The End of a Marriage (Colette and Matheo) novel Chapter 142

Chapter 142

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Chapter 45

Giulia’s voice cut through the air with an unmistakable authority, laced with a tone that made Amber’s stomach turn. She gestured toward the

door, her lips curling ever so slightly as she said, “Amber, be a dear and sip outside. I need a private word with my son. This is a family

matter.”

There was no mistaking the disdain in her voice, the dismissal of Amber’s presence as if she were a servant hired for her convenience. The barely veiled sneer in Giulia’s expression only deepened the humiliation. her, Amber would never be anything more than an interloper–the woman who had tarnished their family’s legacy and stolen their son’s loyalty.

Amber took a sharp breath, her fists tightening at her sides. She forced herself to turn toward the door, desperate to escape the suffocating judgment radiating from every corner of the room. But just as she reached for the handle, Giulia’s next words caught her off guard, slicing through the space with cold precision.

“I know what this is about, Luca,” Giulia continued, her voice thick with insincere pity. “I spoke to Carlotta, poor girl. She’s absolutely devastated. She thought she had a future with you, Luca. And after all she’s been through, this is how she’s repaid?”

Amber froze, unable to stop herself from listening. She knew she shouldn’t stay–shouldn’t let them degrade her any further–but Giulia’s words had her locked in place, a dark foreboding filling her chest.

Giulia’s brother–Luca’s uncle–jumped in next, his voice heavy with reproach. “Luca, you let a girl come between you once, and it nearly destroyed you. You remember, don’t you? You were drinking yourself to death, and it was Carlotta who pulled you out. Carlotta, who stayed by you and nursed you back to health. You owe her everything.”

Luca’s face twisted with anger as he looked at them both, the fury simmering just beneath the surface. “I see. You’re all here to fight for Carlotta’s cause, to tell me how ungrateful I am for walking away. But there’s nothing you can say to make me go through with this marriage-

not anymore. Because-”

“Because of Nico?” Giulia interrupted, stepping closer and placing a hand on Luca’s shoulder. Her voice was soft, almost tender, but her eyes held a hard glint. “Luca, you can’t hold this against her. Carlotta is young, with her whole life ahead of her. No woman wants to be burdened with another woman’s child. She wants her own family with you, to give you children that are truly yours. Think about what you’re asking of

her.”

A flash of realization crossed Luca’s face, and his anger began to rise, the lines of tension deepening in his jaw. He had suspected they would try to sway him, but not like this. “I suggest you all leave,” he said, his voice low, laced with warning. “Stay out of my business, stop meddling

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