And Finnian was a formidable fighter himself. How could he have ended up like this? Had he been ganged up on?


    Before she could speak, Finnian said, "Have a seat." Amara nodded and sat on the sofa opposite him.


    He nced at her ankle. "How''s your foot? Does it still hurt to walk?"


    "It''s all better now. I can walk just fine," she replied.


    Finnian nodded. "We found out who was behind your kidnapping."


    Amara looked up, surprised. That was fast. His resources were truly impressive. Just as she was about to ask who it was, he answered.


    "It was my mother."


    66


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    Emma?


    Amara was stunned. She had suspected, but to have it confirmed was another thing entirely. The terror and humiliation of that day came rushing back, and her hands clenched into fists, anger ring in her eyes. The man in sunsses had openly talked about killing her. Had Emma really wanted her dead? She had never done anything to harm Emma, so why was she so relentlessly cruel? For a moment, a storm of grief and rage swirled inside her, and she felt a dark urge to make Emma pay.


    Finnian couldn''t have seen what happened, but he could imagine the horror she must have endured, and his heart ached for her. He reached out and took her hand. "Don''t worry," he said, his voice firm. "I won''t let her hurt you ever again."


    Amara nodded, then a thought struck her. Her eyes shot to the wounds on his body. "This... did your mother do this to you?"


    With Finnian''s status and strength, very few people could have hurt him this badly. But if it was Emma... that made a terrifying kind of sense. Once he had proof that she was behind the kidnapping, he would have confronted her. It was entirely usible that she would haveshed out in a fit of rage.


    But he was her son. Her own son. What could he have possibly said to her to provoke such a violent reaction?


    Finnian nodded. "She did it. But the injuries aren''t that serious. You don''t need to worry."


    How could they not be serious? He was as white as a sheet, and the bandages were soaked with blood.


    At that moment, Amara''s fingers curled into tight fists. Her hatred for Emma reached a boiling point. "What... what did you say to her?" she asked.


    "Will sent me the evidence he''d collected, Finnian said, his voice


    t. "I took it to her. Faced ward


    evidence, she couldn''t deny it And then she flew into a rage."


    He didn''t borate. In truth, it wasn''t just rage that had made Emma attack him. It was the things he had said to her afterward, the steps he


    had taken against her, that had driven her over the edge.


    Amara could guess what he wasn''t saying. A strange, sour feeling rose in her throat. "Mr. Everly, you didn''t have to go that far for me."


    Finnian looked her straight in the eye. "Don''t feel guilty. She hurt you because of me. In the end, I''m the root of the problem. It''s only right that I stand up for you."


    Whether his logic was right or wrong, Amara didn''t dwell on it. Her eyes fixed on his wounds. "Are you badly hurt? Does it... does it hurt a lot?"


    The moment the words left her mouth, she realized how foolish they sounded. Of course it hurt.


    But Finnian just said, "It doesn''t hurt. Don''t worry."


    It was an obvious lie meant tofort her. Amara pressed her tips together and didn''t reply. Einnian


    too, fell silent his gaze fixed on her


    The vast living room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.


    ***