Emma froze for a moment. Was Hogan actually siding with Amara? She could''ve sworn she''d heard those two could barely stand each other.


    Of course-it had to be because of Amara''s dangerously pretty face!


    That little vixen just had to look so damn irresistible, drawing men to her like moths to a me.


    Emma''s gaze grew sharp, shadows flickering beneath hershes. If she could, she would''ve wed that smug look right off Amara''s face.


    "All right, Mrs. Everly, Hogan, that''s enough from both of you," Liliana finally broke her silence, stepping in to smooth things over. "This whole thing is shocking, but arguing about it won''t help. Let''s all go home and talk there."


    At the sound of her voice, Amara''s head snapped around.


    How calcting-when it was time to point fingers, Liliana stayed quiet and let Emma do the dirty work. Only now, with tempers ring, did she emerge as the peacemaker.


    Amara red daggers at her, imagining Liliana as a venomous serpent she longed to crush.


    "Amara, here. Put this on."


    Hogan''s eyes lingered on Amara''s torn cocktail dress. The rip was clear as day- his doing, and the guilt gnawed at him. He shrugged off his suit jacket and offered it to her, awkward but sincere.


    Amara didn''t refuse. She needed the cover, now more than ever. Wrapping herself in the jacket, she hurried out of the hotel.


    Hogan left soon after, his mind spinning as he tried to piece together who''d set


    him up.<fnaf28> Get full chapters from find[?]ovel</fnaf28>


    The whole thing was twisted. Someone had drugged him, locked him and Amara in a room together-God knows what could''ve happened.


    Maybe nothing had, only because Amara had kept her wits about her and pushed him away.


    Thank God for that. If anything had happened between them, Finnian would''ve lost his mind. He''d probably have killed Hogan on the spot.


    No amount of exnations would''ve convinced Finnian otherwise.


    The thought struck him suddenly, like a bolt of lightning: "No matter what I say, Finnian wouldn''t believe me!"


    So what if he told Finnian that Liliana had faked her pregnancy before? Would Finnian believe that?


    A cold shiver ran up Hogan''s spine. Was Liliana the one behind all this?


    The more he thought about it, the more it made sense-especially given all the shady things she''d had him help her with in the past. Hogan knew her better than anyone: Liliana wasnt the innocent she pretended to be.


    pretended


    Emma? She was just Liliana''s aplice, nothing more.


    By the time Hogan reached his front door, his thoughts had twisted into a snart of suspicion and anger. He could barely sit still for two minutes before jumping up, intent on confronting Liliana.


    But as soon as he stepped outside, he nearly collided with Finnian, who was striding toward him, radiating icy fury. It was like winter had


    arrived, all sharp edges and biting cold.


    Hogan''s heart lurched. He barely managed to call out, "Finnian-!" before Finnian''s fist crashed into his face.


    He hit the wall hard, pain exploding in his skull, vision swimming with stars.


    Finnian closed in, grabbed him by the cor, and drew back for another punch. Hogan scrambled to exin, gasping, "Finnian, wait! Nothing happened between me and Amara!"


    Finnian''s fist stopped, hovering a hair''s breadth from Hogan''s cheek, his whole body trembling-not from exhaustion, but pure, barely contained rage.