Under the Veil I Rule

Amara felt a twinge of nerves as she cautiously watched Finnian's expression. He looked a bit somber and didn't say a word.
He never really understood Amara's perspective. To him, her family background seemed pretty dire, so perhaps when she married him, she hoped for
a fresh start. But instead of providing that, he wondered if he had only let her down.
"I was really against the idea of marriage back then," Finnian murmured softly, "and all I could think about was my grandmother's illness."
Amara was a bit surprised. Finnian against marriage? That was news to her. She never heard of him having such reservations.
Then again, Liliana was pregnant now, and she had already publicly called Finnian her husband. Surely, they were heading down the aisle soon.
Even with his supposed aversion to marriage, Finnian was ready to marry Liliana. That must be true love, Amara thought, feeling a pang of sadness.

She quickly brushed aside those useless thoughts and said, "Marriage is different for everyone. Some anticipate it, some dread it. I think it's fine as
long as people find what works for them."
Their conversation was getting too deep for Amara's liking, so she decided to put an end to it. "It's getting late, Mr. Everly. Shall we go?"
"Wait."
As Amara started to walk away, Finnian caught her by the arm. She stopped and turned to face him. "What is it?"
Finnian looked into her eyes, silent for a moment. Three years ago, during their ceremony here, there had been a moment when he was supposed to
kiss the bride. The officiant had sensed his reluctance and discreetly skipped it.
Even so, that omission had left Amara feeling embarrassed and humiliated. He remembered hearing people snicker about it afterward.
A wave of guilt and an inexplicable emotion washed over him. "There was something we skipped that day."
Amara blinked, caught off guard. "What did we skip?"
Without answering, Finnian leaned in slowly, closing the space between them.
As his face drew closer, Amara's eyes widened. What was he doing?

Finally, she felt the soft press of his lips. Finnian had captured hers in a kiss.
Shocked, Amara snapped back to reality and instinctively moved to push him away.
But Finnian gently placed her hands on his shoulders and wrapped another arm around her head, deepening the kiss.

Under the Veil I Rule
Suddenly, the sound of a door swinging open echoed through the room with a bang.
"What are you two doing?"
A woman's voice, full of shock, rang out.
Amara jolted in surprise, a mix of fear and embarrassment flooding her senses at being caught.
She quickly pushed Finnian away and stumbled back, wiping her lips as she glanced toward the entrance of the hall.
There stood Liliana, clad in an elegant gown, her wavy hair cascading over her shoulders. Her eyes were wide with shock and fury.
Reading History

Chapter 257