Chapter 453

Her heart pounded in her chest as the memories flooded her mind.

In that moment, faced with fear and terror, she paused. Then, a small, wry smile touched her lips. She had never been afraid of death before. After she was certain Soren would never love her again, she had nothing left to tie her to this world. She never expected to find love or friendship.

But now, it seemed she had. And she was surprisingly reluctant to let it go.

There was still so much she wanted to do. UME was gaining momentum, and she knew it could one day surpass Fawkes Enterprises, but it seemed she wouldn't be around to see it.

Evangeline lowered her gaze, a sense of regret washing over her.

Screech-

Suddenly, the car slammed to a halt. Caught off guard, Evangeline lurched forward, nearly hitting her head on the seat in front of her.

When she looked up, she saw a car brazenly parked sideways, blocking their path.

She recognized it instantly. It was Finn's signature red convertible.

In the deep darkness of the night, the color of the sports car was muted, but to Evangeline, it seemed to radiate a brilliant light.

Finn?

He was here.

Finn was already out of his car, striding toward them. He pulled open the door and drew her out, his hand closing tightly around hers.

She could feel the faint dampness of his palm, the slight tremor in his hand. He was scared.

But Evangeline was still confused. Just moments ago, his location on her phone showed him far away. There was no way he could have gotten here so quickly.

Her gaze fell on his car, and she finally noticed the distinct dents and deep scratches on its front end. The tires were caked in mud.

He hadn't taken the main road. He must have taken a shortcut.

There was a shortcut to this area,

but the road was still unpaved-et

dirt path that ran alongside a large lake. For the past two years almost i no one had used that road

He took that route? In these conditions?

If he had lost control, if his steering had been off by just an inch...

The thought sent a wave of retroactive fear through her.

As if sensing her thoughts, Finn squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Don't be afraid."

Her eyes welled with tears. She blinked them back and looked at him with a smile. "I'm not. Finn, I knew you would come."

Just like always. Whenever she needed him, he appeared before her like a superhero, swooping in to save the day.

After Evangeline and Finn got out of the car, Madden and his bodyguards also exited their vehicle, but they didn't dare to interfere. They might not fear the other members of the Lockridge family, but Finn was different. Given his relationship with Victor, Madden knew he had to show him respect. At least on the surface.

"Sir, she's the one Mr. Lockridge wants," Madden reminded him.

Finn pulled Evangeline closer to his side.

“Evangeline is my girlfriend. I won't let anyone hurt her, and that includes Victor."

"You can go back and tell him that if he wants her, he can come to me."

With that, Finn took her hand, ready to leave.

Madden was about to say something, but his eyes darted to a point behind them, his expression changing dramatically.

"Mr. Lockridge."

As he spoke, an extended executive

car pulled to a smooth stop. A pair of handmade, black leather oxfords touched the ground, Victor emerged, dressed in a black suit, his tie loosened, exuding an aura of untamed arrogance. With his arrival, the air temperature seemed to drop to freezing.

Victor lifted his eyes, his voice a low, chilling growl.

"Finn. It's been a few months. You've gotten bold."