Under the Veil I Rule novel Chapter 116

Finnian nodded. "Got some things to attend to."

With that, he turned on his heel and left the company, heading to the curb to make a quick call.

Fifteen minutes later, Finnian walked into a sleek, understated bar with a quiet ambiance. It was the kind of place that whispered sophistication.

Dorian was already at the bar, waiting for him. He slid a pre-ordered drink over to Finnian and asked, "What's got you day-drinking? Something on your mind?"

Finnian cursed under his breath, “I’m swamped every day—who’s got time for drama?”

“You’re really cussing now,” Dorian chuckled. “If the girls at your company heard you talk like that, they’d lose their crush on you in a heartbeat.”

"Let them be. Not my fricking problem."

Finnian took a swig of his drink, feeling the cold liquid burn its way down with a fiery sensation, leaving him insatiable with an even deeper sense of emptiness.

He spoke in a measured tone, "Got a message from my mom yesterday. Said she misses me and wants to visit for Christmas."

Dorian was silent.

"So, what did you say?"

"Haven't replied. Don't feel like it."

Finnian's parents lived abroad most of the time. In fact, they were in different countries, possibly even different hemispheres. As Kevin once put it, if they lived in the same hemisphere, they'd be at each other's throats daily.

"My dad called too recently," Finnian continued, ignoring Dorian's silence. "He's got a new girlfriend. She's just a few years older than me, still working on her Master's."

"Isn't that just his usual routine?" Dorian said dismissively. "Didn't he break up with his last girlfriend just last month? His relationships are like those monthly magazine subscriptions."

"Yeah, if a month could be considered long."