And Amara could feel it clearly: though she insisted on refusing Finnian with her words, whenever she was with him, she always sensed an overwhelming sense of security that no one else could ever give her. She deeply craved that feeling.

That was why she had never truly been able to break things off with Finnian. It wasn’t just that Finnian kept seeking her out-she had her own reasons as well. Amara closed her eyes, feeling disappointed in herself.

She didn’t want to become someone who said one thing but did another.

She wished she could be as decisive and efficient as Elysia-a person who never let her emotions get messy or drawn out.

So, she told herself, she had to draw a clear line with Finnian. She couldn’t let things stay ambiguous between them any longer.

Before leaving the house, Liliana took her time getting ready. She applied flawless makeup, put on a bold red dress that perfectly suited her personal style, and let her curled hair cascade gracefully over her shoulders.

She stood in front of the bathroom mirror, taking in her reflection—the elegant, captivating woman she was so familiar with.

These last few days had been rough. The wedding with Finnian had fallen through, and he’d discovered that she had stolen Amara’s credit and even pretended to be pregnant. Finnian was now completely cold to her, and she’d been having a miserable time.

She felt as if she’d lost everything. She couldn’t muster the motivation to do anything. The only time she felt remotely alright was when she was with Emma; when she stayed home alone, she often found herself crying.

Over the past several months, she’d behaved flamboyantly and made quite a few enemies along the way. Even if people didn’t know all the details, word had gotten out that the wedding was off and everyone knew Finnian was the one who had walked out. Everyone was snickering at her, sometimes openly, sometimes behind her back.

Her Twitter mentions were flooded with trolls calling her names, and her inbox was full of nasty “condolences” from haters.

Other actors she’d overshadowed in the past now mocked her publicly, and their remarks were turned into clickbait news online. Reading those posts made her furious.

So lately, she’d been feeling completely lost and out of sorts, drifting through her days in a haze.

But this morning, she finally pulled herself together. She vowed that she wouldn’t let herself go on like this. She had to fight to take backa. everything that was hers

She was determined to return to Finnian’s side—not just because she truly liked him, but because her core belief was to get back up wherever she had fallen.

Being dumped by Finnian had left a stain on her life’s record. If she couldn’t reconcile with him, even if she found another man just as good as Finnian in the future people would always use this incident to mock her.

She couldn’t allow such a blemish to remain. She needed to erase it herself.

And her first step was to ask for Finnian’s forgiveness.

Everyone thought it was outrageous that she had stolen Amara’s credit and lied about being pregnant-and Finnian, of course, felt the same way.

She would have to make Finnian forgive her first, and then look for a way to use whatever goodwill remained between them to get him back.

She understood this wouldn’t be easy—it would take time and patience. She was ready for a long campaign.

After one last look in the mirror to make sure nothing was out of place, Liliana was just about to head out when a new thought struck her. She turned around went back to the bathroom, and carefully removed every trace of her immaculate makeup. She changed into a simple, plain dress, and left the house bare-faced.