Amara nodded, then bit her lip, a hint of grievance in her voice. "Dad, do I really have to get rid of the baby? Is there really no way I can keep it?"


    Perhaps it was because her rtionship with Larry had eased up recently that Amara thought she could try negotiating with him.


    Larry''s brow furrowed deeply.


    "If you were married and having a child the right way, why would I object? But this child has no proper family, not even a known father. If you have the baby, people will gossip, and then what will happen to the Sullivan family''s reputation?"


    "So, it''s better if you don''t keep it. Think it over carefully."


    Larry was always stubbornly traditional and intensely concerned with appearances that''s why he''d done so many reckless things over the years.


    Amara understood what he was like, so she only tried making her case for the sake of it. Seeing as her attempt was unsessful, she wasn''t too disappointed, but the thought of having to meet Larry''s demand left her troubled.


    She said, "All right. I''ll think about it..."


    She let the subject of the baby drop, made some small talk with Larry, and then got up to leave.


    As she stepped outside, she saw Fiona waiting for her, staring with a cold, hostile look that made Amara deeply ufortable.


    "Amara, did you just go in there and hit my daughter?"


    Though Fiona oftenined about Elowen''s shorings, she really did care for her. When she visited Elowen and found out Amara hade by and pped her, Fiona was furious and immediately came to confront Amara.


    "Yes, I pped her. So what?" Amara replied coolly, meeting Fiona''s eyes.


    "If Dad hadn''t been home, I might have done worse."


    There was no hesitation in her words, and her tone was especially brazen. Fiona''s face twisted for a brief moment, as if she might explode in anger.


    Amara''s lips curved in a cold, mocking smile. “You probably don''t even know why I hit your daughter. Maybe you should go ask her."


    "If you actually agree with what she did, then you''re every bit as foolish as she is.” Finishing, Amara turned to leave, not bothering with Fiona''s offended expression.


    Fiona''s hands clenched into fists. She knew Amara wouldn''t hit Elowen for no reason; Amara was never one to cause trouble without cause.


    She knew her daughter well enough to guess what kind of thing Elowen must have done to provoke Amara so badly.


    She said nothing, just stared at Amara''s retreating back, her gaze growing colder and darker.


    Amara could feel Fiona''s poisonous stare on her, and she thought to herself, I have to make a decision.


    Elowen was an idiot-easily handled if you took precautions-but Fiona was a ticking time bomb. Amara


    nes?ed to seize the initiative in the Sullivan family and deal with Fiona and


    Elowen once and for all.


    After leaving the Sullivan estate, Amara was heading back to her vi when she


    received a photo message from an anonymous number.


    There were three photos. The people in them were Finnian and Liliana.


    Judging by the background, they


    ?


    were in a hospital room. Liliana was


    sitting on the bed, leaning into


    Finnian''s embrace, while Finnian hold her arm, the two looked intimately close.


    Amara couldn''t quite put her feelings into words when she first saw the photos It was as if something heavy struck her heart, leaving an aching, suffocating pain.


    She didn''t need a mirror to know her face had gone pale-her knuckles gripping the phone were already white.


    So, Finnian and Liliana weren''t actually over?