Under the Veil I Rule (Amara) novel Chapter 492

In her original plan, a night of physical intimacy would have brought Finnian and Liliana closer, paving the way for a willing marriage. But the plan had been a spectacular failure. She hadn’t slept all night, racking her brain, trying to figure out what went wrong and what her next move should be. She had worried herself sick, a stress blister even forming on the corner of her lip.

Just then, a sharp knock echoed through the room. A jolt went through her. She leaped up from the sofa, her heart hammering against her ribs, and pulled open the door.

Sure enough, it was Finnian. He stood there, his face a thunderous mask, his eyes fixed on her. “Mother,” he ground out, “you had some gall, trying to set me up like that.”

A wave of panic washed over Emma, but she quickly masked it with a sneer. “What is that supposed to mean? I’m your mother. I have every right to decide what’s best for you. Don’t you dare come here and cause trouble.”

Seeing him in person, her initial fear gave way to a defiant resolve. She was his mother. Arranging his marriage was her prerogative. His continued resistance was a mark of disrespect, and she had every right to discipline a disobedient son. She had done nothing wrong.

Bolstered by this logic, her confidence surged. “Let me tell you something, Finnian,” she declared. “You have one week to marry Liliana. No more excuses! If you dare to marry anyone else, I will make her life a living hell!”

“Besides,” she added with a contemptuous smirk, “I know why you won’t marry Liliana. It’s because of that little bitch, isn’t it?”

“I’m putting it to you plainly. If you don’t marry Liliana and you keep pining after that slut, I will find a way to kill her. And don’t you for a second think I can’t do it!”

She was a ruthless woman. He had seen what she was capable of, the cruel ways she had dealt with his father’s mistresses, tactics that had terrified him as a child. And with age, she had only grown more vicious. Her years abroad, battling with Andrew’s other women, had likely honed her skills to a razor’s edge.

She meant every single word she said. If he continued to defy her, she would stop at nothing to destroy Amara.

Having laid all her cards on the table, Emma felt a surge of triumphant relief. Why hadn’t she threatened him with this sooner? All this recent drama could have been avoided. If she had used Amara’s life as leverage from the start, Finnian would have caved long ago.