"It''s nothing," Amara replied coolly. "Was there something you needed, Mr. Everly?"


    She tried to pull her wrist free, but Finnian''s grip didn''t loosen.


    Her brows knit together. "Mr. Everly, would you please let go of me?"


    Finnian hesitated, then finally released her.


    "Are you heading home now?" he asked. "I can give you a ride."


    "No need. I''m going back to the set-it''s just across the street."


    Amara found Finnian''s behavior a little odd. Hadn''t he made it clear he was moving on with Liliana? Why was he suddenly so concerned about her business?


    No, wait. This wasn''t just about her-it was about Hogan, too. Finnian was probably only worried about his brother. Amara couldn''t help but let out a self- deprecating little smile.


    Out in the Rolls-Royce parked by the filming lot, Will sat in the passenger seat, lowering his phone from time to time to peer anxiously at the studio entrance, waiting to see if Mr. Everly woulde out.


    An hour earlier, he''d heard a rumor from a colleague-Hogan had feelings for Amara. The news had rattled him so much that he reported it to Mr. Everly right away.


    He could still recall exactly how Mr. Everly had reacted-he''d been sitting at his desk, pen in hand, about to sign a document. The moment Will ryed the rumor, Finnian had snapped the pen in two, ink sttering across the paperwork.


    Will had broken into a cold sweat, but Mr. Everly''s expression remained eerily calm—almost too calm. He simply looked up and asked, "Where did thise from?"


    Trying to steady his racing heart, Will exined the source as best he could.


    It was difficult to pinpoint where the rumor had started, but by now, the whole elite circle in Wye was buzzing about it.


    After all, Amara and Hogan''s


    rtionship had always been a littleplicated-she was his former sister-inw, and ever since Amara had recovered her looks and difched the mask, shed be the talk of the town. So once the gossip started, it spread like wildfire.


    Then, Mr. Everly had stood up from behind his desk, clearly preparing to head out.


    Just then, their informant on the set reported in again: Amara, who''d been working as usual, had suddenly packed up and left.


    Will passed that information along,


    and Mr. Everly immediately told their contact to follow Amara and report her whereabouts. When he<fn4ab5> This content belongs to find?novel</fn4ab5>


    back on


    learned she''d gone to nearby


    Coffee shop, Mr. Everly came


    straight here himself.


    So here Will was, craning his neck every few minutes to check the studio doors.


    Atst, Mr. Everly emerged, climbed into the backseat, and shut the door.


    ncing at Finnian''s stormy reflection in the rearview mirror, Will asked carefully, "Mr. Everly, should we look into where this rumor started?"


    Finnian gave a curt nod, saying nothing.


    He''d left the coffee shop, but the image of Amara and Hogan talking face-to-face still gnawed at him.


    Until now, he''d never thought there could be anything between Amara and Hogan. Even now, he didn''t


    really believe it. But the idea tha


    someone else might covet,


    Amara especially if that someone was his own brother-made his skin crawl.


    And although Hogan had seemed nervous earlier, almost desperate to distance himself from Amara, Finnian couldn''t shake the feeling that something was off about the way Hogan looked at her. Was he just imagining it?


    Meanwhile, Hogan was back at his ce, racking his brains, trying to figure out who could have started the rumor that he was interested in Amara.