Chapter 294
As Amara blinked her eyes open, she found herself sitting on the grass beside Keith, surrounded by a crowd of people who were all staring at her in disbelief. More accurately, they were gaping at her face, completely stunned.
Feeling a bit bewildered, Amara touched her face and froze when she realized her mask was missing. Her fingers brushed against her bare cheeks, and her heart skipped a beat.
She had worn a mask since she was ten. It felt as natural as wearing clothes, and now, sitting in the sunlight without it felt like she was completely exposed. She was suddenly overwhelmed with discomfort.
A wave of nausea hit her, and she coughed up some water, clutching her chest. Keith immediately patted her back, concerned. “Did you choke on water p>
Amara nodded, and Keith helped her to her feet. “Let’s get you somewhere to rest p>
They took a few steps before Finnian stepped in front of them. “I called 911. An ambulance is on its way to take Amara to the hospital for a check-up,” he said, his gaze fixed on a pebble in the grass.
Amara had been battling a bad cold and now, having nearly drowned, she was likely to develop a fever. Keith knew this was serious and nodded, agreeing with Finnian’s suggestion.
He glanced over at Cedric and the others, noticing how they were still staring at Amara. But now their expressions were mixed with shock, envy, and admiration.
Keith frowned, wanting to shield Amara’s face from their prying eyes, but there was nothing around to use as a cover, so he just held her a little closer.
The ambulance arrived swiftly, and Keith helped Amara inside. As the head of the film crew, Cedric needed to accompany them, and Liliana, being the boss of the “culprit” Nora, also joined. Naturally, Finnian came along too.
Finnian’s presence was logical from any perspective, and nobody objected to his decision to come along.
Nevertheless, the memory of Amara’s face and her past connection with Finnian ignited a storm of gossip among those left behind.
As the ambulance sped forward, the initial chatter died down. Suddenly, Cedric exclaimed beside Amara, “Wow, you’re stunning! Didn’t you have scars? Did you get them fixed p>
“Yes,” Amara replied, touching both sides of her face with a smile. “I used to have
two nasty scars here, from someone who cut me with a knife p>
Cedric hissed through his teeth, cursing the person who had marked Amara’s face, then studied her features with renewed excitement. “Ama you shouldn’t be a
screenwriter. You should be in front of the camera p>
“With your looks, you’d be a top star in Hollywood. You’d be a sensation p>
“Oh no, I could never be an actress. I’d rather stay behind the scenes,” Amara laughed.
Cedric laughed heartily, then asked, “So why do you still wear the mask if you’re all better p>
Amara instinctively touched her face again. “I just got used to it, so I kept wearing it p>
Cedric teased, “Afraid too many people will chase after you once the mask is off? With a face like yours, the line would stretch all the way to the Mississippi p>
Though Cedric was joking, Amara felt a bit uneasy.
The ambulance was cramped. With the doctors, nurses, and several passengers, space was limited Keith sat on her left, Cedric on her right, and across from her was Finnian.
Finnian’s long legs nearly touched hers, and she had to be careful to keep her
own legs from brushing against his.