<b>Chapter </b><b>223 </b><fn924e> Th?s chapter is updated by Find~Novel</fn924e>


    Amber’s POV


    +15 <b>BONUS </b>


    Unable to handle Mary’spany anymore, I excused myself and retreated to my bedroom. There, I saw more missed messages from Julian. He called even as I was holding my phone, and I sent him to voicemail.


    I knew my anger at Julian was misced. He was with his mother who needed him, and couldn’t be where I was. It didn’t mean he didn’t want to be here, it was just that he couldn’t be.


    With the attacker caught, I still felt angry but my anger had nowhere to go. Aiming at Julian felt like the next logical choice, even though it wasn’t fair and I knew that.


    Maybe that was why I was really avoiding his calls. I didn’t want to be angry with him, and I knew


    hearing his voice would make things worse. Or it would have the opposite effect, and be soforting


    that I would just break down. I couldn’t allow either of those things to happen.


    So I continued to ignore his calls…


    <b>“</b>Mommy?” Alice asked from the doorway. Her tutoring must have been over for the day. “Are you okay?<b>” </b>


    I wasn’t, but I would never say that to Alice who needed me to be strong for her sake. “I’m getting there,” <b>I </b>told her. “It’s just been a long day. How are you?”


    As she looked at me, she sniffled a little. “I miss Daddy.”


    At once, I spread my arms open, inviting her for a hug. She rushed forward into my arms at once, and as I closed them around her, I knew that I felt the same as she did.


    I missed Julian too, even if I didn’t want to admit it.


    I’de to depend on him in ways that I hadn’t considered before. Maybe I’d been too afraid to admit how much he meant to me. But now that he wasn’t here when I really needed him, I felt his absence more keenly than I would have expected.


    From the bed, my phone chimed again, where I left it. It wasn’t a phone call this time, just a text.


    I held Alice until she grew restless. When I let her go, I reached for the phone to check the message.


    It was from Julian.


    Please tell me you are okay.


    Guilt started to well up inside of me. Of course he was worried about me. I sent a quick text in reply.


    I’m okay.


    Julian’s POV


    I’m okay.


    Seeing Amber’s message calmed some of the panicked concern inside of me, but did not fully put it to rest. I didn’t think I’d be whole again until I was beside Amber and Alice and could see for myself that they were healthy and contented.


    Yet some contact was better than no contact. Perhaps now, I at least had a path to move forward with <b>the </b>conversation. If only I could think about what to type next. It had to be something that would entice her into texting back.


    If I asked her what happened, would she reply? Or would she just ignore me again?


    As I was debating, sitting in the waiting room with my family, my family was also debating but with each other. I wasn’t paying attention at first, but when I put aside my own internal monologue to hear them, I realized I needed to start listening. Now.


    “The best way I can think of to keep her from having another episode is to get Olivia back,” said one of my cousins, Tony.


    My surprise nearly knocked me out of my chair, made worse by how many of my family was nodding along like this wasn’t just a good idea, but the best idea they’d heard in a while.


    “She tried to kill my mate,” I said icily. “She made efforts to try to hurt my child.”


    “I’m sure her aplices put her up to it. What was that young man’s name? Chase? He was always a problem,<i>” </i>said one of my aunts.