Under the Veil I Rule novel Chapter 10

Liliana clenched her jaw, practically steaming with anger. But she quickly composed herself, pulling a few napkins to dab away the coffee stain on her face. Her movements were slow and elegant.

"Amara, whether I said the truth or not, you know it pretty well. And for the record, I'm not a homewrecker. You can ask Finn yourself if you don't believe me."

With that, Liliana shot her a disdainful look, picked up her handbag, and left with an air of sophistication.

Elysia watched her retreating figure, cussing out fiercely, "That wretch is such a hypocrite. How shameless!"

Amara pressed her lips together tightly, choosing to stay silent.

The fact that Liliana suggested she ask Finnian whether she was the other woman implied that Liliana was confident Finnian would defend her. Their relationship must be strong.

Suddenly, Amara clutched her stomach, feeling a wave of discomfort. "Ely, I'm not feeling well."

"What's wrong?" Elysia asked, alarmed, quickly steadying Amara by the arm.

Amara shook her head. It was just a sudden bout of nausea that disappeared as quickly as it came. Strange. Her stomach had always been sensitive since she was a child, so she brushed it off.

Elysia's client returned at that moment. After ensuring Amara was okay, Elysia went back to her meeting, and Amara hailed a cab back to her house.

As soon as she stepped through the door, her phone buzzed. She answered it, "Hello?"

"Amara," Finnian's voice was edged with anger. "What did you say to Liliana this afternoon?"

Amara paused, her hand stretching to take off her shoes. "Nothing much, why?"

"She's in the hospital now with contractions," Finnian said. "The baby almost didn't make it."

Amara’s hand froze mid-way, her body shivering slightly. After a few seconds, she found her voice again. "Is she at Novus Health? Send me the room number."

Liliana looked at her apologetically. "I realized afterward that Mr. Kevin Everly must have chosen you for your good character, so you must be a good person and wouldn't cling to Finn. My contractions had nothing to do with you. The doctor said it was probably the coffee, and I’ve already explained that to Finn."

With that, Liliana lay back down, looking weak but content. Amara's hands curled into fists.

It felt like punching a pillow, utterly ineffective. She looked into Liliana's eyes, which were soft and innocent, like a delicate daisy. But why was she doing this?

It dawned on Amara then. Liliana must have been worried Amara had recorded their conversation and was preemptively covering her bases.

As she considered her next move, a plainly dressed middle-aged woman on the sofa stood up, her voice agitated.

"It wasn't the coffee! You've been drinking it all week, so why didn't you have contractions before? It was today, after this woman’s friend called you a homewrecker and spilled hot coffee on you, that you got upset and started bleeding there."

"Mom!" Liliana interrupted, glancing at Finnian with an embarrassed expression.