She got up, went through her morning routine, and got dressed. Today was the first press conference for *Whispers of Winter*, and as the head writer, her attendance was required. She had to pull herself together and get to the venue on time.


    The event was being held on the top floor of a five-star hotel in the city center. As Amara walked into the lobby, she nced down at her outfit: a silk blouse paired with a matching skirt, worn under a light wool coat. The look was professional and chic, with a hint of allure-perfect for the asion. This was her first time appearing before the media as the writer Amarise, and she was a little nervous. She took a deep breath to steady herself and headed for the elevators.


    That''s when she saw him. Finnian was sitting on a sofa in the lobby. He was dressed in a ck suit, his trench coatid beside him. His bangs were styled down, partially obscuring the cut on his forehead from the night before. The hairstyle made him look less like a stern executive and more like a roguishly handsome leading man.<fn9c29> Original content can be found at f?ndnovel</fn9c29>


    But the memory of his monstrous behavior made her stomach clench with loathing. She turned abruptly and walked toward the elevators, wanting nothing more than to get away from him.


    It seemed, however, that he was there for her. He stood up. "Amara, I need to talk


    to you."


    The words grated on her. *I have nothing to say to you,* she thought, quickening her pace. She rushed into an open elevator and jabbed the button for the top floor. But Finnian, with his long legs, was right behind her. He slipped inside just as the doors were closing and hit the ''close'' button.


    As the doors slid shut, trapping them in the small space, a chill ran down Amara''s spine. Her eyes widened. "What do you want?"


    Her voice trembled with a fear she couldn''t hide, a clear remnant of the previous night''s trauma. Finnian''s face filled with guilt. He pressed the button for the eighth floor. As the elevator began its slow ascent, he said, "Don''t be afraid. I just want to exin what happenedst night and apologize again."


    He had apologized repeatedly yesterday, but she had covered her ears, refusing to listen. She must bepletely fed up with him.


    "You''ve already apologized," Amara said quickly. "I''m not nning to press charges. There''s nothing more to say."


    She wasn''t even going to me him? This was it, then. She was drawing a line, cutting him out of her lifepletely.


    A sharp painnced through Finnian''s chest. He instinctively reached for her hand but remembered her terrified reaction the night before and quickly pulled back.


    l.ne


    Amara couldn''t stand being in the same space with him. She didn''t want to hear his exnations. Shez reached for the control panel, intending to get off at the next floor and take the stairs. She would rather climb dozens of flights than spend another second alone with him.


    But just then, with a loud jolt, the ascending elevator shuddered to a halt. The


    buttons went dark, and the overhead lights flickered out.


    The back wall of the elevator was arge pane of ss, offering a view of the city below, so the car wasn''t plunged into total darkness. Still, the sudden stop was terrifying.


    "What''s happening?" Amara whispered. Had the elevator broken down?