Imprisoned While Pregnant, She's Back for Payback novel Chapter 258

Chapter 258 Finn Picks a Side

F:

Lyra appeared behind her at some point, arms crossed, speaking in a calm tone.

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Tess couldn’t hide her surprise. She hadn’t expected Lyra to arrange everything for her.

Without waiting any longer, she pulled the door open. The moment Steven saw her, his serious expression softened. He grabbed her wrist, turned it a couple times, and asked, “Are you okay?”

He had just stepped out of the lab when he overheard his assistant gossiping and mentioning Tess’s name.

Almost instantly, he felt something was wrong. Checking his phone, he saw the internet flooded with trending posts about Tess.

When he saw Tess’s photo that captured the attention of the internet, his first reaction wasn’t admiration. It was fear.

Behind her graceful figure, a crowd of furious people charged after her like some rabid beasts. Just one look at it made his heart tremble.

He had tried calling her many times, but her phone had been off, which only added to his

worry.

Tess met Steven’s concerned eyes and shook her head.

Steven let out a breath of relief. “Why didn’t you answer your phone?”

That’s when Tess remembered–her phone had been off in her pocket the whole time.

She hadn’t realized how much it had worried him.

As she pulled out the dead phone, Steven gave a small laugh; he finally let go of his worries.

At least she was safe. That was all that mattered.

“Come with me,” he said.

He still hadn’t let go of her wrist.

Such a simple sentence somehow carried the weight of a vow.

Tess felt goosebumps rise and brushed it off as her imagination.

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Chapter 258 Finn Picks a Side

:

“There are still people outside,” Lyra reminded them at the right moment.

“Outside?” Steven frowned, walked to the window, and lifted the blinds.

His eyes narrowed when he spotted a familiar car. “That looks like Zack’s car.”

“Zack?”

Tess and Lyra gasped at the same time, hurrying to the window.

At that moment, the angry crowd regrouped after failing to find her.

Zack, furious, scolded them before climbing into his Ferrari and speeding away.

Only then did Steven drop the blinds.

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He had investigated Zack before the lawsuit and knew exactly the kind of man he was. It couldn’t have been anyone else.

But why was Zack here?

Steven knew the man well–someone who bullied the weak but feared the strong.

The only reason he’d show up now was probably because he had lost the case and wanted to cause Tess trouble.

Still, Tess was Mrs. Lock, the wife of Lock Group’s president. Zack shouldn’t dare to cross that line.

The three of them sat in silence. The room felt heavy and still.

“Can you take me home?” Tess finally said, raising her eyes to Steven.

She had left the villa for a long time. Dealing with all this drama had made her neglect Layla. The child had been left with Joanna all day–she couldn’t stay away tonight.

Steven didn’t argue. He just nodded.

“Be careful on the way,” Lyra said softly behind her.

Though her voice was quiet, Tess’s sharp cars caught it.

She turned back with a bright smile. “Don’t worry.”

Her smile was bright and dazzling, like a shining gem, filling the shabby apartment with

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Chapter 258 Finn Picks a Side

unexpected warmth.

Steven looked away quickly, his gaze unsettled.

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Noticing Tess’s eagerness to get home, he pushed the car as fast as possible within the speed limit.

The two of them rode in silence the whole way back.

Tess used the brief break to scroll through the latest trending news.

One headline made her frown.

Zack had taken to social media to vent his frustration. He even tagged the District Court, claiming he was unhappy with the ruling.

[Steven brought Tess with him, but who would’ve thought the judge had such close ties with her? Nexus Research Institute clearly stole our patented design, yet we lost the case. It’s heartbreaking for people like us who dedicate our lives to research!]

He painted himself as a helpless victim. Within minutes, his post attracted swarms of online users. The comments were filled with sympathy, people defending him, and angry accusations aimed at Tess.

[Didn’t you just go to Lock Group to cause trouble for Nadine not long ago? Why are you suddenly blaming everything on Tess?] one user sniped.

Zack’s rivals in the industry seized the opportunity to mock him.

His eyes burned with anger as he scrolled through the sarcastic remarks, mentally running through the list of people who disliked him.

But this was social media–everyone had their public image to protect.

So he wrote back, [Lock Group has already stepped in! Nadine was ruined because of Tess. Tess colluded with the judge and threw her sister’s reputation under the bus. How shameless can you get?]

That single phrase–Lock Group had stepped in–instantly sent the discussion into overdrive.

Everyone knew what that meant.

It meant Lock Group had picked a side. That was power; that was authority.

And from Zack’s words, Lock Group clearly stood with Nadine.

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Chapter 258 Finn Picks a Side

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Tess had been dogged by rumors for a long time, but never once had Lock Group positioned itself against her.

Now it seemed clear, Finn was backing Nadine. And in the public’s eyes, that made Nadine the golden child of destiny.