Chapter 3 No Way Out

Ten minutes passed.

Maria copsed to the ground. “I’ve told you everything I know. Please, don’t hurt Mrs. Lock. She’s already been through enough. She-b” /b

“She’s been through enough?” Finn’s voice dripped with scorn. “With her status as Mrs. Lock, she still wasn’t satisfied. She’s ying 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 canst out there with nothing to her name. She’lle 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. bIt’s /bher choice. Are you pitying a felon now? Zane, are you serious?”

Zane ck quickly shook his head and exined, “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.”

bHe /bflung the broken pen across the room.

ck 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’amb, /bwe’re at Evermount Heightsb./bb” /b

The rideshare bcar /bslowed to ba /bstop in front of a luxury condominium.fn82db This text is hosted at find(?)ovel/fn82db

It was past midnightb, /band La, who was in her arms, squirmed restlessly.

She reached down and touched La’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 La caught a cold–or worse, came down bwith /ba fever. What would she do then?

Before leaving the house, she realized that thest pack of diapers she had brought from the prison was gone.

There was still some form left, but it was barely enough tost them three or four days.

Before heading inside theplex, 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 thiste 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 im a ce 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, thoserge, clear, and expressive eyes. Like the moon, they were still and luminous–quietly beautiful.

“I’ll take three packs of diapersb, /bsize 3,” Tess said.

“And two bcases /bof this Infant Form, and another two cases of the Follow–On from the same brand.

“These baby clothes, cotton, bsize /b3 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 difort creeping in. Was she troubling this young woman?

She never used to think this way. But after what bshe went /bthrough in prison, she’d started to understand just how hard life could be for people bat /bthe bottom.

Back inside, she’d been at the lowest rung of the prison hierarchy. And because Finn had made a point to personally bsee /bto 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. bShe /bavoided attention. She didn’t want to owe anything to anyone.

Tess reached up and consciously touched her cheek. Under bthe /bbface /bmask, 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 beyes /bdimuned

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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 iday /ifor 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, La would be okay. They’d be okay.

She rubbed her thumb over the edge, then handed it over.

That’ll be 1,500 dors, 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?”

bTess’s /bstomach twisted uneasily. Something cold and heavy settled over her chest.

She remembered how easily she had found her cards earlier. Was it possible that …

“bPlease /btry these.”

She hastily pulled out the rest.

If she remembered right, each one had tens of thousands of dors. They were the rewards she’d earned from solving some of Aetheris’s biggest bcases/bb. /b

Beep!

Beep! Beep! Beep!

“I’m sorry, Ms. Ember. None of them are going through.”

The shop assistant’s smile bwas /bclearly strained now.

Doesn’t she live in a biunit /i/bbiat /i/biTower /iiC/i? How bicould /i/bthis bibe/i/bbi? /i/b

“Any other cards, Ms. Emberb?/bb” /b

Tess stood there, numb and deste. “No, that’s all.”

I see. Sob, /babout these items…”

b“/bbI’ll /bleave them. Thank you anyway.”

Tess forced a polite smile and turned away, dragging her feet.

How could this happen? All of iit/i–igone/ii. /iiFrozen/i. iThat’s /iimy /imoneyi. /iiI’d /iworked bifor /i/bit. biFought /i/bifor /iit. iWhy/ii? /ibWhy /bidoes /ihe bget /bto do this?

M Ember—wait!”

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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.

Lab. /b

bTess /bhugged her close.

bA /bfew minutester, she emerged from the shop’s nursing room.

La had been changed into a fresh diaper, and the shop assistant handed Tess arge bag. She said, “There are all kinds of trial packs inside–different diaper brands, form samples… We had some promotional tins itoo/i. I stuffed the bag full. Take it. bIt’s /bfor the baby.”

Tess hesitated. She shouldn’t ept it, but the shop assistant said it was for La.

That was right. She could go without any food and items. But what about La?

“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. Pleaseb, /bbget /bher 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.

iThese /iirich /iifolks /ifroze ia /ihousewife’s icards /ibijust /i/bbibecause /i/bithey /iihave /iia /iiproblem /iwith iher/ii? /i

iMen /iilike /ibithat /i/bbiare /i/bithe /iworst. biTotal /i/bjerks.

Tess clutched the baby tighter and quickened her pace toward her houseb. /b

It was cold, just bas /bthe shop assistant had said. She couldn’t let La freeze.

But now, with no money and no source of ie, how were

they going to survive?