Amara suspected Elowen and Fiona the most. They had tormented her countless times throughout her life, and they were always the first people she thought of when something went wrong.


    Keith''s first guess was Emma. His intense dislike for Finnian extended to his entire family.


    Elysia, on the other hand, thought Amelia was the most likely culprit. After all, Amelia had tried to run her over with a car, not even caring that Finnian was in the vehicle at the time. She was clearly unhinged.


    As they were talking, a young nurse knocked and entered the room. She


    approached Keith. "Sir, there''s someone here to see you."


    "To see me?" Keith asked, surprised. He stood up. "Who is it?"


    "A very handsome gentleman. He asked for you to meet him downstairs."


    Keith''s brow furrowed. He had a sinking feeling he knew who this "very handsome gentleman" was the man he detested most in the world.


    He excused himself from Amara and Elysia and headed downstairs.


    Sure enough, standing at the bottom of the hospital steps was Finnian. He was dressed in a dark grey suit, his eyes red-rimmed as if he hadn''t slept all night. He stared at Keith with a cold, menacing intensity.


    A provocative smirk yed on Keith''s lips. "Mr. Everly, what can I do for you so early in the morning? Do you have a message for me to pass along to Ama?"


    He said it deliberately, unting his closeness with Amara to get under Finnian''s skin.


    He never expected Finnian to lunge at him, mming a fist into his face.


    Caught off guard, Keith stumbled back and fell onto the steps. He touched his stinging cheek and saw a smear of bright red blood on his fingertips.


    A surge of fury shot through him, but his lips curled into a cold smile. "Looking for a sparring partner this morning, Mr. Everly? Fine by me. I''m happy to oblige."


    He didn''t know why Finnian was acting like a maniac, but he wasn''t about to back down. He pushed himself up and threw a punch of his own.


    But Finnian was ready. He caught Keith''s wrist, his grip so strong it felt like his bones might snap, and thennded another brutal blow.


    Keith absorbed the punch, a searing pain exploding in his gut. He retaliated with a hard kick to Finnian''s torso.


    The kick was powerful, but Finnian barely seemed to notice. He grabbed Keith by the cer, his eyes zing with a feral light. "Is the baby in Amara''s stomach yours? Did you dare touch her?"


    He had spent the night wracking his brain, and Keith''s name was the one that had surfaced. The more tie morete


    surface, thought about about it, the more


    convinced he became that Keith


    was the father.


    After all, Amara didn''t have many close male friends, and Keith was the closest. And Keith had always had feelings for her.


    The thought had kept him awake all night, and he hade here this morning, spoiling for a fight.


    Keith was stunned that this was the reason for the attack. Finnian knew Amara was pregnant?


    And he thought the baby was his?


    In that instant, a different kind of rage ignited within him.


    There was a truth he had long refused to acknowledge: the baby in Amara''s womb was Finnian''s.


    Even though they were divorced, they shared a child, a child Amara intended to keep.


    He had only been able to delude himself into thinking the baby had no connection


    to Finnian because Amara had chosen not to tell him the truth.


    But now, with Finnian confronting


    him over that very child, he could no


    longer avoid the reality of its


    parentage the injustice of i anfuriated him content


    He didn''t confirm or deny it. Instead, he raised his fist and swung at Finnian.


    ***