Chapter 123
Chapter 35
The laughter around the room died instantly, the shock spreading like wildfire. Amber’s stomach plummeted, her face heating with the sting of humiliation as the whispered insult settled over the crowd. Her fingers Innctively clenched around her glass, and she felt the orge to
ring in her eyes. But she couldn’t look away, frozen as Luca’s aunt eyes gleaming as she covered her mouth, her fake sympathy poorly
disappear, to retreat into some corner where no one could see the shame turned her attention to Chiara, whose shoulders shook with silent laughte concealed by the mask of her painted smile.
Luca’s face was flushed with anger as he stormed off, his usual composureshattered. Amber watched him go, barely able to breathe, feeling both a pang of vindication and a deep uncertainty. She knew him well enough to recognize that his temper had finally snapped, and his frustration with his family had boiled over in a way she had rarely seen. was both reassuring and terrifying to watch him march down the hall, his shoulders stiff and jaw set.
The soft chatter of the guests filled the air around her, but she could feel their eyes on her, like silent judgment passed down with every lingering glance. She couldn’t stand the pity, the whispered questions, the sidelong looks of those who, only minutes earlier, had been laughing along. So, while Luca faced his family, she withdrew, edging away from the main gathering to stand alone on the balcony, hidden beneath the cover of night. The muffled conversation behind closed doors reached her ears, the faint but unmistakable sounds of Luca’s voice, raised in
anger.
There was a thud, a chair scraping against the floor, and then a heated exchange that she strained to hear. His words blurred and sharpened, fluctuating în volume as his family responded with rebuttals and dismissals, but she caught snippets: accusations, demands, words like disrespect and boundaries. Luca’s voice broke through in full force, his frustration clear, though his exact words escaped her. She held her breath, leaning against the cool railing, trying to balance the anger that flared up in her chest with a flicker of hope. Could this be it? Would he finally stand up for her, truly?
It felt like hours before the door to the study creaked open, and heavy footsteps signaled his approach. She took a steadying breath as he appeared, his gaze searching until it landed on her, fierce and unyielding. Without a word, he strode over and took her hand, his grip firm as he pulled her close, one arm wrapping around her waist with a force that was almost possessive.
“We’re leaving,” he said, his voice rough and low, the anger from moments ago still smoldering beneath the surface.
As he led her briskly toward the exit, Amber could hardly keep up with the whirlwind of emotions coursing through her. She could still hear the echoes of his argument from the study, still see the way his family had stared as he defended her. Was this real? she wondered. Was this finally the moment he’d chosen her over them?
Her heart ached with the hope that maybe, just maybe, he’d seen through his family’s cruelty at last. That he’d realized, as she’d begged him to, that the people he clung to were tearing her down with every word, every snide look.
Amber hadn’t thought it would come to this, not so soon after everything that had happened at his uncle’s party. But when Luca’s mother called, inviting him to the family’s weekly Sunday lunch with a stark omission of her name, a new wave of hurt struck her. She’d watched Luca’s face twist in anger, his jaw tightening as he listened to his mother’s justification on the other end of the line. The words that followed were harsh and loud, almost uncharacteristic of him, as he defended her, insisted she had every right to be there, that she was his wife and
deserved respect.
But by the end, his voice had softened, and the anger that had briefly flared faded from his expression. His arguments grew quiet, his voice barely a murmur as he said, “Fine, but this is the last time.” Amber had clung to the hope that this meant he was finally drawing a line, that he would refuse to go if she wasn’t welcome. But the hollowness in his eyes when he hung up the phone told her otherwise. He turned to her with a pained look that
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.
