Tina was delighted and insisted she didn''t need to be paid.


    Amara grinned and gave her cheek a gentle pinch, saying, "I don''t let anyone work for free," before leading Tina over for dinner.


    They sat together for nearly an hour, during which Amara asked Tina all sorts of questions.


    When she learned that Tina was twenty and self-studying high school subjects to take the adult education exam next year, Amara was genuinely moved.


    She offered to help Tina, suggesting she could connect Tina with some tutoring centers and even get her a discount.


    But Tina declined. She exined that she''d done very well in middle school, and even though she''d never attended high school, she''d been teaching herself high school material for the past five or six years.


    She worked very hard and wasn''t exactlycking in brains, so her self-study had been going well—she was always pleased with her scores on practice tests. She felt confident she could handle it on her own.


    Talking about her studies made Tina''s eyes shine with excitement.


    *Such an ambitious kid,* Amara thought, her fondness for Tina only growing.


    After dinner, Tina cleared the table while Amara went to her bedroom to tidy up her things.


    Just then, Amara heard the doorbell downstairs, followed by the sound of quick footsteps—Tina must be going to answer it. Amara found herself wondering who woulde looking for her.


    Half a minuteter, Tina came in, looking uneasy, with the tall and imposing Finnian following behind her.


    Head down, Tina apologized, “Ms. Sullivan, I''m sorry, I let Mr. Everly in. I hesitated at first, but Mr. Everly said he had a key...”


    Earlier, when they spoke through the inte, Finnian had said he had a key and could let himself in whether she opened the door or not, so Tina decided to let him in.


    Amara remembered now-although this house was hers, she hadn''t changed the locks or security code after the divorce, so Finnian still had ess.


    Vl


    Still, that didn''t mean he had the right to just show up. It was her house now. Coming over uninvited was trespassing, and Amara''s expression turned frosty.


    "Mr. Everly, what brings you here?" she asked, her face tense.


    Clearly, Finnian must have gone to the Everly Estate, heard she had moved here, and decided to follow.


    Finnian didn''t answer her at first. Instead, he turned to Tina and said, "Someone''s waiting outside for you. You should head back."


    Tina nodded, "All right. Ms. Sullivan, I''ll be off, but I''lle by another day to help around the house..."


    With that, she dashed out of the room.


    She was naturally timid, and Mr. Everly could be quite intimidating. If Amara hadn''t been there she might


    have been terrified just being in the


    same room as him.  fo


    After Tina left, therge vi felt suddenly empty, leaving only the two of them in an awkward silence.


    Still scowling, Amara repeated, "Mr. Everly, what do you want?”


    Finnian walked over to her, reached out, and ced a hand gently on her stomach. "Has the baby been good today?"


    "..."


    A shiver ran up Amara''s spine. Why was Finnian saying such corny things? And why was he touching her stomach so tenderly?


    She immediately stepped back, covering her belly protectively. "My child is perfectly fine, Mr. Everly. There''s no need for you to worry about my child."


    She emphasized the words "my child" twice in a row. Finnian couldn''t possibly miss what she meant.


    He withdrew his hand and shot her a look. "It''s not just your child," he said slowly. It''s our child. And legally, I have an obligation to take care them."