In the past, whenever Liliana leaned in, Finnian would at least catch her, however reluctantly. After all, she was his savior, and he couldn't just stand by and watch her fall to the floor.
But earlier, when she frantically tore open her clothes to show him her scar, Finnian had immediately averted his gaze out of propriety. So when she lunged at him just now, there was absolutely no chance he was going to catch her.
He continued staring coldly out the window, completely unwilling to look at the woman sprawled on the floor. After delivering his final piece of mind, he walked out.
As he stepped out of the hospital room, the door clicked shut behind him, muffling the sudden, gut-wrenching wails that erupted from within.
The sound was pitiful enough to move most people, but Finnian felt no emotional ripple whatsoever.
With a hardened expression, he strode out of the hospital, thoroughly severing all ties with the woman inside.
Once he was gone, Liliana completely lost her mind.
Although she had thrown countless tantrums over the past two days, this episode was far more violent than any before. She screamed and thrashed for over an hour. Jenny and the nurses rushed in to calm her down, but nothing worked.
She shrieked like a maniac, hurling objects and utterly trashing the room until her voice grew hoarse.
Finally, she collapsed back onto the bed, lying stiff as a board for the entire afternoon. She refused to eat a single bite or drink a drop of water, looking as though all the life had drained out of her.
It wasn't until nightfall that she managed to calm down enough to think straight.
Sitting up, her face deathly pale, she ignored the combined protests of Jenny and the nurses, checking herself out of the hospital to head straight for Emma's apartment.
"Emma, Finnian came to see me this afternoon. Do you know what he told me? He said he doesn't care about me anymore, completely disregarding his debt to me. I'm just so heartbroken..."
Emma spent a long time comforting her and even let her stay the night, but she never offered any actual, useful solutions.
Lying in bed that night, Liliana stared into the darkness. She had to make a move soon.
Amara was getting further along in her pregnancy. Once that baby was born, their bond would deepen, making it nearly impossible for Liliana to intervene.
That evening, Amara and Elysia ordered a heavy dinner. Afterward, they hired a cleaner to tidy up while the two of them chatted on the couch. Once the apartment was spotless, Amara headed home.
Now that the date for her procedure was set, Amara felt a tinge of melancholy, but an even stronger wave of relief washed over her.
Carrying these mixed emotions, she drove back. As she turned into her alley, she spotted a figure sitting by the wall near her courtyard gate. The person's head was bowed, looking incredibly desolate in the shadows.

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