"Finn, I know you''re powerful, the most influential man in Wye. But even the most powerful people can''t control everything. Can you really guarantee Ms. Sullivan''s safety for the rest of her life? Can you promise that no ident will ever befall her?"


    She leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "And remember how Ms. Sullivan wanted to travel a while back? What if she decides to go again? What if something happens to her while she''s on a trip? Can you have someone with her twenty-four-seven? Would she even agree to that?"


    Amara hadn''t been nning a vacation; she had been nning to leave town to have her baby. She was having another man''s child. There was no ce for him in her heart anymore. He couldn''t be by her side every moment of every day. How could he possibly guarantee her safety?


    And Emma was a stubborn, petty woman. Years of battling with Andrew and his mistresses had twisted her into something paranoid and obsessive. When she said she would kill Amara, Finnian believed her.


    Truthfully, he was confident he could protect Amara. The odds were overwhelmingly in his favor. But they weren''t one hundred percent. And when it came to Amara, he couldn''t afford to gamble, not even with a one-in-a-million chance of her getting hurt. Did that mean he had to let her go?


    He stumbled to his feet, walked barefoot to the fridge, and pulled out another bottle of liquor. He bit off the cap with his teeth and tilted his head back, gulping it down. Then he mmed the bottle down on the balcony railing, his eyes burning red. "Go," he said, his voice raw. "I need to think."


    Liliana''s heart clenched with jealousy, seeing him so utterly broken over Amara. She wanted to tear the hem of her dress to shreds. But hearing his words, she stood up gracefully, a serene smile on her face.


    "Alright, I''ll go. Mr. Hawke will be back soon. Please, Finn, think carefully, and try to get some rest tonight."


    ***


    Many people in Wye didn''t sleep that night, Amara and Finnian among them.


    After her evening routine, Amaray in bed, but sleep wouldn''te. She finally gave up and sat up to read, but the words swam before her eyes. Around three in


    the porne


    still wide awake, she felt a strange puff, a sudden thumping in her chest. She got out of bed, knelt on the sofa, and pulled back the curtains to look outside.


    There, under the dark, moonless sky, stood Finnian. He was wearing only a thin wool coat, his hands shoved in his pockets, his head tilted back, his gaze fixed on her window.


    Just as she opened the curtains, their eyes met. For a heart-stopping moment, they both froze.


    Amara''s eyes widened, and she


    reflexively ducked back, yanking the curtains shut. What was he doing out there in the middle of the night, staring at her window? Her heart was pounding a frantic rhythm against her ribs. Feeling like a thief caught in the act, she quickly turned off the light, dove under the covers, and squeezed her eyes shut.


    *Knock. Knock. Knock.*


    The sound echoed in the silent house. "Amara, open the door!" Finnian''s voice called from the hallway.


    She knew he woulde. The moment their eyes had met through the window, she''d had a bad feeling. She had hoped that by turning off the light, he would see her room was dark and leave her be. But he hadnt.


    Amara bit her lip. It was better to just get this over with. She got out of bed and opened the door.