Amara''s phone buzzed in her purse. It was a message from Keith. He''d just arrived at the event and figured he''d be swamped all night. He wasn''t sure if he''d even make it home. He wanted to know how she was holding up.


    Amara wiped her tears away and replied, "I''m okay. You focus on work. We''ll talk when you get back."


    Keith sent back a quick "Alright," followed by a few photos of the event. He joked about how tacky the setup was but admitted he couldn''t voice his thoughts too loudly. If word got out online, he''d be branded as a diva.


    Then he sent a few exaggeratedly sad emojis,menting that even top-tier celebs had their struggles. He was jokingly dramatic, saying he was about to lose his mind with all the stress.


    Amara chuckled at his antics, feeling a bit lighter. She got up, went to the


    bathroom, and sshed some water on her face. She needed to think about what had happened that day.


    Honestly, it wasn''t hard to figure out why Finnian had kissed her. He probably felt a surge of disgruntlement, thinking someone else was overstepping his boundaries. In a fit of impulse, he kissed her.


    If that was the case, Finnian was really pushing it. Amara couldn''t believe he could act like that. Her perception of him was shattered.


    So, she really needed to get that divorce sorted, and soon. More than anything else, she needed to avoid any more ufortable situations like that one. It was bing urgent.


    ...


    In the sleek ck Rolls-Royce, Finnian drove in silence, the cool moonlight casting sharp shadows on his stoic face, deepening his already intense demeanor.


    In the passenger seat, Liliana sat with red-rimmed eyes, clutching vehemently the hem of her dress. She seemed to want to speak but hesitated.


    Once they reached her building, Finnian unbuckled his seatbelt and motioned for her to head upstairs. Liliana couldn''t hold back any longer. She grabbed his sleeve and asked, "Finn, why did you do that today? Do you have feelings for Amara?"


    After that, a tear escaped her eye, and she quickly wiped it away.


    Finnian''s gaze was unreadable. "Why would I have feelings for her?"


    His response was quick. He didn''t appear to be lying, and since he had no reason


    to lie, Liliana felt a bit better, though not entirely.


    She couldn''t shake the image of Finnian holding Amara. It made her feel both hurt and angry. She had so many questions, like why he kissed Amar@if he had no feelings for her, or why he never kissed her like that.


    But she didn''t dare to ask. Instead, she said, "Finn, do you remember all we''ve been through? Will you always remember the good times we''ve shared?"


    Her voice was tinged with a plea, sounding pitiful. Finnian rubbed his temple and replied more gently, "Of course, I remember everything we''ve been through."


    "That''s good."


    Liliana breathed a sigh of relief. Once she was back in her apartment, she shut the door and her expression shifted instantly.


    She''d seen Amara''s face, and it was


    inferior to the ordinary one. She wasn''t nearly as striking as Liliana herself. A man like Finnian would never be interested in her, she spected. Hence, she didn''t believe even for a brief moment that Finnian would fall for Amara.


    Yet, if Finnian didn''t have feelings for Amara, why did he kiss her? Why did he act differently around her most of the time?


    The more she thought about it, the more unsettled she felt. Even though Finnian''s words had somewhat reassured her, something still didn''t sit right.