<b>Chapter 186 </b>


    Amber’s POV


    +15 <b>BONUS </b>


    After the encounter with the old woman, I couldn’t stop thinking about her and the things she said, about her recognizing me. It was so far–fetched though, and I had no real reason to believe it.


    Yet, the small girl in me, the orphan who always wondered where her home was and why they didn’t want me anymore, she held on to that tiny bit of hope and asked the question, What if?


    <b>For </b>her sake, after my work day at the clinic, I drove over to Rafael’s estate. I was nervous about just randomly dropping in on him, but he had emphasized on the phone that his door was always open to me, anytime. I had to trust that he was telling the truth.


    When I knocked on the door, I was surprised to find that Rafael himself opened the door.


    “Amber<b>?</b><b>” </b>


    “I’m sorry to bother you at home Rafael,” I said, realizing that I should have at least called first.


    “It’s fine,” he said. “You are just in time for dinner.”


    “Dinner? Oh, I was just hoping we can talk <b>–</b>”


    “We can talk over food,e on.” He ushered me inside, cing his hand on my shoulder.


    “It will only take a minute,” I said.


    “<b>You’ve </b>been working hard all day, let me feed you,<i>” </i>he said.


    Before I really knew what was happening, I was in the dining room, being shown to a seat. “Are you sure


    ..?”


    “Absolutely. Geoffrey, bring another te!”


    Julian’s POV


    Alice had made some friends at her tutoring session so asked to hang out for a while longer. I wanted to check in with Amber to make certain she was as okay with it as I was, yet when I went back to the hotel, I found it empty.


    Odd. Amber should be back by now.


    I checked my watch. Maybe she stopped at the grocery store on the way back? But then why hadn’t she


    called first.


    More curious than worried, I dialed her number. The phone immediately went to voice mail.


    Had it died? Or did she turn it off?


    No, I condemned myself for that line of thinking. My jealousy and possessiveness was showing itself again, and I needed to hold it back. I couldn’t be the asshole that Rafael had used me of. Amber not answering her phone didn’t mean she was at Rafael’s house or meeting with him and didn’t want me to


    know about it.


    I was a little more worried now, but trying desperately to hide it.


    Maybe she was just workingte. Amber was something of a workaholic, and it wouldn’t be the first time she put in long hours at the clinic. If her phone died when she was working, she probably didn’t even


    notice, so focused on her patients.


    Opening the inte on my phone, I searched for the number to the clinic and then called them.


    “Hello?” asked the same friendly receptionist as before.


    “Hi, Gail,” I said. “It’s Julian. I’m trying to get a hold of Amber. I think her phone died again. Could you


    connect me with her?”


    “Oh,” Gail said, a downturn in her tone that immediately left me bracing for bad news. “I’m sorry, Julian,


    but Amber left a little while ago. She didn’t make it back to the hotel?”


    “Not yet,” I said.


    “Oh,<i>” </i>Gail said again, her voice falling even further. “I’m sure she’ll be there soon.”


    “Yeah,” I said. “Thanks, anyway, Gail. Goodnight.”


    “Goodnight, Julian<i>,</i><i>” </i>Gail said and we both hung up.


    That phone call did nothing <i>to </i>calm my rattled nerves, and before I knew it, I was pacing the hotel room


    from the kitchte to the door, feeling absolutely restless.


    I couldn’t just stay here and do nothing. Maybe she was in trouble!


    No. I couldn’t lie to myself. My motives were not entirely selfless. While I did worry about Amber’s safety,


    I felt no panic through the bond as I had felt in the past, like when she had been taken in that vehicle.


    What worried me more was that she was at Rafael’s.


    He had said he wasn’t interested in her romantically, that he felt a more familial bond with her, but how


    could I trust that?


    Maybe Amber would believe it, though, and if he lured her in… If he had secret untoward motives…


    I was out the door before I could convince myself not to leave. Amber and I both had our own rental cars, so I hopped into mine and drove across town to the Alpha’s estate.


    There, my stomach dropped as I saw Amelia’s car parked out front of Rafael’s house.


    I should go home. This wasn’t any of my business.


    But how could she trust Rafael? What if he was up to something?


    I would check on her. Make sure she was okay. Then, if she wanted me to leave, I would go.


    Decided, I parked outside of the mansion, then hurried to the door.


    That same butler, Geoffrey, opened the door. He gave me a bored expression.


    <b>“</b>I’m looking for Amber,” I said.


    The butler continued to look at me.


    “I know she’s here,” I said, gesturing to the car. “I’ve tried calling but her phone is off. I just want to make sure she’s okay.”


    Amber’s POV


    Sitting at the dining room table, Rafael and I had yet to eat when the doorbell rang. I knew, even before hearing his voice echoing from the entry way that it would be Julian at the door.


    I didn’t call him to tell him I would bete.


    Reaching for my purse, I fished my phone out and tried touching the screen. I hadn’t even noticed it was


    dead!


    I guessed I couldn’t me him for worrying about me, though I had no idea how I was going to convey any of this to Rafael.


    Rafael looked at me with a steady patience and bemused expression.


    “Do you want him to stay<b>?</b>” he asked.


    I didn’t know. I was mad at him for trying to butt in on this, but my phone was dead. I was at fault for not letting him know I was okay.


    Plus… with what I was hoping to discover, maybe it wouldn’t be so terrible to have a familiar face. Even if it was one with whom I was presently in the middle of aplicated situation with.


    “Yeah…” I said, a bit embarrassed by the admission.


    Rafael stood. He walked out of the dining room, then returned a momentter with Julian in tow.


    “Another te for dinner, Geoffrey,” Rafael stood.


    “At once, sir,” Geoffrey said and walked toward the kitchen, ring at Julian as he want.


    Julian came immediately to me, taking the seat nearest me. “What’s going on, Amber? Your phone…”


    I held it up, showing him it was dead. “Sorry. I didn’t notice at work…”


    “It’s fine<i>,</i>” he said. “I’m d you are alright. But what are you doing here?”


    “Well…” I started.


    “About to have dinner,” Rafael said for me, as he returned to his seat. He nced between Julian and me, before saying, “Amber, I have a question to ask you specifically, and I hope you will forgive me for prying.”


    “Of course,” I asked. “What is it?”


    He nced again, quickly, between Julian and me. “What exactly is Julian to you?”