Chapter 95
Chapter 19
4
Dinner was a disaster. Nico clung to Luc, refusing to sit with anyone else, his small arms wrapped tightly around his father’s neck as though letting go would make him vanish. Guilia’s patience was wearing thin.
“Nico, come say hello to everyone!” she ordered, but Nico buried his face deeper into Luc’s shoulder, refusing to even look at her.
“NICO!” Guilia’s voice cracked like a whip, sharp and impatient. Luc felt the tension rising in his chest.
“Maa, let him be!” Luc’s voice was cold, a warning. He had had enough of this night. Enough of watching his son be judged, of hearing the
whispers behind his back about Amber, about Nico.
But the real blow came during dinner.
As they sat down, Nico still refusing to leave his father’s side, Guilia started again. “Really, Luca, his puttana mother has spoiled him
rotten. He doesn’t listen to anyone, throws tantrums like a wild animal, and you–you let him wrap you around his little finger! You’re
doing him no favors, Luca.”
The words hit like daggers, each one slicing deeper. Luc fought the urge to explode, to shout at her to stop, but his anger was silenced by
years of learned restraint.
Mrs. Forentino, Carlotta’s mother, looked at Nico with disdain, her lips curling in disgust. “A word of advice, Luca. Children need
boundaries. Letting them rule the household is a mistake. You should put a stop to this immediately.”
Luc felt like he was drowning. His son was being torn apart in front of him, judged, humiliated–and there was nothing he could do.
The atmosphere at the dinner table was suffocating. The clink of silverware, the quiet murmurs of conversation–it all felt distant, like white noise in the background of Luca’s mounting despair. He sighed heavily, the weight of the moment crushing him as he muttered,
“He’s just feeling down today.”
Mrs. Forentino wasn’t satisfied with his explanation. Her lips tightened, her eyes hard and judgmental. “But that shouldn’t excuse his behavior to be rude and do as he pleases, does it?” Her voice was cold, clipped with authority. The entire room seemed to fall silent, every
word hanging in the air like an accusation.
Carlotta, always the peacemaker, smiled softly, but it only served to irritate Luca more. “Maybe the housekeeper could take him for a while,” she suggested, her voice sweet and calm. “We can finish dinner in peace.”
The suggestion, though seemingly practical, made Luca’s stomach churn. Sending Nico away, hiding him from the very people who should have understood his distress, felt like an admission of failure. But what choice did he have? He looked down at his son, clinging to him, terrified and confused, while the cold stares around the table screamed for him to fix it, to make everything neat and acceptable again. Maybe it was best for Nico to be away from this cruelty. But even the thought filled him with dread.
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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.
