Page 36 of My Sweetest Temptation

I laughed. “Yes, you did.”

As the lesson continued, I introduced Sam to different notes and simple melodies, guiding her through each step with patience and encouragement.

“Let’s try playing ‘Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.’”

Sam followed my lead, playing the notes with increasing confidence.

“Good job, Sam!”

Sam beamed up at me. “Thanks, Winter! I want to be as good as you one day.”

I smiled and pulled on Sam’s braid affectionately. “You will be, with lots of practice and determination.”

As the lesson wrapped up, I heard a soft knock at the door. I set my instrument aside while Sam carefully tucked hers away, and I got to my feet.

When I swung the door open, Sam’s mom stood there with a friendly smile. I moved to the side, allowing her to enter the apartment. “How did it go?” she asked as she entered.

“It was awesome!” Sam said and looked up at me with a smile on her face. “Winter is the best teacher. Thank you, Winter.”

“You’re welcome, Sam. I’m glad you enjoyed it. Keep practicing, and I’ll see you next week.”

After Sam and her mom left, I placed my violin on its stand before moving it to a corner in the living room. Just as I settled in, a sharp knock at the door broke the stillness.

I glanced at the clock above the television—6:35 p.m. I frowned. I wasn’t expecting anyone. Maybe Sam had forgotten something. I scanned the room to see if Sam had left anything behind, but nothing of hers was in sight.

Another knock reverberated through the small apartment.

I approached the door and peered through the peephole to see a young man standing on the other side. He wore a tailored suit, but something about him felt off; maybe it was the black ink of a tattoo that peeked out from under his crisp dress shirt, creeping up his neck like a shadow. “Who is it?” I called through the door, my heart pounding. There was no way in hell I was going to open the door to give him a chance to chop me up into little pieces and turn me into Hannibal Lecter’s next victim.

“Miss Winter? I have a special delivery for you,” came the muffled response from the other side. I hesitated. What I saw out the peephole made my stomach twist. No way. Was that...?

I finally opened the door. “Did anyone ever tell you that you look like an older, dark, twisted Hero Fiennes Tiffin?” I blurted out.

The man raised an eyebrow, amusement flickering in his hazel eyes. A wry smile crept across his full lips as he replied, “I...I don’t know how to respond to that.”

A charged silence hung between us until the sound of a neighbor’s door creaking open shattered the moment.

“Um, these are for you,” he said, offering me a beautiful tall, wrapped box from a flower shop and another smaller, square package.

“For me?” I asked, surprised as I accepted the gifts.

“Yes, Miss Winter,” he confirmed.

“It’s just Winter, not miss,” I corrected him.

He responded with a smile that revealed perfect white teeth.

“I’ll let you get back inside. Have a good night, Mi?—”

I shot him a warning look.

He chuckled softly, the sound rich. “Winter. Have a good night, Winter.” He inclined his head slightly in my direction and turned on his heels. I watched him walk down the steps until his figure faded into the shadows. I then stepped back into my apartment, locking the door behind me. When I set down the boxes on the table, I focused on the tall box first. I turned it over in my hands, inspecting it from every angle, trying to figure out how to open it.

My eyes landed on a small label that read “Pull here.” With a gentle tug, the box unfolded gracefully into four sections. The flaps lay flat against the table like wings. My breath caught in my throat at the breathtaking arrangement of red and white roses in a sleek black vase.

“Oh, my God,” I said in awe. “These are so beautiful.” I looked to see if there was a note or something that would tell me who sent them, but I didn’t see anything. Shoot. I should’ve asked the Hero lookalike.

I moved on to the next box. Now, that was easier to open. The box contained a black heart-shaped box wrapped in a red bow. As I pulled it open, I smiled when I noticed a variety of candy bars. Then I saw the note laying on top. Five chilling words were scrawled in an elegant script:

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