Chapter 11

Finnian wore a troubled expression. A month ago, he had been ensnared in a trap, only to be rescued by Liliana, because of which, she was pregnant with his child. Liliana wasn’t as unpleasant as others might believe.

He rose and said calmly, “Could you step outside for a moment p>

After that, Finnian walked out of the room. Amara’s face turned pale as she followed him. In the hallway, Finnian spoke, “I’ll make sure Liliana doesn’t bother you again. Please, let your friend know to stop insulting her p>

Amara bit her lip so hard it was a wonder it didn’t draw blood, though her mask hid it from Finnian’s view. She nodded, wanting to say, “Alright, I understand,” but the words wouldn’t come out.

She felt a deep discomfort at the moment, a desperate need to leave the place quickly.

Noticing her distress, Finnian asked, “What’s going on p>

Amara shook her head. “I’m fine. I should go now p>

With that, she hurried away, afraid she’d start crying if she stayed any longer.

What kind of person was Finnian, really? He wasn’t exactly a villain. From the start, he’d been transparent about their arrangement—she was married into the Everly family to bring joy to Grace. Their marriage was nothing more than a transaction. He wouldn’t love her but would compensate her handsomely.

For three years, Finnian had wired her money every month, and at their wedding, he’d shared a substantial amount of his assets with her. By those measures, he hadn’t done anything wrong.

Yet Amara’s heart ached terribly. Because she loved him, and in his eyes, there was only room for Liliana. Outside the hospital, Amara clutched her chest, steadying herself against the wall to keep from collapsing. After a moment, she caught a taxi back to the villa, just as Finnian returned to the hospital room.

“Finn,” Liliana said, raising herself slightly, “Ms. Sullivan seemed a bit off earlier. Is she alright p>

“She’s fine,” Finnian replied coolly.

Liliana gave him a probing look as she asked, “When can we move in together? I asked the doctor during my check-up, and he said it’s better for both parents to be involved in the prenatal activities p>

Finnian settled back into his chair before replying, “Amara and I aren’t officially divorced yet. It wouldn’t be fair to her p>

That was as good as saying he didn’t plan on moving in with her, and Liliana’s eyes reddened instantly.

“Finn, do you not love me anymore? Are you still upset about me leaving you in college? I know I was wrong.” Back then, Finnian and Liliana had been an item. Kevin had investigated Liliana’s family and found that her parents were blue-collar workers, and she was a film student with aspirations of becoming an actress—a future he found wholly unacceptable. He’d forced the couple to break up, though Finnian had resisted.

Not long after, Liliana had broken up with Finnian herself for certain reason, and actually, she didn’t mean it, just hoping to test him, but it had backfired. Finnian didn’t try to win her back like she had expected, so in a fit of fury, she went abroad.

A year later, when Liliana had calmed down and returned to find him, she was met with news of Finnian’s marriage.

“I don’t hate you. There’s no need to overthink it,” Finnian said after a brief silence.

Then he stood up. “I need to get back to the office for a meeting. Rest well, and call me if you need anything p>

As Finnian left the hospital, his thoughts wandered back to Amara’s eyes. They seemed to hold a certain magic. Whenever he spoke to her, he couldn’t help but be drawn to them, trying to decipher her emotions through their depths.

Today, she hadn’t seemed happy. What was troubling her?

But Finnian shrugged off the thought; Amara was insignificant in his life, after all. He quickly pushed the notion aside.

On his way back to the company, however, a strange feeling of unease crept over him, as if something was missing. Upon arriving at the office, he passed by the secretary’s desk and glanced at the empty table, suddenly realizing what was absent.

It was Wednesday, and for the past three years, Amara had always brought him a bowl of chicken soup on Wednesdays. Today, it was nowhere in sight.

Averting his gaze, Finnian returned to work, leaving the Everly Group an hour later to have dinner at the Everly family estate.

As he approached the estate, he noticed a figure hesitating at the entrance, unsure of whether to go in. After parking his car, he walked over and asked, “Why are you standing out here p>

Amara looked up, her eyes filled with uncertainty. “I don’t know if I should go in p>