Chapter 57
As Amara reminisced about the past, a gentle warmth spread through her heart. She served him a piece of his favorite beef tripe.
Just then, Keith’s manager called, announcing a last–minute event that Keith had to attend immediately. With a sigh, Keith ended the call, gathered his things, and left, leaving Amara to dine alone.
A few minutes later, the doorbell rang. Amara assumed Keith must have returned. Peeking through the peephole, however, she was taken aback to see Finnian standing outside.
What was Finnian doing here? How did he even know where she lived?
The door knocks sounded. “Amara, open up.”
Peeking through the peephole had blocked the light from inside, signaling to Finnian that someone was home, prompting his request.
Quickly, Amara straightened up and called out, “Just a moment,” before rushing to put on a mask and opening the door for Finnian.
“Having dinner?”
Finnian stepped inside. The spread and the two bowls with matching silverware on the table made his expression darken. He questioned, “Who are you having dinner with?”
“Elysia,” Amara blurted out without thinking.
Finnian glanced around the small one–bedroom apartment. The open bedroom door in front of him revealed it was empty, and the kitchen and bathroom were similarly quiet.
He turned around. “Where did Elysia go?”
“She had to leave,” Amara replied. “Something came up suddenly during dinner. She just left.” Finnian nodded, but just then his phone buzzed. Seeing Dorian’s name, he answered, “What’s up?” “Finn,” Dorian’s voice came through on the other end, the room quiet enough for Amara to overhear. “I’m out shopping with Elysia. The brand of the watch you like just released a new model this month. We’re looking at them right now; I’ll send you a picture so you can choose.”
Finnian glanced blandly at Amara, whose masked face couldn’t hide her shock. Her surprise quickly turned to embarrassment under his gaze. She lowered her head, wishing she could disappear into the floor.
Returning his attention to the call, Finnian asked, “When did you and Elysia head out?”
“Around noon,” Dorian replied. “Why?”
Finnian looked at Amara again, her head nearly touching her chest, her face burning with embarrassment. “Nothing,” Finnian said, ending the call. He then turned to Amara.
Her fingers twisted together nervously, her mind racing for an explanation to give Finnian. Lying wasn’t her forte, and this attempt had backfired spectacularly, leaving her feeling utterly mortified.
“Why did you lie to me?” Finnian’s voice from above broke the silence. It sounded calm, but there was an undercurrent of something dangerous.
Amara suspected that while Finnian might not care about her personally, someone in his position probably despised deceit. Being lied to likely triggered a negative reaction.
