Chapter 81
Chapter 37
When Amber came down the stairs with Nico in her arms, she was greeted by a quiet, empty room. She scanned for any sign of Luca, but he was gone. Gabriella stood in the doorway, her arms crossed, her expression stormy as she looked at Amber with a sort of resigned bitterness.
“They left,” Gabriella announced flatly, each word soaked in distaste. “Together.”
A sting of disappointment shot through Amber, though she tried not to show it. She forced a sigh and made her way to the couch, lowering herself slowly and resting her head back against the cushions. The softness offered a small comfort, but it didn’t soothe the confusion swirling inside her. Nico squirmed in her arms, eager to be set down, and she released him onto the carpet where he immediately plopped down and busied himself with the new LEGO set his father had bought him, its bright pieces scattered like tiny jewels across the floor.
Amber watched him with an ache in her heart. It was almost painful how innocent he looked, completely oblivious to the currents tugging at the adults around him. She tried to lose herself in his quiet, happy murmurs as he concentrated, piecing together small blocks, his chubby fingers working with surprising focus.
Amber drifted in and out of a light doze on the couch, but Nico’s little voice brought her back to full awareness.
“Mummy…” His voice, soft but insistent, nudged her into wakefulness.
She rubbed her eyes, glancing down at him as he played on the carpet. “Yes, darling?”
Nico looked up, his eyes bright with an idea. “Wear the pink dress again tomorrow, mummy, okay?”
“The pink dress?” Amber repeated, confused. “The one I wore today?” She frowned slightly, wondering why he’d made such a request. It was the only pink dress she’d brought with her, and Nico gave a serious nod in response.
“Yes,” he said, grinning. “Daddy said you looked real pretty in it.”
Amber’s heart skipped a beat. She sat up straight, her drowsiness disappearing as she focused on her son. “What?” she asked, her voice more surprised than she’d intended.
Nico’s grin widened, and for a moment, she was struck by how much he resembled Luca, the same infectious charm in his smile. “Daddy said pink makes you look like a beautiful flower fairy,” Nico added cheerfully, unaware of the turmoil his words were causing. Amber could hardly catch her breath. Luca had said that? Why? Her mind whirred with questions. He already had a fiancée—Carlotta was practically living under the same roof as them, waiting at his side. What business did he have saying these things?
She forced herself to speak casually. “When did Daddy say all this, Nico?” She managed to keep her voice even, though she couldn’t calm the flutter of nervous anticipation inside her.
Nico tilted his head thoughtfully, sensing something in her voice. “Are you still mad at Daddy, Mummy?”
She paused, realizing how her question might’ve sounded to him. “No, darling, I just... well, I suppose I’ll have to thank Daddy for calling me a pretty fairy, won’t I?” She smiled, trying to brush off her reaction.
Nico, reassured, nodded eagerly. “He told me when you went to the bathroom at the rest-er-tant,” he said, stumbling over the word. “He told me something else too… something secret. He asked me not to tell you. You won’t tell him, will you, Mummy?” He giggled, full of excitement, the carefree happiness she had missed seeing in him for so long.
Amber couldn’t hold back her curiosity. “What is it, Nico?” she prompted gently.
Her son glanced around as if making sure no one else could hear before leaning closer. “Daddy said he’s gonna marry you again. You’re gonna be his bride, and he’ll be your…” Nico frowned, his face scrunched up in concentration, searching for the right word. “Your… your…” he stammered, struggling to remember, completely oblivious to the shock coursing through his mother.
Amber felt her breath catch as his words sank in. Marry her again? Her hand flew to her mouth, and her fingers dug into her forehead, pressing so hard she could almost feel the outline of her own fingertips. The room around her felt distant and surreal, like she was standing in the middle of a dream that threatened to unravel at any second.
“Nico…” Her voice was thick with disbelief as she spoke his name. “Are… are you absolutely sure that’s what Daddy said?” She was grasping for reassurance, anything to make sense of this wild claim. Nico had never been one to make up stories, and all day he’d been a little messenger, relaying Luca’s words to her with innocent sincerity.
But could he really have said that? Her mind raced through the possibilities. Why on earth would he say something like that? Carlotta had just been here, her departure with Luca fresh in Amber’s mind.
Her thoughts flashed to Carlotta. She’d looked so disheveled, her usually pristine appearance crumbling—eyes rimmed red, hair unkempt, her face tight with anger. There had been something desperate in her expression, a vulnerability Amber had never seen before. Amber’s hand, still clutching her forehead, began to tremble. A chill ran through her, cold as ice, leaving her shivering.
Amber’s heart was pounding, her mind racing in a frenzy that refused to calm down. *God! No! No! This wasn’t good. Not good at all!* The more she thought about it, the more her thoughts spiraled, each new idea worse than the last. Her brain fired off one possibility after another, none of them making any sense, and yet all of them terrifying. *Why would Luca say such a thing? Why would he want to marry her again?*
She bit her lip, recalling the disaster that had followed their first marriage. It had been a spectacle that turned their lives into a public battleground. His family had erupted in outrage; protests had broken out, and the paparazzi had latched on like wolves. Luca was painted as the heartless traitor who had left the glamorous Carlotta, and Amber was branded as the scarlet woman who had “trapped” the notorious businessman with a child. Every magazine, every news outlet had torn into them, their stories splashed across every headline for weeks. The scandal had hit his family hard. And his business—*their company*—had taken a massive hit. Stocks plummeted, investors withdrew, and the company’s reputation had been tainted in ways that took years to recover.
So why would he risk everything again?
Unless…
Amber’s gaze drifted down to Nico, watching as he played with his Lego set, blissfully unaware of the tempest he’d just set off inside her. Of course, Luca had done it for Nico before. The marriage, the sacrifice—every decision had been for his son. And now… could it be that he still felt that pull, that duty, that made him consider something as reckless as this all over again?
She couldn’t just sit here. She needed answers. She took a deep breath, forcing her voice to remain calm.
“Nico, baby,” she said, her voice catching just a little. “Stay here for a moment, okay? Mummy has to… has to run a quick errand.” She leaned down, kissed his head, and smoothed his hair back before hurrying out of the room.
As she moved quickly up the stairs, Gabriella’s head appeared from the kitchen, her sour expression softening as she glanced at Nico. For a moment, she watched him in silence. Gone was the bitterness from before; instead, there was something knowing, a hint of resigned amusement.
She murmured under her breath, her voice too quiet for Nico to hear. “Well, I was right after all. You’re the smartest one in this family, little one,” she said, as she watched him. “And the rest of them…” She shook her head, muttering to herself“Asini ciechi. Blind donkeys.”
“Really, no one saw this coming?”
With one last shake of her head, she clicked her tongue in disapproval and turned back to her work in the kitchen, peeling the potatoes she needed for making Gnoochi for tonight’s dinner. Maybe, she will make apple pie too.
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