“Stop!” Luca’s voice cracked with an anger that surprised even hist. “Just Because You atarsing Carette does so ‘n ding des am not replacing him with a new family. He is my son, Amber. Nothing will ever change that
“So… you’ll keep him?” she asked, her voice a mix of hope and resignation like she already knew the tower but needed to tear res
Luca didn’t respond. There was no right answer. Not really. Months ago, maybe even years ago, all he had wanted was so as fed on oder sis roof, to be with Nico every day. He would have traded his entire fortune-His life even–just to have that bust wow, after hedding his s desperate cries, Nico’s deepest fear of being abandoned by the one person he adored most, hore could he be so catel How could be take tins away from his mother, knowing the boy’s fragile heart already questioned she loved him anymore? How could he do that to his dog w craved her approval with every fiber of his being?
“Luca, please,” Amber’s voice trembled, but it was filled with that aching quiet desperation
“Have you even considered how this will affect Nico? Luca’s voice cracked as he spun around to face her, the words catching in his first “How he’ll feel if you leave him here with me? He’ll think you abandoned him, that you don’t love him anymore.
‘No! That’s not true! Amber’s voice came from behind him, so raw and filled with pain that it twisted something deep inside Loca Thari r true, and I’ll explain everything to Nico. I’ll make him understand it’s just for a few months, and that I’ll come back for his. Her z faltered, as though she was already saying goodbye to her son.
Luca exhaled sharply, his chest tight. “I think it’s too late for that conversation.”
Amber’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”
Two nights ago, Luca began, his voice heavy with regret. “The night Ma invited the Forentinos for dinner, and 1- I made the mistake of telling you to leave. Nico was inconsolable. I couldn’t figure out why, even after I reassured him you’d be back soon. That’s when he told me…. He thought you brought him here to leave him with me. He believed you were abandoning him because you didn’t love him anymore.”
‘He… He knew? Amber’s voice trembled with disbelief. “But how?”
He overheard you talking to a friend. Something about leaving him with me, and he took it to mean you were done with him, that you don’t love him anymore.” Luca said, his words laced with sorrow.Her face crumbled. “Oh, my poor, poor boy!” Amber exclaimed, tears streaming down her cheeks. “How he must have been suffering, and yet he never voiced a word!” But even as she lamented, a painful truth settled in her heart. he had been reaching out to her all along. How could she have missed it? Her sweet, obedient son had morphed into a sobbing mess the moment she mentioned their trip to Rome, throwing tantrums and displaying anger throughout the entire journey. It all clicked into place now. Nico had been silently crying for help, and she hadn’t understood.
But alas, when it came down it, it actually changed nothing. “Nico will have to stay here with you,” she said, her voice trembling. “I have no other choice. There’s no one in the States who can take care of him while undergo chemo. No family, no relatives, not a single soul?” The word “chemo” felt like a thousand arrows to Luca’s chest.And he was already bloodied and wounded enough!
They were silent for a long–long while. Doing nothing. Saying nothing. Just trying to heal. He was looking out of the window again, even with the blinds still drawn the bright sunlight was leaking in through the corners and sides of the blinds. It was no longer that dark,
But his soul still felt like it was trapped in that terrible thunderstorm trying to tear it apart in two. But he knew what he needed to do. It was like the sunlight, seeping into him through the cracks.
He would do what would be the best for his son.
1/2
09:15 Mon, Feb 9 G.
Chapter 113
“I will need to talk to Carlotta about this,”
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.
