Chapter 5 

Chapter 5 

Amara clutched the blanket tightly, her voice barely above a whisper. “I thought you tossed it away,” 

She didn’t dare glance at Finnlan’s face, sensing his surprise through the heavy silence that hung in the air. Then came his voice, a slight lilt at the end, “It’s good, why would I do that?” 

Amara pressed her lips together, staying silent. Every time she had tried to bring him a meal, he’d refuse to see her. She’d even witnessed his assistant tossing out the food she’d lovingly prepared. 

“Why so quiet?” 

Finnian’s voice broke the silence, as deep and resonant as a cello in the night. 

“It’s nothing. Let’s just sleep,” Amara murmured back. 

There was no point in dwelling on why Finnian might have drunk the soup she made. They were heading for a divorce, after all, and fussing over these things wouldn’t change a thing. 

What mattered now was figuring out how to navigate life afterwards. 

Morning broke bright and clear. 

Amara woke up groggily to a buzz from her phone on the nightstand. Instinctively, she reached out and saw a message from Cedric Zade, [We’ve cast the lead actress. She’s a new starlet this year. Let me know what you think.] 

Amara was a professional screenwriter, and her latest script, “Whispers of Winter“, was about to begin filming. Casting was in full swing. 

A 

She opened the photo and stared at the image of a gorgeous woman with cascading curls. It was none other than Liliana, Finnian’s first love, whom she’d seen at the mall yesterday. 

Amara’s body convulsed, her phone nearly slipping out of her hand. 

Finnian’s phone buzzed on the other side of the bed. It was his personal phone without any trade secret contained, which wasn’t set to hide notifications. Amara couldn’t help but see Liliana’s message flash across the screen, [Finn, I’m pregnant. We’re going to have a baby!] 

Amara’s eyes widened slowly. They were having a child? An overwhelming sharp pain spread across her chest. 

The bathroom door opened with a bang, and Finnian emerged, a towel wrapped around his waist, steam rising off his freshly showered skin. 

Amara quickly turned away, her fingers gripping the blanket tightly to hide her red–rimmed eyes. Even as she tried to keep her composure, her knuckles whitened, alerting Finnian that something was off. “What’s wrong?” he asked. 

Amara bit her lip, fighting back the urge to choke up and replied steadily, “I’m fine.” 

As she released her lip, a deep crimson mark was left behind. Finnian had only asked out of courtesy. Seeing her dismiss the question, he picked up his phone. 

Amara knew what he was doing. She didn’t look back, pretending to be engrossed in her own phone, though 

her vision blurred. 

Soon, Finnian left the room, and Amara rushed into the bathroom, splashing water on her face, forcing herself to stay calm. 

She scrutinized Liliana’s résumé once more, responding to Cedric, [Her acting is decent, but she doesn’t quite match the essence of Isabella Winter. I don’t think she’s right for the role.] 

[Alright, I’ll look for someone else.] 

} 

Amara sent back an [OK], set down her phone, and slapped her cheeks lightly as she thought to herself, “So 

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16:18 

Chapter 5 

what if Liliana is pregnant? She’s divorcing Finnian anyway. It doesn’t matter who he has a child with.” 

She kept repeating these words, using every ounce of strength to numb herself. 

As she descended the stairs, she passed by the study where a heated argument was taking place behind the slightly ajar door. 

“I told you to break up with that actress, and you said you did, but clearly you didn’t completely cut ties, did you? Now there’s a child involved. Aren’t you ashamed?” 

“Sir, please stop. You’ll hurt him.” 

The door swung open with a bang, and Finnian stood there, his face a mask of anger. His shirt bore the marks of spilled tea, suggesting a cup had been hurled his way.