And there, hanging on the far wall, was the custom painting of the garden–a gift from a local artist they had both admired. Each object.
in the house seemed to hold a piece of her past, fragments of a life she’d tried to bury.
But the cruelest reminder of all was that despite everything, nothing had changed. The house was still the same, still warm and inviting, still holding onto the memories they’d created. The only thing that was different was her place in it. She wasn’t the lady of the house
anymore. She didn’t belong here.
That reality struck her hardest when Carlotta Forentino appeared in front of her, standing in the grand hallway like the ghost of her
future.
“Hello, Amber,” Carlotta greeted her, her voice polite but strained, a tight smile barely masking the tension between them. Carlotta looked every bit the part of Luca’s fiancée–poised, elegant, and perfectly in control. She was dressed impeccably in a chic black dress, her hair pulled back into a neat chignon. Amber returned the smile, though it felt more like a grimace.
“Hello, Ms. Forentino,” Amber replied, her voice steady despite the knot forming in her throat. She had known this moment would come, had braced herself for it the moment she left Luca years ago. It had only been a matter of time before Luca returned to his ex–fiancée, the woman he had been engaged to before Amber had ever come into the picture. It was no surprise at all that they were together again now. But facing her, standing in the house that had once been her home, felt like a fresh wound.
“Congratulations on your engagement,” Amber added, forcing the words out through the lump in her throat. “I read about it in the
papers.”
Carlotta’s smile tightened, and for a moment, Amber thought she saw a flicker of something–maybe discomfort, maybe pity–in her eyes.
But it was gone as quickly as it had come.
“Thank you,” Carlotta said evenly, her tone clipped and formal. There was no warmth between them, only the icy politeness of two women
who knew they would never be friends.
Amber didn’t hate Carlotta. In fact, she couldn’t afford to. As much as she wanted to, as much as the bitterness of the past gnawed at her, she couldn’t let herself despise this woman. Because soon, when she left Italy, Nico would be left in Luca’s care. And Luca wasn’t alone. He had Carlotta now, and whether Amber liked it or not, she would have to trust this woman with her son.
Two weeks. In two weeks, she would leave Italy, and Nico would stay behind with his father. And Carlotta would be there too, stepping into the role Amber had once filled. Nico would need them both, and as hard as it was to accept, Amber knew she couldn’t afford to make
enemies.
With a tired sigh, she shifted Nico in her arms and glanced at Carlotta, the weight of the unspoken tension heavy between them.
“I’m sure you and Luca will be very happy,” Amber said softly, the words hollow but necessary. She needed to say them, even if they tore
at her insides.
Carlotta didn’t respond right away. Instead, she gave a small, almost imperceptible nod, her eyes drifting to the sleeping child in Amber’s
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Chapter 76
arms. Whatever she was thinking, she kept it to herself.
:
70
Amber turned away, her heart aching, as she carried Nico upstairs to his old room, wondering how she would survive the next two weeks
without losing herself in the process.
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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.
