Chapter 170
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Chapter 59
Amber couldn’t help but notice how strange they must look together–a duo that didn’t fit any conventional mold. The betrayer and the
betrayed. The mistress and the fiancée. The beloved woman and the one chosen out of obligation. A sharp dichotomy, with her standing on one
side and Carlotta on the other. Life had thrown a lot at both of them, but somehow, sooner or later, Luca always seemed to find his way back to
Carlotta Forentino.
As they stood alone in the kitchen now, after Luca had left, Amber couldn’t shake the image of the pointed glance he had thrown her way just
before shutting the door behind him. Carlotta looked a mess, her dark hair tied back in a ponytail that had lost its neatness, strands falling loosely around her face. Her eyes were rimmed red, her eyeliner smudged at the edges, a clear indication of the tears she had cried.
Amber’s stomach twisted. She realized then how utterly foolish she had been to ever believe Luca’s proclamations of love for her. What was
love, after all, without care and respect? And if there was any woman who had consistently received Luca’s care and respect–besides his
mother and sister–it was undoubtedly Carlotta Forentino.
The way he had held her earlier, comforting her, and then turned defensive in her honor during their argument made it glaringly obvious. Even now, the shadow of that interaction lingered in the room, an unspoken truth Amber couldn’t ignore.
Carlotta broke the silence first, her voice soft but filled with determination “I couldn’t leave without talking to you,” she began, her hands nervously twisting together on her lap. She glanced up briefly before looking back down, as though gathering courage. “Maybe I don’t have any right to say this. Maybe it’s none of my business anymore. But I heard you two fighting after I left, and…” Her voice wavered, and she bit her lip, trying to steady herself. “And I just couldn’t bear it.”
Amber folded her arms tightly, her annoyance bubbling to the surface. “It was a personal matter,” she said flatly, her tone bordering on
dismissive.
Carlotta flinched slightly at the remark, but her expression softened into something almost apologetic.
Carlotta’s voice cut through the tense silence, sharp and brimming with emotion. “You don’t understand, do you, Amber?” she said passionately, her hands gripping the edge of the counter as though anchoring herself. “You have absolutely no idea how much that man loves you. You didn’t understand it three years ago when you married him, and you still don’t now.”
Amber blinked, startled by the intensity of Carlotta’s words. Her throat tightened, and she opened her mouth to respond, but Carlotta pressed on, her voice rising with every word.
“He was–and still is–the most compassionate and caring man I’ve ever known. At one time, I wanted him more than anything in this world. We were engaged to be married. I thought he was mine, that our future was set. And then, one day, I came home from a week–long trip, and everything changed.” Carlotta’s face twisted with the pain of the memory, her voice trembling. “He was there, at my apartment, looking like he had aged years in just days. He started saying things I never expected to hear from him–words that shattered everything. That he’d met someone else. That he’d fallen in love with another woman and couldn’t go through with marrying me.”
Amber’s heart sank, a mixture of guilt and confusion swirling in her chest. She watched as Carlotta’s pale face contorted with emotion, her lips
trembling.
“I could see it in his eyes, Amber,” Carlotta continued, her voice breaking slightly. “Even as he told me how sorry he was, I could see that he was… happy. Happier than I’d ever seen him before. He was a man transformed–someone who checked his phone a thousand times, waiting for a call or a message from the woman he couldn’t stop thinking about. He couldn’t sit still, couldn’t wait to leave and get back to her. To you?
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10:24 Fri, Feb 13 BBD.
Chapter 170
Carlotta’s eyes glistened with unshed tears, and Amber felt a lump rising her throat.
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“I begged him to stay,” Carlotta admitted, her voice a whisper now, laced with agony. “I cried. I did everything I could to hold on to him. But he didn’t waver, not even for a second, ite was determined to be with you, no matter what it cost him–or me.”
Amber felt like the air had been knocked out of her lungs, but Carlotta wasn’t finished. Her tone shifted, bitter yet laden with a deep sadness.
“The only thing I could hold on to was his guilt,” Carlotta said bitterly, her hands clenching into fists at her sides. “I told him that if he truly wanted to marry you, he’d have to wait. That he owed me at least that much. I begged him to delay announcing your relationship, just for a little while, to stop the world from tearing me apart. I couldn’t bear the niliation of people whispering that he’d replaced me with someone else. That I wasn’t enough.”
Amber’s lips parted, but no words came out. She didn’t know what to say, couldn’t process the depth of the story Carlotta was unearthing before her.
“And he agreed,” Carlotta said, her voice quieter now, almost hollow. “Not because he wanted to, but because he felt responsible for breaking my heart. He said he’d give me a few months–just a little time to save face before the media and society. But he made it clear, Amber.” Carlotta’s gaze locked with hers, fierce and unyielding. “He said that after those weeks were up, nothing would stop him from marrying you. Not me. Not his mother. Not the world.”
The silence that followed was deafening, the weight of Carlotta’s words settling over the room like a heavy blanket. Amber’s mind raced, each revelation cutting deeper than the last.
Amber stood frozen, the weight of Carlotta’s words sinking deep into her chest like a lead anchor. It felt as though someone had handed her a
cup of poison and ordered her to drink, knowing it would destroy her. Her lips moved, barely forming the words that carried the truth she’d
long buried. “And then I fell pregnant,” she whispered, her voice brittle.
Please, if you liked the chapter leave a comment down below. Any constructiev criticism is accepted as well.
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R Visitor
beautiful story!
7 days ago
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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.
