Chapter 856
Jenny glanced nervously at her daughter. Finnian’s voice had been freezing cold, completely devoid of the polite respect he usually maintained with her.
Liliana offered her mother a reassuring nod. Taking the hint, Jenny slipped out of the room, shutting the door quietly behind her.
The triumphant high Liliana felt just moments ago evaporated as she noticed the dark storm brewing in Finnian’s expression.
“Finnian… did something happen?” she asked hesitantly.
He stopped at the foot of her bed, his face an impenetrable mask of ice. “Did you set up that trending topic?”
Liliana’s heart plummeted. The accusation in his tone was unmistakable. He had seen the article.
And worse, he was furious about it.
She steadied her nerves, falling back on her rehearsed defense. “No, Finnian, it wasn’t me! My mother just told me about it when I woke up. I was shocked too.”
“I don’t even know the influencer who posted that article. It had absolutely nothing to do with me. If you don’t believe me, you can have someone look into it.”
She maintained unbroken eye contact as she lied-a psychological trick she had mastered long ago.
Direct eye contact subconsciously convinced people of sincerity.
Finnian stared at her in deafening silence, his gaze intensely calculating.
Panic gnawed at the edges of her mind, but she reminded herself that her tracks were completely covered. She had been incredibly careful; there was no paper trail linking her to the PR stunt.
Just when she braced herself for another interrogation, Finnian turned on his heel and walked out without another word.
Liliana blinked in shock. Why did he leave so abruptly?
Did he believe her? Had he realized there was nothing left to discuss?
Relief flooded through her.
Everything was still salvageable. He may have been cold, but the fact that he rushed the hospital meant he still felt indebted to her
As long as she played the victim and cashed in on that guilt slowly, she would ultimately win him back.
Finnian marched out of the hospital, his expression lethal.
He wasn’t surprised by her vehement denial, but he didn’t believe a word of it. The
PR stunt had her fingerprints all over it.
Given how calculated she was, he
knew she had likely covered her
vel
tracks meticulously. He could expose her, but it would take time and resources.
But what was the point? The damage was already done. Proving she orchestrated it wouldn’t undo Amara’s disgust.
Sitting in his car, the memory of Amara telling him to get out of her life suffocated him all over again.
Across town, Amara was faring no better. The sheer audacity of Finnian’s behavior kept her simmering with anger all afternoon.
By the time she wrapped up her work and drove back to her villa, the sour mood still clung to her.
As she pulled up to her driveway, her headlights illuminated a sleek black car parked right out front. Leaning against the door was a fall imposing figure.
She didn’t even need to see his face. She recognized that commanding silhouette instantly. It was Finnian.