Imprisoned While Pregnant, She's Back for Payback novel Chapter 523

Kylie’s eyes widened the moment she heard that. “Are you out of your mind? Of course not!”

Her voice was sharp, laced with disappointment. “Henry, we’ve been married for years, and we’ve been through everything together. Are you still holding a grudge because the Larsons didn’t accept you back then? You can’t just throw away the family’s future over something so

childish!”

Henry didn’t get angry. Instead, he smiled and lightly tapped her forehead. “What are you thinking? I know you don’t trust Tess and don’t want her taking over.”

“Then what did you mean by what you just said?”

Kylie turned her head away, still sulking, clearly not in the mood to talk to him.

Henry chuckled and tried to soothe her. “Just listen to me.”

He gently turned her face back toward him, and though reluctant, Kylie finally met his eyes.

“If Tess isn’t capable, but the Larsons insist on making her the heir, then fine–let’s go along with it. She’s already back with the Embers now. That means she’s still one of us. Even if the Larsons claim you’re no longer part of their family, as long as Tess remains an Ember, she’s still our daughter. That gives us every right and duty to help her handle things.”

He gave her a little wink.

Kylie frowned, clearly thinking it over. “You mean …

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“But… ” she bit her lip, looking torn. “The Larsons never wanted me involved in company affairs. And with Aunt Olivia and Uncle Banjamin still around—not to mention Violet herself— as long as they’re there, they’ll never let me influence Tess. Besides, I already cut ties with the Larsons. How could they possibly agree to this?”

Henry gave her a reassuring look. “They don’t need to know. It’s better than standing by and watching Tess destroy everything the Larsons built.”

The two of them exchanged a look, saying nothing more.

Kylie swallowed the uneasy feeling in her chest and finally nodded. “Alright.”

Henry’s face lit up with satisfaction. He squeezed her hand and reminded her gently, “Then for now, don’t argue with Tess like you did yesterday. She’s grown up and doesn’t listen to us anymore. All we can do is go along with her for now–and make our move later.”

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“But I’m her mother!” Kylie huffed, unwilling to back down. But when she saw Henry’s disapproving expression, her shoulders slumped. “Fine I get it.”

…

“The Larsons will thank you for this someday, Kylie. Just hang in there a little longer.”

Henry comforted her softly, though his eyes and mind were already elsewhere.

Kylie, meanwhile, found herself lost in the rare tenderness Henry was showing her–a warmth she hadn’t felt in a long time.

Top floor, Lock Group’s CEO’s office.

“Hmm, I think the Shaws‘ business should consider expanding into Aetheris.”

Finn stood by the tall glass windows, eyes half–closed as he spoke into the phone.

There was a brief silence on the other end. “Expand into Aetheris?” Miranda repeated hesitantly, exchanging a surprised look with Gideon.

Finn had lost his father when he was young and had refused every offer the Shaws made to bring him back into the fold. Instead, he’d gone straight to Aetheris, built his empire from scratch, and become the undisputed business king of the city.

As Finn flourished in Aetheris, the Larsons had also thought about expanding there. But Finn had made it clear he wasn’t interested in letting them in. After hitting several dead ends, the Larsons had backed off, not wanting to make things worse between them.

So why was Finn suddenly inviting them now?

“Finn, do you … already have something in mind?” Gideon asked carefully, taking the phone from Miranda, his voice trembling with barely contained excitement.

“I have a project that I’d like to work on with the Shaws. It could also help the Larsons grow in Aetheris.”

Finn’s tone was calm, but his eyes darkened, concealing the calculation behind his words.

“Oh?” Gideon’s interest was immediately piqued, his eyes brightening.

He had always felt guilty toward Finn, so whenever Finn called, he usually agreed to whatever he asked for.

Though most of Finn’s previous calls had been about assigning tasks to Abel.

But this time…

“Of course, the Larsons would be glad to cooperate. Tell me what you have in mind,” Gideon said eagerly.

Finn paused. “My lawyers will contact you about the details. I’ll help you–but I have one condition.”

“Name it.”

“I want Abel to be the project leader.”

The room fell silent.

Gideon and Miranda looked at each other, confused.

“Finn … did Abel cause trouble for you when he visited Aetheris a while ago?” Miranda asked cautiously.

At first, she was just as pleased as Gideon to hear Finn mention Abel, thinking it meant Finn still cared about the family and wanted to stay connected. But after hearing this request, she couldn’t help but wonder.

“You can refuse,” Finn said curtly, his patience wearing thin.

If it weren’t for Abel, he wouldn’t have spoken a single word to anyone from the Shaws.