Under the Veil I Rule (Amara) novel Chapter 676

"I'll allow Finnian and Liliana to host the dinner at home, but your ban is lifted for that day only. After that, unless I give my permission, you are still not allowed to enter the family estate."

"And that actress—the rule applies to her as well. She can come tomorrow for one day, and that's only because of Finnian. I have no intention of making any exceptions for her, understood?"

Emma hesitated for a second, then replied, "Yes, Father. I'll go tell Finnian and Liliana right away. They'll be so happy to hear this."

She hadn't expected Mr. Kevin Everly to grant only a single day's reprieve from the ban.

But it didn't matter. As long as she could get through the dinner party, she could worry about what came after later.

If Mr. Kevin Everly could relent once, surely he could do so again. There was still plenty of time. Sooner or later, she would make him accept Liliana and eventually forgive her as well.

"Thank you, Dad. I promise I'll make this dinner a true spectacle, something all of Wye's elite will remember as they witness Finnian's wedding. And from now on, I'll do my best not to disappoint you or make you angry."

Emma expressed her gratitude sincerely, then—with the help of a servant—got out of bed and returned to her own apartment.

As soon as she entered, her demeanor changed. She grabbed a set of ceramic teacups from the table and smashed them to pieces.

"That wretched little brat actually saw me kneeling and groveling at the door today! I could just kill her!"

She spat curses at Amara, then hurled a vase to the floor, finally starting to calm down.

Opening her eyes, a cold, dark glint flashed in them. "Amara, just wait. I will find a way to bring you down..."

With the wedding day approaching, Finnian was still taking no interest in any of the preparations. He worked late into the night, spending his days at the office and his nights bringing work home, as if he'd given up on having any personal life at all.

"Enough. Go deal with Jessica first. Whether or not you want to pursue Elysia in the future, you still need to end things properly with Jessica."

Dorian wobbled to his feet. "Fine. I'll deal with it. I'll go take care of her right now."

Finnian pushed him back down. "Don't do anything stupid in the middle of the night. If you're going out, wait until you're sober."

Dorian slumped back onto the floor, staring blankly ahead, lost in thought.

Just then, someone knocked at the door. Finnian went to open it—it was Hogan.

Hogan had brought a wedding gift. Although he didn't approve of Finnian marrying Liliana, family was family. And knowing this might be Finnian's only wedding, Hogan felt he had to show up and do his part.