Chapter <b>228 </b>


    I was so relieved that things seemed to be returning to normal between the two of us that it didn’t immediately ur to me why I should be more cautious about this.


    “I won’t keep you,” she said. “I know you are busy there.”


    “Seeing you will be a relief,” I said. “I’m happy. Truly. But I do have to get back.” I couldn’t stop smiling as I said, “I’ll see you tomorrow then.”


    “Tomorrow,<i>” </i>she replied, a smile in her voice too. “Until then.”


    “Until then,” I told her and hung up. My smile lingered even after the phone call was done, as I allowed the relief and happiness to flood through me. The medicine must have been wearing off, because I felt a


    pleasant thrum through our mating bond.


    . But then, I turned to return to the room, and I remembered where I was and what my mom thought.


    Amber and Aliceing here maybe wasn’t the wisest choice right now. I’d been so pleased by the news that I hadn’t even thought about all the reasons it was a bad idea.


    And even now, I couldn’t bring myself to care overmuch. If I had to keep Amber and Alice separate from


    my family for now<b>, </b>so be it. But maybe this was the perfect opportunity. Maybe after I talked to my mom, she could meet Amber and Alice and they could all get along.


    I kept that hope in my heart as I walked back into my mother’s hospital room.


    “Olivia and Julian have been happily married for a while,” Tony was telling Mom. “Have you met their little girl yet? She’s adorable.”


    “Tony<b>,</b><b>” </b>I snapped.


    Mom looked at me, with tears in her eyes. “A child with Olivia, Julian? And married! I’m so happy. I was


    so afraid you were going to end up with that other woman. She would have given you nothing but misery. I’m so pleased you made the right choice.”


    Immediately, I red at Tony, but Tony looked to the side, avoiding my usatory stare.


    My medicine was definitely wearing off, because right now I felt murderous.


    Amber’s POV


    Ever since surviving that ne crash, I hated flying, but there was no denying it was the fastest way to travel. And with my need to avoid the public and therefore public transportation, a private jet was the only way to really get from the heart of Rafael’s pack to the heart of Julian’s instead.


    To keep myself from panicking, especially when we were midair, I tried to focus on Alice instead. She was oddly quiet sitting next to me, worrying her small hands in herp.


    <b>“</b>Is something wrong?” I asked. Ever since I told her about our trip, she had been a bundle of nerves. She’d already promised me she wanted to go, but her nerves only seemed to increase the closer we got to our


    destination.


    “Do you think Daddy is going to be mad at me?” she asked.


    “What? No, of course not.”


    Alice shook her head, not so easily epting my easy words. “Last thing I said to him was I hated him…”


    “Oh, Alice.” I leaned over and wrapped my arm around her shoulders, offering her as much motherlyfort as I could. “I’m certain he’s forgotten all about that.”


    Alice looked at me with doe eyes. “Really?”


    “I’m sure. And if you apologize, why, I’m sure everything will be okay.”


    “Okay,<i>” </i>she said, then seemed more determined than before. She had a n now, and was going to see it


    through.


    “He’ll be waiting for us when wend,” I said. “You can tell him then.”


    “Okay!”


    I wished I hadn’t promised that. As we exited the ne, I expected to see Julian there to greet us. <fn79e3> This update is avable on find·novel</fn79e3>


    But he wasn’t anywhere to be seen.