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Chapter 24
Amber sat at the kitchen table, trying to immerse herself in the mundane hythm of conversation with Gabriella as the cook prepared lunch. The day had started with a blanket of gray hanging low in the sky, a heavy weight pressing down on her chest as if the very air was infused with a sense of impending doom. She hadn’t told anyone about the email she’d received the previous night–the formal, sterile confirmation of her resignation from the multinational company where she had spent years working as a cybersecurity expert. It was her decision, but the
finality of it still cut deep.
Sitting in her room a little later, Amber stared out of the window, trying to make sense of her feelings. All her connections to the world were being severed one by one. First her career, then her hobbies, now even her role as a mother was slipping through her fingers. Soon she’d have to leave Nico behind, too. The bitter loneliness crept in like a shadow, and she couldn’t shake the gnawing realization that soon, there would be nothing left of her.
As the rain began to fall, it was soft at first, just droplets tapping against the glass like hesitant fingers. She watched it, her thoughts trailing away into the endless stretch of gray sky. It wasn’t long before the storm arrived with a sudden intensity–angry torrents of rain lashed the windows, and the sky above crackled with sharp, furious lightning. Amber Hinched at the sound, her breath hitching in her throat. The sky was dark now, swirling with violent clouds, and the wind howled like a wounded animal outside.
A sense of panic began to bloom in her chest. The sudden crack of thunder made her jump, her heart racing. A childhood fear, long–buried, rose to the surface, gnawing at her nerves. She had always hated thunderstorms—their unpredictability, the sheer raw power they wielded, the way they shattered the stillness. And now, as the storm raged, that fear tightened its grip around her heart, squeezing out every rational thought.
For a brief moment, she worried about Nico, but then remembered he was safe with Luca at the market. That realization should have comforted her, but it didn’t. Her fear wasn’t rational, and it wasn’t about Nico. It was about the storm itself–the way the sky seemed to crack open, spilling its fury upon the earth. Another crack of lightning split the sky, and Amber found herself gasping, an involuntary sound of distress escaping her lips.
She stood abruptly and rushed to the window, yanking the drapes closed as if that simple act could block out the storm’s presence. If she couldn’t see it, maybe she could pretend it wasn’t happening. But the sound of the wind beating against the walls of the house, the creaking of the trees as they bent under its force, made it impossible to ignore. The wind howled louder, and the thunder seemed to be right above her now, crashing in a relentless, terrifying rhythm.
Amber backed away from the window and sat on the bed, pulling her knees up to her chest. She clutched a pillow, pressing it hard against her ears, trying to drown out the deafening roar of the storm outside. But it was no use.
She curled up tighter, pulling the quilt over her head as if it could shield et from the chaos outside.
Amber’s thoughts raced back to the last time a storm like this had hit. Ne had been with her, and though he was frightened at first, it was watching her fear that had scared him the most. Her panic had been so palpable that he had climbed into bed with her, wrapping his small arms around her, trying to comfort her the only way he knew how–by being there, by not leaving her alone with her tear.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
