Under the Veil I Rule novel Chapter 7

The air felt like it had frozen solid.

Amara was perched awkwardly on Finnian's stomach, her knee digging into his abs, one hand bracing on his firm chest while the other covered his eyes. She hovered over him, breathing heavily.

She intended to get off him immediately, but when he suddenly barked, "Stop moving," she froze.

Her mind was still a bit foggy, tinged with a hint of hurt. After all, she was the one who had been bumped into and now her bare skin was prickling with goosebumps from the cold air.

She hadn't meant to take advantage of the situation. She just wanted to leave as quickly as possible. Why did Finnian have to yell at her?

With a small bite to her lip, she decided she couldn’t just let him have the last word. She spoke softly, "Close your eyes, and I'll get out of here right away."

With that, Amara cautiously lifted her hand. Seeing that Finnian had his eyes tightly shut, his lashes trembling slightly and his jaw clenched, she quickly scrambled off him and dashed towards the bedroom.

Finnian lay there, his breath coming in heavy gasps. He heard a door slam shut, and he propped himself up, glancing downward, his expression darkening.

In the bedroom, Amara tried to calm her racing heart as she got dressed, making sure her mask was securely in place.

After checking her reflection from the mirror to ensure everything was in order, she stepped out of the room.

A consultation with her doctor revealed that her new delicate skin couldn’t make direct contact with the air even though her face had been fully treated. The skin would turn to normal in three months, during which she needed to use the face mask.

As she faced Finnian again in the living room, both of them felt a tad awkward.

In the three years since their marriage, Finnian hadn’t once come home. Now, on the rare occasion he did, they’d been caught in such an embarrassing situation; the two looked discomforted.

Turning her back to him, Amara asked casually, "What brings you here?"

Finnian replied coolly, "To pack my things."

Amara paused. Just as she was about to ask what he meant, Finnian's gaze fell on the open suitcase on the bedroom floor, and he looked up at her, questioning, "You're moving out?"

Amara nodded, feeling a twinge of bitterness. Since he was planning to divorce her, could she really justify staying here?

Finnian continued, "Didn’t you read the divorce agreement? This house is yours."

Amara was shocked and immediately replied, "No, that's too much."