He remembered Finnian and Amara hadn''t consummated their marriage. After all, Finnian hadn''te home for three years, a clear sign he had no intention of being a real husband to her.


    The moment the words left his mouth, Dorian knew he''d said the wrong thing.


    Finnian''s head snapped up, his dark eyes zing with a murderous light.


    Alright, Dorian thought. At least he knew the baby wasn''t Finnian''s.


    That made the situation even more bizarre. Amara had always seemed like such a quiet, decent woman. And she and Finnian had only been divorced for a short time. Whose child could she possibly be carrying?


    "She won''t say," Finnian bit out, each wordced with ice.


    He braced his hands on the bar, his handsome face devoid of expression, yet his stillness sent a chill of fear down Dorian''s spine.


    Still, he could understand. If he found out Elysia was pregnant with another man''s child, he would probably react the same way.


    Dorian considered for a moment. "How far along is she? Did she get pregnant before or after the divorce?"


    The timing was crucial. If it was before the divorce, it meant Amara had cheated on him.


    Of course, technically, Finnian had cheated too. But he had been drugged when he slept with Liliana, making it an unwilling act, different from a typical affair.


    Finnian shook his head. "I didn''t ask."


    The moment he learned Amara was carrying another man''s child, he had lost all reason. All he could think about was the identity of the other man. He hadn''t thought to ask about the details.


    Dorian sighed but said nothing more.


    All he could think was that you could never truly know a person. Amara had seemed like such a sweet, innocent girl, but she had quietly gone and done something this drastic.


    It was one thing to sleep with another man, but to get pregnant with his child... that was something else entirely.


    "Wait," Dorian said, a thought


    suddenly striking him. "Do you think


    she wasn''t really going on a trip? Maybe she was nning to leave town to have the baby."


    Finnian''s head shot up, his eyes shing with a dark, dangerous light.


    Ever since he''d learned about the pregnancy, he had been in a state of barely controlled chaos.


    He''d been so consumed by his own


    ine


    overwhelming emotions that he hadn''t been able to think clearly. But what Dorian said sounded terrifyingly possible.


    Dorian pped a hand on his


    shoulder. "If Amara was really nning to leave and have the baby, it means she''s determined to keep it. In that case, you two were never meant to


    Finn you need to forget


    her.


    Forget her? He wanted to. But was it really that simple?


    He pressed a hand to his chest, where a dull, tearing ache radiated outward. He''d never known it was possible to feel this much pain.


    Seeing the look on Finnian''s face, Dorian knew his friend was in too deep. Telling him to forget Amara was like telling him to get amnesia. He sighed again.


    Finnian poured another drink and threw it back.


    His eyes grew redder, and in the dim light of the evening, he looked like a wounded beast-frightening and pitiable all at once.


    He downed a second ss as Dorian tried to intervene, only to have his hand pushed away.


    Seeing his friend so lost in despair, Dorian gave up and simply stood by him in silence.


    Finnian''s mind raced. Was Amara really leaving Wye to have the baby? Who was the father?


    Then, a name surfaced in his mind. He looked up, his expression turning savage.


    ***