Page 121 of Frayed Bonds

This can go one of two ways and it'll all depend on what he does next. He must sense my nervousness as he chuckles and opens the box to reveal a locket.

A small gasp leaves my lips and I reach for the small, delicate object and click it open.

‘Bound to you’ is written in Ambrose's handwriting.

“It’s perfect, Ambrose.”

He gives me a final kiss on the forehead before guiding us out of the exhibition space.

“Can you hold this for a second princess,” Natalia says, handing her flute of champagne to Adriano. He barely has a second to grasp it before she's throwing her arms around me.

“I'm so incredibly proud of you for this. You deserve every second of it.” She whispers into my ear and tears prick at the corner of my eyes.

“Thanks, Nat, it means the world to me that you took time off to be here.” I smile as we pull back.

“Anything for you.”

A hand on the small of my back jolts my attention away from her. Ambrose stands looming over the two of us with a solemn expression on his face. He extends his phone out towards me. “Someone wants to say congratulations.”

Staring up at him, my brows furrow together. I take the phone and they furrow even more when he turns and walks towards Gus instead of staying with me.

“Hello?”

“I'm sorry I can't be there for your big day, Val.”

My heart explodes when I register Antonio's voice on the other end of the call. “I thought you were avoiding me again until Ambrose told me you were in Mauritius this morning.”

“Unfortunately, I get to call this paradise home for the next few months,” he chuckles and I join in.

“Yes, so unfortunate. I wish I was on the run too so that I could have the same unfortunate luck.”

After everything that happened with Mattheo and Horatio, we’ve had to get more security. Even with that Antonio has found cars and men following him on multiple occasions so the brothers agreed to send him out of Tevici for a while. Somewhere no one would expect him to go.

“I don't want to keep you from the party for too long, but I called to say congratulations on the exhibition and how proud I am of you. I wish I could be celebrating with you all.”

“It's okay, the second you get back we’ll have a mini celebration and it’ll be like you never left in the first place.”

“Deal. Enjoy the rest of the evening and take loads of pictures.”

“I will see you soon! And stay out of trouble.” I say with a firm tone that I can practically hear him scoff off.

“I'll try my best. See you soon Val.”