Chapter <b>198 </b>


    0:


    “I searched for her,” I said, my voice lowering despite myself. I didn’t want to fight with Amber’s potential brother, but I wasn’t going to just roll over while he tried to exclude me from her life. “You haven’t been proven to be her brother yet, Rafael, and even if you were it wouldn’t be your ce to interfere in Amber and my rtionship.”


    “That will change when she is proven to be my sister,” Rafael said dismissively.


    “No,” I said, even more firmly. “Amber is my love and my mate, and that is stronger than whatever you think you have nned. Yes, we are going through a rough patch right now, but I love her and Alice. They are my family. And I will not allow anyone, not even you, to try to take them away from me.”


    “When the timees, Amber will see my side of things,” Rafael replied. “She will see that you are simply not worth the effort. You had your chance, Julian, but now it’s time for you to step aside and make way


    for new and better chances. Roman is that chance.”


    “Roman had plenty of his own opportunities in the past,” I said. “Amber didn’t want him then, and she


    doesn’t want him now.”


    “Without you there to screw things up, we’ll see if that holds true,” he said.


    My stomach twisted. I didn’t like the sound of that. “What are you nning?”


    “Me?” Rafael asked. “Nothing. I’m just creating opportunities for things to happen.”


    Then, suddenly, I started to hear the pop of the fireworks outside.


    I didn’t like what Rafael was saying. In fact, I believed I had heard more than enough of it.


    “I’m going back to Amber. Now,” I said and stormed out of the office.


    Rafael just smirked. “You’re probably already toote.”


    Amber’s POV


    “Amber,” Roman said, reiming my attention. I nced at him now to suddenly find him so much closer


    to me than he had been only a moment before. He reached up a hand and touched my cheek.


    We were surrounded by people now. It wouldn’t be easy for me to pull away without making a scene.


    “What are you doing,” I said.


    “I care about you so much,” he said, his voice barely audible over the pop of the fireworks. “I’m so sorry for


    that silly engagement stunt of mine, but I’m so relieved we can reconnect again. I’ve missed you so


    much.”


    “Roman, I don’t think you understand…”


    “I understand everything,” he said. “I held myself back so much since the ne crash… Since I pulled you out of the water, you’ve taken over my heart. It’s always been yours, Amber. And I’m sorry that I… Well…”


    I reached my hands up to his wrist to try to pull his hand away from me. “You are misunderstanding…” <b>I </b>tried to say.


    But then he kissed me,


    I froze, shocked.


    A few gasps and cheers sounded around me. Someone even had the nerve to say, “Way to go, Roman.”


    More forcefully, I pulled away from him. I openly red at him as I did. I couldn’t believe he would do such a thing. Had I identally led him on someway?


    No, I didn’t think I did. He had made these moves all on his own, without my encouragement.


    I opened my mouth, about to chew him out, when I heard a familiar growl.


    ncing over, following the sound, I found Julian standing near the door to the balcony.


    His eyes were blood red.


    I didn’t have to ask him to know how much he had seen. With a reaction like this, he must have seen it all.


    +1