Amara was fuming as she drove to the Everly Group headquarters. She stormed up to the top floor and banged on the door of the president''s office.


    "Come in."


    A calm male voice called from inside.


    Amara swung the door open and marched up to Finnian. She asked, "Mr. Everly, today was supposed to be the day we finalized our divorce. We''ve set a time and everything. Why didn''t you show up?"


    "And by the way, you didn''t answer my calls either," she added.


    Finnian sat behind his massive desk, while Amara stood across from him, the height discrepancy evident; she was furious, exuding an overbearing aura, yet somehow she couldn''t match hismanding presence. It felt like a child trying to argue with an adult.


    Elbows resting on the desk, Finnian gazed up at Amara. "No particr reason. I just don''t feel like getting divorced right now," Finnian replied nonchntly.


    Amara''s eyes widened in disbelief. "Why?"


    Finnian was supposed to be eager to divorce her, ready to rush into marriage with Liliana. So why the sudden change?


    "What are you saying, Mr. Everly?" Amara asked again, unable to believe her


    ears.


    "Exactly what it sounds like," Finnian said, but Amara somehow felt his tone mischievous. "I just don''t want to, for now."


    Amara found it absurd and infuriating, but she was too cautious to explode. She asked slowly, enunciating each word, "So when will you want to?"


    "Depends on my mood."


    She red at him, certain now that he was being deliberately difficult. His casual, almost teasing demeanor suggested he was ying some kind of game.


    Amara''s anger, already simmering,


    ???


    red up. Her voice rose slightly. "What do you mean by this, Mr. Everly? We agreed to the divorce and finally, the waiting period is over. Why the sudden change of heart? You imed you don''t want to divorce, at least give me a reason!"


    Finnian watched the fire in her eyes, reying her words about the waiting period. Did she really want to divorce him so badly? What was her n afterward? To be with Keith openly?


    He stood up, cing his hands on the desk, towering over Amara. His presence was even more imposing now. He uttered, "There is no reason. Whether we divorce or not depends on my mood."


    Amara was speechless. She was taken aback by Finnian''s audacity.


    If she didn''t have Elowen and Fiona to worry about, if she could wield the full power of the Sullivan family, even if it wasn''t enough to challenge the Eyerly family, she wouldn''t take this lying down. She''d have pepped herself up and had it out with Finnian right there.


    But she constantly reminded herself that despite her affluent


    background, she was in a position simr to an ordinary person, with no parental backing. She couldn''t afford to offend someone like Finnian.


    Kon


    So she mustered all her strength to squash the urge to punch him. To avoid doing something irreversible in her anger, Amara decided to stop arguing and turned to leave the office.


    As she walked away, Finnian''s gaze darkened. His decision to stand her up was made at thest minute, just before he was supposed to leave.