Imprisoned While Pregnant, She's Back for Payback novel Chapter 561

Some small noises in the night caught Tess's attention. She looked up and met those dark, hopeful eyes.

She pressed her lips shut and said nothing.

Lyra understood at once. She stepped forward and took the child outside.

"Are we sure it's tonight?" Tess asked. Her voice was serious.

She didn't want the child's hopes to be crushed again.

"It's the soonest. And it's the best time." Steven frowned.

He could tell Duncan was a typical trust-fund kid. Duncan was lazy and a little naive about the world. But Jackson was different. Jackson had seen a lot. The fact that he switched sides so fast meant he probably only cared about profit.

Facing someone like Jackson was dangerous. Steven didn't want to take risks. Tonight was both the fastest and the safest move.

"Okay." Tess nodded. "If you've thought it through, contact Lyra and Raven if you need anything. I'll make sure they help you prepare. I'll also have people waiting at the exit to get you out."

"Right. Tell us the time when you plan to act." Raven added.

"Alright. See you tonight."

The call ended.

Beep ...

That night, a figure crept into Steven's lab.

A black shadow slid up a white wall like a coiled snake waiting to strike.

It moved deeper until it was swallowed by darkness.

Lights in the lab flicked on and off for a long while.

...

Meanwhile, Raven and Lyra were waiting at the factory exit Steven had given them.

"That was fast. Can we really trust this?" Raven whispered.

He edged to a corner and pushed aside some shrubs to peek inside.

The workshop was dark. Only the stars and the occasional light over the lake showed.

After a long wait with no familiar figure, Raven shrugged and glanced back.

"The timing is a lot sooner than we expected," Lyra said with a worried frown. "But if Steven says so, he must have a plan. Let's wait."

Raven nodded and leaned against the car to kill time.

He tried to slam the door shut, but Steven blocked it with one hand.

Steven shoved the door open and slipped inside, then shut it behind him.

Rachel rushed in because of the noise. The second she saw Nicholas pinned on the couch by a slim man, her first instinct was to scream.

"If you scream, I'll strangle him," Steven said sharply.

The threat immediately shut Rachel's mouth. She trembled, tears streaming. She shook her head, whispering, "No. I won't scream. I ... I won't ... "

Her tears fell fast. Nicholas felt a tight wire pinch in his head.

"She's useless," Nicholas hissed. "If you want something, say it. Tell me what you want."

Nicholas's face was red from the heat, but he glared back and tried to argue.

"I'm here to help you," Steven said.

Nicholas and Rachel froze. Then their faces turned wary. Nicholas spat on the floor in anger. "Help us? You almost choked me! How is that helping?"

In the next moment, his sneer froze. Steven opened his phone. The screen showed a young face wet with tears.

"Ken!" Nicholas shouted, horrified, like he might explode. "What do you want? Why are you doing this? What did we do to you? Why are you even going after my kid?"