Under the Veil I Rule (Amara) novel Chapter 387

“Hogan, I know you and Celeste have always been close. I can’t imagine how hard this must be to accept, but it’s the truth. I just can’t figure out why Celeste would do something like this. Maybe she hated Amara so much that she was willing to sacrifice you just to get back at her?”

Hogan said nothing. He stood, tucking the file under his arm. “I’m taking this with me.”

“Alright. Go ahead.”

Liliana nodded, watching as Hogan strode out of the café with the folder in hand. She took a slow sip of her coffee, a faint smile curving her lips.

Only she knew how many obstacles she’d faced gathering that evidence. It hadn’t even been twenty-four hours since it all happened, but it felt like half a month had dragged by. Every hour was an ordeal—yet at least the most urgent problem was now out of her hands.

But thinking back on what happened yesterday, she still felt unsettled.

She’d given both Amara and Hogan the exact same dose of the drug, but while Hogan was clearly affected, Amara had seemed perfectly alert. Why? Was it because Amara hadn’t finished her drink?

That had to be it. That wretched woman had luck on her side and narrowly escaped disaster. Liliana’s gaze darkened as she silently cursed Amara.

Amara spent the next two days at home recovering. While catching up on her work, she heard some news: the person who’d set her and Hogan up at the hotel had been unmasked—and it was Celeste.

When Amara first heard, she could only laugh.

Celeste and Hogan were practically inseparable, and Hogan treated Amara like she was poison. There was no way Celeste would let her even get close to Hogan. Clearly, Celeste was being made the scapegoat.

Emma seemed the most likely, maybe Liliana—but Liliana and Hogan were friends, weren’t they? Would she really risk hurting him too?

Either way, both Emma and Liliana had more motive than Celeste. Still, Amara couldn’t fathom what promise or threat had made Celeste, the ultimate spoiled princess, take the fall and apologize in person.

Amara thought the matter was finally over. But two days later, a new rumor swept through the upper circles of Wye—one so bizarre and unsettling she was left speechless: Hogan was in love with her.

The first time Amara heard it was from Elysia.

Elysia moved in more exclusive circles and always had the latest gossip before anyone else. She never failed to pass the juiciest tidbits on to Amara, and this time was no exception.