Under the Veil I Rule (Amara) novel Chapter 388

After Elysia told Amara about it, Amara didn’t react with her usual curiosity or eagerness to dissect the latest gossip. Instead, her eyes widened in disbelief. “Are you serious? Hogan, interested in me? What a joke!”

She could hardly imagine it. Hogan made no secret of his disdain for her; she was pretty sure he spent more time plotting her demise than thinking anything remotely affectionate. The idea he might actually like her was laughable.

Elysia, however, had a different take. “Come on, you’re gorgeous. It’s not impossible for Hogan to have a crush on you. But honestly, I’d sooner trust Finnian than him. You should steer clear.”

Amara didn’t need Elysia to tell her that—she didn’t believe Hogan liked her, not for a second. What really piqued her curiosity was who started the rumor and what they hoped to achieve.

That evening, Hogan texted and asked to meet at a coffee shop. Amara, still wondering what he was up to, decided to go.

Just as she’d expected, the moment they sat down Hogan cut to the chase. “Have you heard the rumor going around about us?”

He was dressed casually in a blazer, but heavy shadows ringed his eyes—he clearly hadn’t slept well. Was it the gossip that kept him up?

Amara pulled her gaze away, her voice cool. “Yeah, I heard.”

She kept her expression calm, as if the whole thing barely interested her. Hogan studied her for a moment, something odd flickering across his face. “What do you think about it?”

She’d run through this question in her mind a hundred times. “Whoever started it must have a reason. My guess? They want to stir up trouble, maybe drive a wedge somewhere. Hard to say the specifics.”

Amara sounded completely collected, as if the idea of her having feelings for him was utterly irrelevant. For some reason, that bothered Hogan more than he cared to admit. He pressed, “So you think the rumor’s false?”

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