NovelEnglishdown
Chapter 816 You Call That Fatherly Love
Remembering Artemis’ warning before he came, Dale forced himself to speak gently to Tessa. “Cback to
Black Mountain with me; that’s your home.”
He had thought long and hard before choosing those words.
But the moment Tessa heard them, her brows furrowed. “You think if | go to Black Mountain with you, all our
problems will magically disappear?”
“What do you mean?” Dale looked at her, confused.
“I was nothing but a cover for the Ashen Pact uprising,” Tessa said flatly. “Findingwon't help you.”
Ever since she'd been following Victor, Tessa could feel the deep, bone-deep hatred he carried for the Ashen
Pact. That kind of hatred could only cfrom years of blood-deep enmity.
Tessa wasn't stupid.
So when Dale clooking for her now, she didn’t mince her words.
“You were just a cover?” Dale frowned.
Tessa nodded. “Yes.”
Dale fell silent.
Just a cover. The phrase hit him hard; the news couldn't have been worse.
If Tessa really was just a pawn in the Ashen Pact conflict, then things were far more complicated than he'd
hoped.
He looked at her face-those eyes and brows that so closely mirrored his own.
Taking a deep breath, he asked, “Then what do you think we should do about the Ashen Pact’s current crisis?”
“I don’t know.” Tessa’s tone was cold.
She really didn’t; and even if she did, she wouldn't say. Her parents stood on opposite sides, and she could only
side with her mother.
That was something she’d understood clearly the moment she cto Redwood.
As long as she knew where she stood, she knew how to act when things cto a head.
1/3
And right now...
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtFacing Dale, she couldn't afford to care about anything else.
Besides, she had grown up without a father; at such a crucial moment, it was better to have none than to have
one like him.
Dale’s expression darkened.
He looked at Tessa, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Tess, | know you hate me-for not being there, for not being the
father | should've been.”
“But Tess... | am your father.”
Those last words cout weighted, deliberate-as if to remind her where her blood truly cfrom.
How could I not hear it? She might seem careless most of the time, but when it mattered, she was sharper than
anyone.
Hearing her words, Tessa’s lips curved into a smile-one full of mockery.
Dale could hardly bear that look from someone so much younger. He drew in another deep breath. “Cback
to Black Mountain with me, will you?”
These past few days, he'd been frantic-either searching for Tessa or desperate to see her. Now that he finally
had, he needed something to cout of it.
In his mind, with how close Tessa and Victor seemed to be, if she returned with him to Black Mountain, Victor
would have to think twice before making a move against the Ashen Pact.
But Tessa wasn't a fool.
Her mocking smile deepened. “You say you're my father?”
“lI am,” Dale said, his tone firm.
“Father? Hah!” Tessa sneered. “What you really want is to takeback as a hostage.”
“My life has been nothing but misery.”
Go back to Black Mountain?
That place was crawling with people who wanted her dead-the twisted twins, the scheming stepmother who
played innocent, Manny, Dan... all of them had tried to hurt her before.
2
T
Every one of them was dangerous.
And as for her father-he’d only ever acknowledged the children born of his precious wife.
He wantedto return to that hell? Tessa thought.
“Do you takefor a fool? Or do you really think I'm so desperate for sillusion of fatherly love?”
Every word cut like a blade.
Dale’s face grew even darker. “That’s not what | meant.”
Tessa arched an eyebrow. “No? Then what about Artemis’ children?”
At that, Dale froze.
During her twith Victor, Tessa had pieced together every relationship around Dale.
And at the mention of Artemis’ children, he couldn't help but think of how those stwins had once gone after
Tessa.
When he said nothing, Tessa let out a
0 a q
soft, bitter laugh. es twins tried
hon) meteor W at did you do
An .
about it?" The content is on
novelenglish.net! Read the latest
chapter there!
A father, huh? When faced with his own children trying to murder one another, what kind of father was he
then?
He'd never once existed in her world; if anything, he owed her more than anyone
nd at the mention of Artemis’ children, he couldn't help but think of how those stwins had once gone after
Tessa.
When he said nothing, Tessa let out a
q Pp q
soft, bitter laugh. ees twins tied
tokeforé W at did you do
HY] .
about it?” The content is on
novelenglish.net! Read the latest
chapter there!
A father, huh? When faced with his own children trying to murder one another, what kind of father was he
then?
He'd never once existed in her world; if anything, he owed her more than anyone.
And now, in this moment-what
)
would | do? Dale Gepyeend 138!
NAY her tori g that up. His
face stiffened even more. The
content is on novelenglish.net! Read
the latest chapter there!
word
word
mmMwWLIII0fiflo&1
mmMwWLIII0fiflo&1
mmMwWLIII0fiflo&1
mmMwWLIII0fiflo&1
mmMwWL1i10f1ifl0&1
mmMwWLIII0fiflo&1
word
word
mmMwWLIII0fiflo&1
mmMwWLIII0fiflo&1
mmMwWLIII0fiflo&1
mmMwWLIII0fiflo&1
mmMwWL1i10f1ifl0&1
mmMwWLIiI0fiflO&1
Visit our social media platform to read fascinating stories every day and connect with the community!
