But after seeing photographic proof of his lingering ties to Liliana, his words felt like cheap lies.

And then there was the stunt harness accident. Yes, Liliana was badly hurt, but technically, Finnian owed her nothing now. So why was he constantly visiting her hospital room?

It had to be because he still had feelings for her.

Why else would a billionaire executive abandon his empire to sit by a woman’s hospital bed?

Amara turned her head, her voice devoid of emotion. “Save your excuses, Finnian.”

“I am never going back to you, and my child will have absolutely nothing to do with you. I’m going inside now. Leave.”

With that, she ripped herself from his grasp and walked through the front gate, locking it firmly behind her. She cast one final, icy glance at him before disappearing into her home.

Finnian watched her walk away. He had wanted to stop her, to pull her back into his arms, but his strength had completely evaporated.

The absolute coldness of her rejection had shattered him.

Inside, Amara downed a glass of water, desperately trying to steady her racing heart.

Finnian had changed. The gentle, restrained man she once knew had been replaced by someone volatile and terrifyingly obsessive.

Standing chest-to-chest with him under the weight of that predatory aura had genuinely frightened her.

And his relentless fixation on her was exhausting. What was he trying to prove?

If his heart was with Liliana, why couldn’t he just leave her alone?

She shook her head, forcing the thoughts away. Dwelling on it would only make her miserable. She needed to shower and sleep.

Exhausted from the emotional toll of the day, she fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

But it was a restless, nightmare-plagued sleep. She woke up the next morning feeling drained, with dark circles under her eyes.

After forcing down a bowl of oatmeal, she headed to the set. The moment she arrived, a message from Larry chimed on her phone.

She opened the notification and blinked in surprise at the massive block of text.

“Ama, I know I’ve rarely opened up to you. Last night, I had a dream about your mother and them about your Waking up this morning, I had a lot 1 on my mind, and I need to share it with you.”

“I know I’ve been a catastrophic failure as a father and as a husband.”

“I owe the two of you more than I could ever repay. I still have time to make it up to you, but I will never get the chance to make it right with your mother.”

“You might not believe this, but lately, she is all I think about. I miss her kindness.”

“If I could turn back time, I would trade my entire empire just to have her alive and standing by my side again.”

“But it’s too late. There are no second chances in life.”

“So, Ama, all I want now is to see you live a good life.”

Veget

“Years ago, I thought power and wealth were everything. But I’m old now, and I finally understand that family is all that matters You are my family, and I need you to be safe.”

“I don’t know

who

the father of your baby is, and if you don’t want to tell me, I won’t ask again. But raising an illegitimate child on your own wilf ruin you in this society. Both you and the baby will face endless

judgment.”