Under the Veil I Rule
Chapter 219

But she was savvy enough to know that showing any displeasure would only make her the subject of ridicule. So instead of letting her irritation show, she had to replace a way to smooth things over.

She strove to subdue her rage, forced a smile, and said, "Actually, Louis isn't wrong. Keith really has been looking out for Ms. Sullivan, and we've all noticed it.

But you see, Finn is more of a reserved guy. He's never been great at taking care of others. When I saw Keith being so attentive to Ms. Sullivan, I have to admit, I was a bit envious."

Hearing Liliana's words, Cedric let out a sigh of relief. He quickly played along, chiming in with a few more complimentary remarks.

Liliana accepted the compliments and turned to Amara, speaking in a tone that was half-joking, half-serious, "Keith is really wonderful, you know, but I've heard that you and he are just childhood friends? Ms. Sullivan, haven't you ever thought about being with him?"

Earlier, Amara had posted a picture on Facebook of her and Keith, but after her divorce, she deleted it, stating she was single and had only posted the photo because she lost a truth and dare game.

So everyone knew that she and Keith were just friends.

"No, I won't," Amara replied, shaking her head. "We've been friends since we were kids. There's no romance there."

She didn't notice the brief flash of discontent in Keith's eyes as she spoke. Instead, she focused on the plate of Brussels sprouts in front of her, wondering when this tedious dinner would finally end.

Liliana's smile didn't falter as she said, "Being friends is fine. Sometimes that's the best start to a relationship."

She giggled with a hand covering her mouth, as if what she said was the most reasonable thing in the world, while Amara's expression turned a shade darker.

To her, Keith wasn't just a friend; he was practically family. The thought of being paired with him felt as wrong as "kissing cousins". Gross.

"Ms. Porter, not everyone is preoccupied with romance."

With a slight edge to her voice, Amara spoke the words that stopped Liliana's laughter, leaving the atmosphere awkward once more.

Finnian said nothing, but his gaze remained fixed on Amara, flickering with inscrutable emotion.

Keith had a slight half-smirk on his face, and though he was in a marked contrast

to Finnian, his expression remained equally ambiguous and hard to read.

With neither of them saying anything, the rest of the dinner

guests remained silent. It see

like Amara was having a head-to-head confrontation with Liliana, or the latter had been pestering Amara, while the two men just sat there and watched indifferently the scene unfold. The tension was more entertaining than the meal itself.

"Ms. Sullivan, are you upset?" Liliana asked with a smile, setting her cutlery down.

"Sure, not everyone is focused on

love, but a good relationship is important. We all need to replace our own happiness, don't we? Ms. Sullivan, when you say that, does it mean you don't plan on ever getting married?"

"That's right, I don't," Amara replied simply.

Though most people ended up marrying and having kids, more and more were choosing to remain single and child-free. Amara's statement wasn't as shocking as it might have been in the past, and no one found it particularly odd.

But then again, her ex-husband was still sitting at the table.