Chapter 490
In her original plan, a night of physical intimacy would have brought Finnian and Liliana closer, paving the way for a willing marriage. But the plan had been a spectacular failure. She hadn’t slept all night, racking her brain, trying to figure out what went wrong and what her next move should be. She had worried herself sick, a stress blister even forming on the corner of her lip.
Just then, a sharp knock echoed through the room. A jolt went through her. She leaped up from the sofa, her heart hammering against her ribs, and pulled open the door.
Sure enough, it was Finnian. He stood there, his face a thunderous mask, his eyes fixed on her. “Mother,” he ground out, “you had some gall, trying to set me up like that p>
A wave of panic washed over Emma, but she quickly masked it with a sneer. “What is that supposed to mean? I’m your mother. I have every right to decide what’s best for you. Don’t you dare come here and cause trouble p>
Seeing him in person, her initial fear gave way to a defiant resolve. She was his mother. Arranging his marriage was her prerogative. His continued resistance was a mark of disrespect, and she had every right to discipline a disobedient son. She had done nothing wrong.
Bolstered by this logic, her confidence surged. “Let me tell you something, Finnian,” she declared. “You have one week to marry Liliana. No more excuses! If you dare to marry anyone else, I will make her life a living hell p>
“Besides,” she added with a contemptuous smirk, “I know why you won’t marry Liliana. It’s because of that little bitch, isn’t it p>
“I’m putting it to you plainly. If you don’t marry Liliana and you keep pining after that slut, I will find a way to kill her. And don’t you for a second think I can’t do it p>
Seeing the fury ignite in his eyes, she pressed on, a manic glint in her own. “Oh, go ahead, send your men to protect her. I know you can. But can you guarantee you’ll never slip up? Can you really watch my every move, every second of every day p>
“Let’s be honest with each other. It was me who had her kidnapped last time. And I won’t lie to you—my intention was to have her killed. So I’m telling you now, as long as you remain unmarried, I will keep trying p>
“If you want to hate me for it, if you want to stop me, then go ahead. No matter what, I’m your mother. If you have the guts, kill me to stop me p>
“But as long as I am alive, I will spend every single day trying to kill Amara. The choice is yours p>
Emma’s voice grew more and more ecstatic as she spoke. Her eyes were wide and feverish, as if she could already see Amara’s corpse lying at her feet. Her crazed state sent shivers down Finnian’s spine. He was trembling with rage, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides he opened his mouth to unleash a torrent of fury, but then he remembered all the things Emma had done over the years, and a cold dread washed over him.
She was a ruthless woman. He had seen what she was capable of, the cruel ways she had dealt with his father’s mistresses, tactics that thad terrified him as a child. And with age, she had only grown more vicious. tier years abroad, battling with Andrew’s other women, had likely honed her skills to a razor’s edge.
She meant every single word she said. If he continued to defy her, she would stop
at nothing to destroy Amara.
Having laid all her cards on the table, Emma felt a surge of triumphant relief. Why hadn’t she threatened him with this sooner? All this recent drama could have been avoided. If she had used. Amara’s life as leverage from the start, Finnian would have caved long ago.