Chapter 21 Lightning in the Rain
A dull ache tugged at Tess’s chest.
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Maybe sensing the shift in her mood, Layla reached up and tugged gently at a strand of Tess’s hair. Her big eyes shimmered and dark, full of innocent curiosity.
The weather had been clear just a moment ago, but the sky suddenly darkened. Tess frowned. Great. Rain’s coming.
Right then, her ride pulled up. She climbed in with Layla, and they headed toward the employee dorms.
By the time they arrived, rain was already coming down in sheets.
As soon as they got inside, Tess changed Layla’s clothes. Just as she finished, her phone started ringing.
It was an unknown number. Her gut immediately twisted with reluctance.
She hesitated, thumb hovering over the screen, ready to hang up–yet somehow, her feet carried her to the window as she picked up.
“Hello, is this Layla’s guardian?”
The voice on the other end sounded formal, almost rehearsed.
Tess froze for a beat, then snapped to attention. “Who are you?”
No need to be alarmed.”
On the other end, Zane scratched his head. The woman’s voice was softened by the background of pouring rain, but something about it tugged at a vague familiarity.
“I’m Zane, assistant to Mr. Lock of Lock Group Private Hospital. We got your contact information from the hospital’s registration system.”
He introduced himself politely. But Tess’s heart just about stopped.
She instantly regretted answering.
“What do you want?”
Her voice dropped low, blending with the pattern of rain to sound muffled and heavy.
The strange familiarity from before started to fade.
The call was on speaker.
Zane glanced at Finn beside him. Seeing no reaction, he continued, “We wanted to sincerely apologize for yesterday and check on how your child is doing.”
So that was it. Tess let out a humorless laugh.
“Doing great–except for the fact that we wasted precious time at your hospital and nearly delayed her treatment!”
She didn’t even know why she snapped like that. But the second the words left her mouth, the anger just kept rolling.
Zane was caught off guard.
This woman was fierce.
Ever since becoming Finn’s assistant, people always spoke to him with deference–even those higher up. Everyone treated him with respect because of his proximity to Finn.
This was the first time someone cursed him out while knowing exactly who he was.
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Chapter 21 Lightning in the Rain
But then again, they had screwed up.
“I’m really sorry for the trouble we caused. We’re happy to offer appropriate compensation-”
“No need.”
Tess cut him off coldly.
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Zane fell silent. Then her voice came again, sharper now. “Just tell Mr. Lock this–stop throwing his weight around. Regular people’s lives matter too.”
The words were like daggers. Zane broke into a cold sweat and instinctively glanced over at Finn.
To his surprise, there wasn’t a flicker of anger–just a dazed, almost lost expression.
That voice…
Finn’s mind instantly flashed back to an old video.
A courtroom clip. That case had shaken all of Aetheris. He remembered the woman standing at the defense table, her voice calm and precise, slicing through the prosecution’s case.
It was Tess. The one no one expected. Regal and sharp, like a pine tree standing tall on a snowy peak.
Just one slam of her palm on the table had sent the opposing attorney into a cold sweat.
And now, the woman on this call–her cutting words, her steady tone–it all overlapped with that memory.
Too familiar. Too sharp, Finn’s calm exterior cracked ever so slightly.
His pupils tightened as he stared at the phone in Zane’s hand.
“If there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up.”
Her voice was smooth again, but the rain had picked up, washing away that lingering trace of familiarity.
Finn blinked, snapping out of his daze.
What the hell am I even thinking?
He was losing it.
The woman on the phone had a child. A mother.
And here he was—connecting her to Tess, fresh out of prison.
He rubbed his temple, the pressure in his head building.
If she didn’t want compensation, fine. He wasn’t some saint desperate to hand out favors.
He waved a hand at Zane to hang up. But before Zane could politely end the call, the call ended with a sharp beep. The line went dead. She’d hung up on them first.
The corner of Zane’s mouth twitched.
Finn’s jaw tightened. The irritation that had been simmering inside finally broke the surface.
Tess’s disappearance had left a hole in his plans, and frankly, he was tired of wasting time.
If she was still his wife, then she needed to be back where she belonged–with him.
He tapped the desk once. “I want to see her. Tonight. At Evermount Villa.”
Zane blinked, then realized who he meant by ‘her.
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Chapter 21 Lightning in the Rain
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He hesitated, clearly troubled. Finally, he spoke.“Mr. Lock, I’ve already sent someone to Evermount Height. Their people said her card was frozen, and without that, she couldn’t stay in the house. She was evicted a while ago.”
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