Imprisoned While Pregnant, She's Back for Payback novel Chapter 509

**Keepsake 509**
**Chapter 509: Taking Responsibility**

Tess’s expression crumbled, her shoulders slumping as she stepped outside, the weight of hurt and defeat evident in her every movement.

Finn, caught in a moment of instinct, reached out as if to grasp her retreating figure, but his hand only met the unyielding chill of the windowpane. The cold sensation jolted him back to the present, and suddenly, he was engulfed by memories from a year prior—the days when Tess had still been his wife, and the world felt less fractured.

Each recollection crashed over him like a relentless tide, each wave of regret cutting deeper than the last, making it difficult for him to draw a breath. He pressed a hand against his chest, where an ache blossomed, spreading like ink in water, saturating him with sorrow.

He recalled the same worried expression she wore earlier when Abel lay in that sterile hospital bed—how she used to look at him with that same blend of concern and love.

For the first time in what felt like an eternity, Finn found himself feeling utterly powerless. He tilted his head back, letting his gaze drift up to the vast expanse of the dark sky, which was devoid of even a single moonbeam to light his way.

**In the hospital room.**

Abel stirred slowly, his eyelids fluttering open to reveal Tess sitting beside him, her expression far from joyful.

“Am I dreaming?” he murmured, blinking in confusion and rubbing his eyes, as if that simple gesture could shake off the remnants of sleep. “How come I wake up and Tess is right next to me? You don’t look happy… but still, what a nice dream.”

“What are you mumbling about?” Tess interjected, raising her hand to give him a swift flick on the forehead.

The unexpected jab jolted him awake instantly.

Abel froze for a brief moment, his hand moving to the spot she had struck, the sleepy haze evaporating, replaced by a dawning realization that this was no figment of his imagination.

“Tess? What are you doing here?” he exclaimed, yanking the blanket up to his chin as if it could shield him from the embarrassment of being caught off guard.

Tess regarded him with a raised eyebrow, unimpressed by his dramatic reaction.

“Knock it off and act normal,” she commanded, her tone sharp but tinged with an undercurrent of affection.

Abel pouted, his bravado faltering, but he ceased his fidgeting.

He lowered the blanket, revealing his face, still pale from illness but undeniably handsome. A sheepish smile crept onto his lips, as he attempted to lighten the mood. “So, Tess, what are you doing here? Did you miss me or something?”

Tess rolled her eyes, her annoyance bubbling to the surface. “You really shouldn’t have eaten that spicy food, Abel. You know you can’t handle it!”

Abel shrank back under her gaze, his expression turning sheepish as he recalled the moment he had indulged in the forbidden dish. “You gave it to me,” he muttered, a hint of defensiveness creeping into his voice.

“You can’t eat spicy food, and your stomach is in turmoil because of it!” Tess exclaimed, slamming her palm down on the bed in frustration.

That single word emerged so pitifully that Tess found herself unable to muster any more ire.

There was no sense in getting angry at a patient, after all.

“I’m fine now,” Abel said after a moment, his tone turning more serious. “You should go home and rest. Layla still needs you there.”

Tess regarded him with surprise, taken aback by his unexpected maturity.

After a brief silence, she tucked the blanket around him, her voice softening. “There’s a fold-out bed here. I’ll stay tonight. Bessie’s at home with Layla.”

Abel’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You’re staying here? In the same room as me?”

Tess froze, caught off guard by the implication behind his words.

It was a perfectly normal thing to do—staying with a patient—but the way he said it made the situation feel far more intimate than it was meant to be.

She forced a smile, then flicked his forehead again, this time playfully. “I didn’t mean to make you eat spicy food, but it’s partly my fault. I’m just taking responsibility.”

“Taking responsibility?” Abel echoed, completely missing the point of her words. His eyes lit up, a grin spreading across his face as his imagination began to run wild.