Keith, however, hadn’t considered any of that. Hearing her rejection instantly soured his mood.

“Amara, what’s that supposed to mean? Can’t I just help you out? Why are you treating me like a stranger?”

“No, I…”

“And don’t assume I’m only pushing for this because I have feelings for you and want you to get rid of another man’s kid,” Keith interrupted her defensively. “As your friend, I just genuinely want to help.”

“Right now, for whatever reason, you don’t want this baby. Keeping it is only going to make you miserable, and the longer you wait, the more complicated the procedure becomes. That’s why I’m stepping in. Can you please just let me help?”

Amara chuckled, giving him a light shove. “Why bring that up? Did you really think I didn’t see you as a friend? Stop overthinking everything.”

After trading a few more playful jabs, the tension eased between them, though a faint sorrow soon crept back onto Amara’s features.

“It’s not that I don’t want your help. It’s just that I know it won’t work,” she admitted.

“That jerk Finnian already blocked out every hospital in the city. He’ll absolutely anticipate me turning to you for help. He’s probably already monitoring you. We need to think of something else.”

As they continued discussing their nonexistent options, the doorbell suddenly rang out. A sharp spike of dread pierced Amara’s chest as she shot up from the couch, the color draining from her face.

Keith narrowed his eyes. “What’s wrong? Is it him?”

Amara kept her eyes glued to the heavy security door. “Probably. Let me go check.”

Her jaw tight, she walked over to the security panel and tapped the screen. Finnian’s face immediately popped up on the monitor; he was standing right outside, waiting for her to let him in.

Seeing him standing there made her blood boil all over again.

She had literally just stormed into the Everly Group to scream at him and slapped him across the face before walking out in a rage. What on earth did he want now? Was he here to throw another warning at her about the abortion?

She hit the intercom button. “Finnian, what are you doing here? Speak your piece.”

She was making it abundantly clear she had no intention of letting him inside. Finnian stared dead into the camera lens. “Open the door,” he demanded coldly.

Then, he dropped the bombshell. “I know Keith is in there.”

He had driven over, just like Keith had, and he easily spotted Keith’s car parked in the driveway. The realization that Keith was inside Amara’s home cast a murderous shadow over Finnian’s expression.

Amara gritted her teeth the second she heard him. What did he mean, ‘I know he’s in there’? Was that a threat?

Her face darkened with disgust; now, she absolutely refused to let him inside.

But since the intercom was on speaker, Keith had heard every word. His expression hardened as he stepped up behind her. “Open the door. Let me talk to him.”

Without waiting for her permission, he bypassed her and unlocked the heavy door himself.

As the door swung open, the two

men stood face to face-Finnian on

the porch, Keith in the foyer. They

Ket

locked eyes a dangerous challenge Haring between them as an

explosive, suffocating tension

flooded the air.

Keith flashed a mocking smirk. “Mr. Everly, so you’re blocking Ama from getting the

procedure. You actually want her to keep this kid?”

His smirk vanished, replaced by a

deadly glare. You’re living in a

fantasy, Mr. Everly. Ama doesn’t want this baby. The second she gets an opening, she’s going to terminate Stop trying to carer her, the harder you push, the more she’s going to despise you. Hasn’t anyone ever taught you that?”