Page 105 of Seduced By You

A brightly lit corridor greeted me, colorful artwork on the walls of Lausanne and the surrounding scenery. I’d expected muted lighting and stone floors, not plush carpeting and this dazzling brightness.

The corridor led me to what looked like a waiting area. Brown leather chairs, a TV in the corner, and a green-covered table with a steaming pot of coffee and dainty china cups sitting on a tray. Another door on the opposite side opened. A man came through, round glasses set above a hooked nose, dark hair swept off his face in a classic side part, and an unmistakable scar from a cleft lip.

My heart stopped.

“Samuel?”

His eyes lit up with the biggest smile. “Kadon Kingcaid. You’ve no idea how good it is to see you.” He thrust out his hand, shaking mine with vigor. “You haven’t changed a bit.”

I shoved my fingers in my hair, still a few inches shorter than before Mom had interfered. “You look… great.”

And he did. Better than great. He looked happy, at peace. More than could be said for me.

“Come on through to my office. Would you like a coffee?”

“I’m good, thank you.”

A woman sitting behind a desk, her fingers flying over a keyboard, paused as we entered. She must’ve been the voice I’d heard over the intercom. Her smile rivaled Samuel’s.

“This is Melanie,” Samuel said. “My wife.”

Wife?So he was happily married, as I’d hoped.

“Pleased to meet you,” I murmured.

“Not as pleased as I am to meet you.” Her eyes flicked to Samuel, then back to me. “Can I get you anything at all?”

“We’re fine, darling.” Samuel opened another door and motioned to me. “After you.”

I took a seat opposite his desk. He rounded it, relaxing into a high-backed leather chair, creased from heavy use.

“It took a while to find you,” I said.

He nodded. “I thought about contacting you several times, but I couldn’t pluck up the courage.”

“Why not?”

He rubbed his lips together. “I thought you might blame me for what happened.”

My eyes widened. “Blameyou? Never. You weren’t at fault for a single thing that happened.”

“But I could have stopped it. If only I’d spoken up earlier, then that night in the library might not have happened.”

So that time in the library wasn’t a one-off. My hands curled into fists. I’d spent nine years regretting what I’d done that night, but right this second, if I could murder that bastard all over again, I would, and fuck the consequences.

“This isnotyour fault,” I reiterated through gritted teeth.

“I know that. Hell, I tell my patients that all the time. I was looking at it more from your point of view. It can’t have been easy for you to reconcile what happened either.”

“You mean because I killed him?”

“You didn’t kill him. You hit him to stop him abusing me, and he fell. An accident. Pure and simple. But you always were sogood, Kadon. I might have known you’d carry that burden.” He leaned forward, forearms on the desk, fingers knitted together. “If it weren’t for you, who knows where I’d have ended up? Henry would have never stopped abusing me, and at the time, I was too weak to fight him. You saved my life, Kadon. Sincerely, thank you. I’m only sorry I haven’t found the courage to say it earlier.”

The tension riding me slid off my shoulders like melted butter dripping off hot toast. That night had ended tragically for all of us, but coming here, talking to Samuel, seeing him so settled and happy, I finally accepted the truth.

Itwasan accident.

I’d never meant for Henry to die.

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