Chapter 94
As Lisa guided Kevin into the dining room, the chatter abruptly ceased. Everyone rose to their feet, a bit flustered, eager to welcome Kevin to his seat at the head of the table.
Kevin’s eyes landed on Amara, and he greeted her warmly, “Ama, when did you get here? Why didn’t you come upstairs to see me?”
Jealous glances flitted around the room as Kevin’s attention singled out Amara.
Unfazed, Amara responded calmly, “I just arrived. I asked the butler about you as soon as I came in. I thought of coming up, but he mentioned you were having a bath, so I decided not to disturb you.”
“Ah, I see. Thoughtful as always, Ama.”
Finnian sat between Kevin and Amara, but Kevin seemed to overlook him, reaching across to clasp Amara’s hand as if she were his true grandchild, while Finnian was merely an in–law.
Observing this, the rest of the family couldn’t help but have their own little thoughts.
Finnian, however, seemed unbothered by the interaction, reclining comfortably against the chair. His handsome face was a mask of indifference, showing little regard for either Amara or anyone other than Kevin. Kevin withdrew his hand, scanning the room again and asked, “Aren’t we missing someone? Where’s Hogan? Isn’t he here yet?”
Peter felt a pang of unease and hurriedly stood up. “Dad, Hogan’s gone AWOL. We’ve tried calling him, but he’s not picking up. Let me try again.”
Among the Everly grandchildren, Kevin’s favoritism towards Finnian was obvious; the others were treated equally, albeit less affectionately. Understandably, the rest were all mediocre, leaving them undesirable. Peter and Bess had hoped Hogan might stand out, if not over Finnian, then at least above the other grandchildren.
But on such an important day as their father’s birthday, Hogan hadn’t shown up; what would Kevin think of it? Peter and Bess were visibly anxious.
As Peter stepped out to call Hogan, Amara couldn’t help but think that it wouldn’t be the worst thing if Hogan stayed away. In fact, it might be better. Historically, Celeste hadn’t been the worst of her bullies – that dubious honor belonged to Hogan.
At the time, Finnian glanced at her again, briefly, before looking away without a word. Amara wondered what that glance meant, or if it was even intended for her. Maybe he was looking past her to someone else?
She didn’t dwell on it, though, as she noticed Peter returning with a sour expression; he dropped his phone onto the table and uttered, “Dad, this is infuriating! That boy is God knows where, not answering his phone. When he gets here, I’m going to give him a piece of my mind!”
Kevin’s face remained impassive, leaving it unclear whether he was angry or not.
Peter, feeling a tad guilty, was about to defend Hogan when a voice called out from the outside, “Mr. Hogan Everly’s back, and he’s brought… Ms. Porter.”
With those words, Hogan strolled into the dining room, wearing a casual suit and a broad smile. as if he’d: won the lottery.
Chapter 95
