Imprisoned While Pregnant, She's Back for Payback novel Chapter 1

Tess Ember stepped out of the prison gates and into the biting wind.

She quickly wrapped her arms around the small bundle in her arms, shielding it from the cold.

When the gusts finally died down, she carefully pulled back the corner of the baby blanket, revealing a tiny face—soft, rosy, and impossibly sweet.

The baby cooed and blew little bubbles.

She blinked her misty, round eyes at Tess.

"Layla, my sweet girl," Tess whispered, rocking her gently.

At six months old, Layla Ember almost never cried or made a fuss. As long as she was in her mother's arms, the world was safe and warm.

A bus pulled up in the distance.

Tess clutched Layla close, dropped a couple of coins into the fare box, and found a seat near the back.

Meanwhile, a sleek, limited-edition Bentley had just rolled to a stop in front of the prison.

In the back seat sat a man. His profile was sharp and cold while his eyes were half-closed in exhaustion.

When he finally opened them, they were piercing and icy.

His gaze fell on the weathered stone sign at the gate: "Aetheris Women's Prison".

Finn Lock withdrew his gaze and glanced at the time on his wristwatch.

His tone was crisp and cool. "Why isn't she out yet?"

His words were cold and devoid of warmth.

Bill Cook, the driver up front, hurried to answer.

"Maybe there's a delay with the release paperwork, Mr. Lock."

He paused, then added, "But don't worry. Today marks the official end of Mrs. Lock's sentence. I'm sure she will be thrilled to see that you came to pick her up in person."

"Is that so?" he said softly.

Finn lowered his gaze, concealing the chill in his eyes.

"A year and a half ago, she teamed up with the Hunts and leaked confidential company files. She threw it all away—her marriage, her future. She chose to play the spy instead of being my wife. That was on her."

His voice turned colder. "Let's see if she has the nerve to face me now."

The tension inside the car grew thick, the air turning nearly suffocating.

Bill dared not speak again.

After a while, he cracked the window slightly to let in some air.

Just then, he happened to catch a glimpse of the bus beside them as its engine came to life.

"Huh?" Bill blinked. "Wait a second! Isn't that Mrs. Lock?"

Finn rubbed his brow, his head pounding from a long night of back-to-back international meetings.

He was drained at this point.

Finn didn't even open his eyes.

"What? Who?"

"Oh, my mistake, Mr. Lock," the driver muttered, shaking his head as the bus pulled away. "I thought Mrs. Lock had already come out.

"But that's just a woman with a child."

It didn't make sense. Tess was only 22 when she went to prison. Her marriage to Finn had been rocky from the start—cold and distant. The couple had never shared a bed.

How could he possibly mistake a woman with a baby for Tess?

Finn snapped his eyes open.

The prison gates remained shut.

But through the open window of the bus, he caught a fleeting glimpse of a young woman soothing a baby in her arms.

Loose strands of hair fell across the woman's face, covering her cheeks. He couldn't see what she really looked like—only the softness in her eyes as if she were gazing at the most precious thing in the world.

And just like that, Finn was thrown back into a memory from 18 months ago.

He'd been drinking that night after a business dinner.

His mind kept replaying the constant urging of his grandmother—telling him to consummate the marriage and give her a grandchild.

He remembered that woman helping him to take off his shoes and jacket. She wiped his face and hands clean, and held a glass of water to his lips. She then half-carried him to the bed.

And as she bent down to cover him with a blanket, he reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"Isn't this what you want? You had my grandma pressure me to have a baby with you. Well, tonight—you get your wish."

He pulled her into his arms.

She looked very delicate as she lay beneath him, her cheeks blushing. A faint, sweet scent clung to her skin—something soft, something that tugged at the frayed edges of his reason.

Somehow, he leaned down.

Haha! Playing hard to get, huh?

If you didn't want this, why did you push Grandma to pressure me? What a hypocrite.

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