that account too, chances are, she’ll be forced to come back on her own.”
His voice trailed off toward the end, lacking confidence.
“Do it,” Finn said coolly, eyes narrowed.
“Yes, sir.”
Zane turned and left quickly, closing the door behind him.
Finn’s eyes drifted back to the stack of documents on his desk–but not a word of it registered.
The pen slipped from his fingers, black ink bleeding across the white paper like a spreading stain–just like the chaos in his head.
His chest felt tight as he walked over to the floor–to–ceiling windows.
From his office high above the city, people and cars below looked like insects in a glass maze.
Tess, out of all these people, where are you hiding?
His hand clenched slowly at his side, and he let out a low breath, his gaze dark and unreadable.
Did she really think she could just walk away from him?
Whether she was throwing a tantrum after getting out of prison or playing hard to get–it didn’t matter. He’d given her enough time and patience.
He wasn’t some lovesick fool who’d waste time chasing a woman.
Tess had no idea any of this was happening on the top floor of the Lock Group tower. After she hung up the phone, it felt like a weight had settled on her chest.
The longer Finn’s shadow hovered over her life, the more anxious she became.
She looked down at the baby in her arms, gaze steadying.
Layla was her entire world. She couldn’t let either of them be found by him.
Pushing those thoughts aside, she gently pulled Layla’s fingers out of her mouth–it was feeding time. The baby must have been getting hungry.
Tess stood and walked to the cabinet to scoop out the formula, only to find there was barely a thin layer left at the bottom of
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Chapter 22 No Place to Hide
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the can.
She sighed and carefully poured out every last bit.
Raising Layla wasn’t cheap.
Even with a budget–brand formula, it was still pricey. And no matter how much she scrimped, she constantly worried she couldn’t give her daughter the life she deserved.
Still, payday was coming soon.
That thought alone gave her a sudden spark of motivation.
Even without Finn–without the glamorous life–Layla would still be happy with her.
They’d lean on each other–just the two of them.
Layla had been fast asleep for a while now, comforted by Tess’s quiet voice.
Tess felt exhausted and finally caught up with her. She figured she might as well take a nap, too–this was her first real break in days.
She had just changed into more comfortable clothes and climbed into bed when a soft but insistent knock came at the door.
Tess got up and opened it to see Bessie, cheeks flushed from the sun.
Sweat beaded across her forehead, and she looked uneasy–but when she met Tess’s clear, calm eyes, her words caught in her throat. She glanced inside and asked quietly, “Is Layla asleep?”
Tess nodded. “What’s wrong, Bessie?”
She could tell something was bothering Bessie. Without pressing, she gently led her inside and handed her a towel.
Bessie took a few shaky breaths. It was hard to say, but she knew she had to. “Riven’s a damn scumbag,” she spat bitterly.
Tess blinked, confused but suddenly uneasy.
Bessie grabbed her hand, her face red with frustration. “They hired a new cleaner today. And Riven… He gave away your
bed!”
Tess froze. “What about me?”
“That’s what I’m saying! He hasn’t even been in charge for long, and he’s already making life hard for you like it’s no big deal. Just wait. Someone will come ‘inform‘ you any second now.”
Fuming, she recounted everything she’d overheard while resting under the tree, not leaving out a single word.
Tess’s face went pale. Unlike Bessie’s righteous fury, she felt nothing but cold creeping into her limbs.
Right on cue, a knock came again.
The two women looked at each other.
Of course there was Riven, standing outside with a young woman behind him.
“Tess, we’ve got a new hire. You need to vacate your bed.”
He spoke casually like it was no big deal. But he didn’t dare meet her eyes–his head turned slightly away, gaze tilted up, avoiding her completely.
To be honest, he’d been thinking about it for a while now: someone like Tess just didn’t belong here.
