Chapter 45
**Prologue:**
Everyone knew it. The high-society elite, the tabloid reporters who feasted on scandal, even the least known celebrity lingering at the edges of Rome’s most exclusive parties. Luca De Santis, the devastatingly handsome CEO of De Santis Investment Bank, hadn’t married for love.
Not her. Not Amber, the poor American intern who had stumbled her way into his life, into his bed, and, most damning of all, into his legacy. A scandal in itself, it wasn’t long before the world knew the truth. Amber, the penniless girl from across the ocean, had made the fatal mistake of getting pregnant with his child. She knew it, he knew it — and Luca's family had made sure she never forgot it.
. It was whispered in the grand halls of Italian society, echoed by his ruthless mother, who never failed to remind Amber of her "fortunate accident" that had thrust her into this world of opulence.
It stung every time, but Amber had learned to harden herself against the cruel words. Because she had Luca. In those early days, despite everything, she had his love. He told her so every night as they lay tangled in sheets, his lips on hers, his voice a whisper against her skin. He loved her — that’s what she held onto. She had fallen for him in a whirlwind, a passionate, breathless romance that defied the odds. But in Italy, in the eyes of the elite, she was the intruder.
She had torn him away from Carlotta Fiorentino, the flawless heiress who had once been poised to become Mrs. De Santis. Carlotta, with her effortless grace and beauty, adored by all, was everything Amber wasn’t. Carlotta belonged in Luca’s world. Amber? She was seen as the third woman, the one who had driven a wedge between Luca and the woman he should have married.
Yet, despite the venom of the Fiorentinos and the De Santis clan and the haughty disdain from every corner of Rome’s elite, Amber held on. She had Luca's love. At least, that’s what she believed.
When they eloped to a tiny chapel in Naples to marry, far from the judgemental eyes of Rome, they were happy. Days of laughter, nights of passion. She believed in their love, even if it had started in chaos.
Far from Rome, far from the weight of his family name, they were happy. He kissed her like she was his salvation, and she believed it. In Hawaii, on their honeymoon, everything felt perfect. They spent long days on the beach, the sun warming their skin as they laughed and talked about the future. The nights? Even better. Passionate. Electric. She had never felt so connected to someone, so entirely his.
But honeymoons end. The reality of their lives waited back in Rome, a city that neither forgave nor forgot. Luca’s family circled them like wolves, and the weight of their expectations pressed harder than ever. And then the baby came. Sweet Nico, with his father’s eyes and her stubborn heart. But his arrival didn’t heal the cracks in their marriage. It only widened them.
the fights became endless. Luca stopped touching her, stopped even sharing a bed with her.
She stayed as long as she could, hoping, praying he’d come back to her. But the final blow was watching him retreat entirely — not just from her, but from their son, Nico. So, Amber did the only thing she could. She left. Packed her bags, took Nico, and fled back to the States. Luca barely batted an eye. And within weeks, he was back with Carlotta, the woman everyone believed he should have been with all along.
Their divorce came swiftly, wrapped up in neat, sterile paperwork. Luca hadn’t even fought for custody. It was as if they’d both agreed that Nico, their son, would be better off far from the mess of their lives.
Four years passed.
Rome was alive again with the hum of excitement. Luca De Santis was set to marry, and this time, it wasn’t a rushed elopement in the dead of night. This time, it was a grand, royal affair — the wedding of the century. Everyone was talking about it. Two of Italy’s most powerful families, united in what would be a spectacle of wealth and prestige. Carlotta Fiorentino would finally claim the title that had always been hers. Mrs. De Santis. The beloved daughter, the rightful bride.
But there was one problem. Amber was back.
She had returned to Rome, and she hadn’t come alone. Nico, their son, was with her, walking through the streets of the city he had never truly known. The question on everyone’s lips wasn’t just why Amber was back — it was what she wanted. Luca’s mind raced with possibilities, none of them good.
Luca didn’t know why she returned, didn’t want to know. He had his life neatly arranged now, and Amber wasn’t part of it anymore. But he couldn’t help it — the moment she arrived, every wall he’d built over the years came crashing down.
He hated her. God, how he hated her. Hated how she haunted his thoughts, how she had never truly left his heart, even after all these years.
And now that she was back, Luca wasn’t sure if he was ready for the storm she was about to unleash. Because if there was one thing he knew for certain, it was this: Amber De Santis had always been his greatest undoing.
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