Imprisoned While Pregnant, She's Back for Payback novel Chapter 435

Chapter 435 Cruel Schemes

Shannon hurried close, her movements quick, her hands pressing into Henry’s shoulders with desperate care. Her voice trembled with desperation. “You mean …

Henry’s lips curved into a wicked smile. His eyes narrowed, sharp and cold. “The package carried a full address and number. It is only a matter of time before the Larsons track us down.”

Now that she knew the plan was moving forward, Shannon’s mouth lifted in a grin. But the joy faded in a blink. She seized Henry’s arm, her nails dug into his sleeve.

“But you told me the Larsons were richer than kings. You said they had power that could crush anyone. If they come here to back Kylie … and they find out you cheated, what happens then?”

Henry’s chest jerked at her words, but his mind steadied fast. His fingers brushed over her soft hand as he forced a calm smile.

“Don’t worry. Kylie has already forgiven me. We have been married for years. The Larsons will never come here and force us to split apart after all this time.”

Their eyes locked. The tension cracked, and they both laughed.

At the side, Tania kept her head bowed. Every word was safely recorded on her phone. She hid her triumph behind a servant’s calm mask. She moved like she was only stepping out to take the trash.

She pressed the screen dark and slipped the phone back into her apron.

Her steps were light as she slipped out of the apartment. Her hand darted into her pocket. She pulled the phone free and sent the recording straight to Zane.

Zane had just returned home when his phone chimed.

He opened the alert, and the voices of Henry and Shannon spilled out into the air.

The scheme unfolded in his ears. His face hardened with shock, then filled with disgust at the shameless pair.

“100,000 has been deducted from your account.”

With one tap, he sent the money.

“Well done.”

Tania’s phone lit with orange. Her hands trembled as she gripped it tight.

“Thank you, Mr. Black!”

+10 Free Coins

She pressed the screen against her chest, her eyes scanning the area before hiding it again.

Her face remained calm as she threw the trash away, though her heart burned with fire.

Zane, meanwhile, sent the recording on to Finn.

It was a relief that Tania had kept her cover. Without her, none of them would have known that Henry and Shannon had been weaving this plan for so long.

Inside Finn’s car, the voices played through the speakers. At first his gaze drifted out the window, cool and distant.

But as the words sank in, his brows pulled tight. He turned his head back to listen.

The Larsons.

His fingers rubbed together, his eyes narrowing as thoughts stormed beneath the surface.

Then it hit him like a strike. The piece he had missed all this time. Kylie’s identity. She belonged to the Larsons.

A Kingsland aristocratic family.

Unease poured into him, cold and heavy.

He told himself he would share it with Tess as soon as they reached the hotel. But then he looked up.

She and the others were already stepping out of the old house. His gaze fixed on her at once.

Since their divorce, Tess carried herself with a brightness he had never noticed before. She glowed with warmth and grace. The sight stabbed at him. He had ignored her brilliance for

years.

Jealousy and regret twisted inside him.

Lyra slid into the car with Tess, her tone teasing and bright.

“Who would have guessed Lachlan would be so generous? Raven is obsessed with Splendor Sonata. When she learns you brought back the full piece, she is going to lose her mind with joy.”

Lachlan stood by the trunk, sliding their things inside. He glanced up, confusion plain on his

face.

“What? What are you two talking about?” He blinked, scratching the back of his head. “What did I miss?”

Tess let out a soft laugh.

“We were praising you. Now get in the car.”

Lachlan never argued with her. He climbed into the back seat without another word.

Lyra caught Tess’s eyes in the mirror and sent her a playful wink.

Tess coughed twice and turned her face away.

The car rolled off, vanishing down the street. None of them noticed the black sedan that still waited at the curb.

A creak broke the silence as the door opened.

Finn stepped out, his shoes grinding against the

pavement.

His gaze lifted toward the graveyard they had visited earlier.

His feet carried him there, slow and certain, as if pulled by a hidden force.

The air grew heavy as he entered the field of stone markers. The silence pressed down, solemn and deep. His jaw tightened. He straightened his tie, standing tall.

His eyes moved across the rows until they froze on a grave smothered in fresh flowers. He stepped closer. He recognized them. It was the bouquet Lyra had carried that morning.

He bent down slowly, his eyes falling on the carved words.

Here Lies Melanie Ember.

Four plain words.

His brows furrowed. His chest tightened. Without thought, his palms pressed together at his heart as he bowed to the stone.

This had been Tess’s grandmother. By marriage, she had been his grandmother as well.

A long breath escaped his lips. His voice rose in the stillness.

“Melanie, I am Tess’s husband. This is my first time here after so many years. I feel nothing but shame for that.”