Evangeline hit the ground hard, catching a flash of disgust in Soren’s 

eyes. 

She was used to Soren always taking Poppy’s side. 

Normally, she let things slide. But this time, it was her life at stake. 

She didn’t back down. Rising to her feet, she met Soren’s gaze with equal loathing, pointing at Poppy. “She nearly killed me just now.” 

Soren let out a cold laugh. “The only person who nearly killed you was yourself. Don’t forget, you were the one who insisted on jumping in.” 

His eyes fell to her hand. 

The glare of that diamond ring on her finger caught his attention again. 

Suddenly, he felt ridiculous–like a fool in a bad play. 

When Evangeline leapt into the water, he never should have gotten involved. 

Evangeline opened her mouth to retort, but before she could, Finn–silent until now–spoke in a calm, level tone. “Just now, when Mr. Fawkes jumped in, you could at least say he was desperate to save someone. But why did Miss Yates jump in too?” 

It was only then that Soren and Poppy seemed to remember there was another man present–the same man who’d helped Evangeline out of the lake. 

Both turned to look at him. 

Finn, utterly unhurried, pulled a soaked handkerchief from his breast pocket, wrung it nearly dry, and removed his gold–rimmed glasses. He polished them with practiced elegance. 

Elegant. Impossibly so. 

Everyone else was dripping wet, bedraggled, a mess. 

1/3 

Chapter 195 

Poppy looked fragile. 

Soren seethed with rage. 

And yet Finn, somehow, was the picture of composure. 

He looked less like a man who’d just plunged into a lake to save someone, and more like he’d finished a casual lap in his own private pool. 

Evangeline felt a wave of gratitude; if not for him, she’d likely be lying at the bottom of the lake right now. 

“Who are you?” Soren’s voice was icy, his words clipped. 

Finn slipped his now spotless glasses back on, offering a faint, polite smile. “That’s not important. We’re unlikely to cross paths much, after 

all.” 

“You’re with the Lockridges?” Soren pressed. 

Finn didn’t deny it. 

His gaze shifted back to Poppy, his smile still gentle. “But Miss Yates, you haven’t answered my question.” 

Poppy bit her lip, eyes flicking to Finn. 

His smile was warm, and the gold wire of his glasses made him look every bit the gentleman. Yet, when she met his eyes, something in them sent a chill through her. Danger, subtle but unmistakable. 

She quickly composed herself and replied, voice polite, “That question doesn’t seem relevant.” 

“Oh?” Finn nodded, as if pondering. “Then let’s ask something that is.” 

“If you jumped in to save someone, Miss Yates, I assume you can swim. So why did Mr. Fawkes have to pull you out?” 

“And if you jumped in out of jealousy, why not jump near Mr. Fawkes? Why leap so close to Miss Whitmore? That part of the lake is full of weeds–you do realize you could’ve killed yourself, don’t you?” 

2/3 

08:52 

Chapter 

Finn’s words were sharp, merciless. 

The color drained from Poppy’s face in an instant. 

Soren, too, found himself unsettled. He’d had similar questions, though he hadn’t thought them through. 

He’d jumped in from where Evangeline had gone under–by then, she’d already swum some distance. If Poppy really jumped after him, she should’ve landed behind him, away from Evangeline. But she’d ended up right in Evangeline’s path–directly in the way as he tried to swim to her. 

Which meant Poppy must have changed position on shore before jumping. 

And rather than aiming for Soren, she’d jumped right next to Evangeline… 

Just then, Poppy spoke. “I didn’t know where Evangeline was. I just 

wanted Soren to come back to shore.” 

That seemed to ease some of Soren’s doubts. 

Visibility had been terrible–her explanation made sense. 

Finn’s eyes narrowed. “So, you didn’t know where she was, yet somehow managed to kick her straight into the weeds, leaving her to fend for herself?” His brow arched in disbelief. 

Poppy blanched, caught off guard. 

She started to protest, but Finn cut in, his tone deceptively mild. “Miss Yates, Mr. Fawkes is here. I suggest you answer honestly.” 

“After all, as I was walking by, I thought the lake looked beautiful, so I took a little video. Who knows–maybe I caught some evidence of attempted murder on film.” 

212