Chapter 26 Not Just Kindness
Chapter 26 Not Just Kindness
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Even under pressure, Charles remained calm and patient, quietly waiting for Tess’s answer.
I…”
Tess glanced down at the baby in her arms, clearly torn.
Max took a step forward, subtly trying to wedge himself between her and Charles. “Tess.”
“Alright. Thank you,” she said firmly, cutting him off with a grateful smile directed at Charles.
Immediately, a pink flush crept up Charles’s cheeks.
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Tess couldn’t help but chuckle under her breath. Even after becoming a capable lawyer, he was still the same bashful Charles.
“I’ll take you there now!” he said eagerly, turning around and heading back into the law firm to wrap things up.
As soon as he left, Max stepped closer again, reaching for Tess’s wrist. “Tess, even if you hate me, the baby still deserves a good life.”
He hated using the child to plead with her, but right now, it was the only leverage he had.
The truth was, he’d disliked the sight of her child from the very first moment.
But he knew–it was the only way to get her to give in.
In an instant, the warmth on Tess’s face vanished. She turned to Max with eyes like ice. “Get your hands off me. You make my skin crawl.”
“Apologies, Mr. Hunt.” Charles’s voice cut in just in time. He was back, now dressed in casual clothes, clean and straightforward. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll go help settle Ms. Ember in.”
Tess yanked her arm away from Max, nodded to Charles, and didn’t even spare Max a second glance.
Charles loaded her suitcase into the trunk, and just like that, the two of them drove off–leaving Max behind in the dust.
He stood there frozen, eyes glued to the shrinking car like he could burn a hole through it with his stare.
When it finally disappeared, he dropped his head, messy bangs falling over his eyes, turning his usually gentle features into something dark and unhinged.
In the backseat, Tess cradled Layla gently. Meanwhile, Charles hadn’t stopped blushing the entire drive.
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Through the rearview mirror, he snuck a glance at the baby in her arms. “Ms. Ember, the baby… Is she
At the mention of Layla, Tess’s stern expression softened. She stroked her daughter’s chubby cheek with delicate affection. “My daughter.”
Charles’s hands froze on the steering wheel. He’d suspected as much from the way Tess had held the child so protectively, but hearing her say it outright still caught him off guard.
“You have a daughter?” he murmured, more to himself than to her.
There was a flicker of something indescribable in his voice–bittersweet, maybe.
Tess missed the emotion behind his words. She smiled, a little resigned. “Life doesn’t always go how you expect.”
Her voice trailed off like mist in the wind–light and a little tired.
Charles looked away for a moment.
Silence fell over the car. The only sound was Tess’s quiet whispering as she soothed Layla to sleep.
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2.26
Chapter 26 Not Just Kindness
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“We’re here.”
The car pulled into a narrow, peaceful alleyway. At the end stood a small building with its front yard gate wide open.
“It’s an old place. I hope you don’t mind,” Charles said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck as he helped unload her luggage.
Tess quickly shook her head. “Thank you–really for both me and Layla,
“Oh, and please, no need to call me Ms. Ember. Those days are long gone. Just Tess is fine.”
Her smile was soft, but Charles could see the sorrow behind it–the lingering ache of losing a part of her identity.
He pressed his lips together, hesitating for just a beat before nodding.
“Okay, Tess.”
He stumbled slightly over the new title, but she responded with a smile and a gentle nod.
“There are a bunch of empty rooms inside. Feel free to pick whichever one you like, Tess,” he said as he tugged her suitcase behind him, clearly more comfortable with the second use of the name.
At the door, Charles suddenly stopped and turned to her, his face serious.
“Even if you never practice law again, you’ll always be the best lawyer I’ve ever known. You’re still my role model.”
He said it without a trace of hesitation, eyes burning with admiration.
Tess nearly laughed at how serious he looked, but more than anything, she was touched.
“That means a lot.”
After helping her settle in, Charles returned to the office.
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Only then did Tess learn that, although he had founded his own practice, he still technically worked at Lock Group, rarely visiting and usually staying for only an hour or two in the afternoons.
In his own words, “Lock Group was my first real job. Hard to let go.”
Once everything was arranged, Tess finally had a moment to breathe.
Layla had finished her bottle and fallen asleep, a faint smile on her lips as if dreaming something sweet.
Tess tiptoed to the window, lost in thought.
Charles had called it an “old house,” but the lighting inside was perfect–sunlight poured into every corner.
She’d chosen a room close to the bathroom, fully furnished and far cozier than her former dorm. The mattress was soft, a far cry from the hard beds she’d grown used to.
Leaning her cheek against her palm, she stared out the window at a tree branch, where two little birds perched on the branch together.
Suddenly remembering something, she reached into her suitcase and pulled out the divorce agreement she’d signed before going to prison.
Not wanting to wake Layla, she slipped quietly into the living room and spread the papers across the coffee table.
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