“It’s just not the right time to pull the plug. We need to wait it out.”

Amara knew his logic was technically sound, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that he was playing her. Her patience finally snapped. “Did you buy your way to the top of the trending list today? Finnian, why would you do this?”

She usually kept things strictly professional with “Mr. Everly.” The only time she ever used his first name was when she was pushed completely over the edge. Finnian instantly realized how furious she actually was.

“Amara, I swear I didn’t plant that story,” he quickly defended. “Yes, I refused to kill it and let it run its course, but I didn’t fuel the fire.”

Seeing the sheer accusation and disgust in her eyes sent a sharp ache through his chest. Was he really that awful in her mind? Did she have absolutely zero trust left in him?

Amara eyed him suspiciously. “Are you telling me the truth? You really had nothing to do with it?”

Finnian held her gaze for a heavy moment before taking a slow step forward, nearly brushing against her.

She instinctively stumbled back, only for her lower back to hit the edge of his mahogany desk. Trapped, she was forced to look up at the broad expanse of his chest hovering dangerously close.

The clean, intoxicating scent of his cologne wrapped around her, dripping with a quiet, undeniable masculinity. The tips of her ears burned red, though a spark of indignation flared at his bold intrusion into her personal space.

Gripping the edge of the desk, she warned, “What do you think you’re doing? Back up.”

Instead of retreating, Finnian planted both hands on the desk on either side of her hips, effectively caging her in. From a distance, it looked incredibly intimate, as if he had her entirely engulfed in his embrace.

Lowering his gaze, his voice dropped to a rough whisper. “I didn’t do it, Amara. What kind of monster do you think I am?”

Was it her imagination, or did he actually sound hurt? No, he genuinely looked wounded.

What was his problem? Was he throwing a pity party because she wrongly accused him? Truth be told. seeing the raw vulnerability in his. eyes made her defenses wave for a split second-a brutal reminder that she wasn’t entirely over him.

But reality quickly crashed back down. This was the man who had bought his way into her workplace, humiliated her in front of her colleagues, and dragged her name through the mud for the entire world to analyze.

Every single miserable thing happening right now was entirely his fault. The image of those photos Liliana had sent her flashed in her mind, alongside the toxic conversation Liliana had cornered her with at the school.

He treated Liliana like absolute royalty, yet here he was, cornering and seducing her. The sheer audacity of it twisted the knife

ovel

deeper into her chest. Driven to the edge by pure, unadulterated heartbreak and rage, she snapped “I think you’re a terrible person And frankly, aren’t you?”

“You cross every single boundary! I told you I didn’t want to see you, I didn’t want to talk to you, I didn’t want you in my life! But you just keep pushing and forcing your back in! I hate you… With every word that fell from her lips, Finnian felt like a knife was slowly being twisted straight into his heart.