AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“The next morning, Levi found us hugging outside Annabelle’s villa. She felt awful, a huge load of guilt. I could see it in her eyes. She loved him. Instead of telling him what we’d done and asking for him to forgive her, she begged him to leave her alone, turned and ran from both of us. Up the mountain. She could run crazy fast. Levi chased her. I left, humiliated and full of regret. I had no idea what to do, so I let them work it out. I found out later … she ran right off a cliff.”
Arianna could hardly catch a full breath. “She died?”
“Yes. And it was my fault.”
Arianna could only stare at him. She couldn’t claim that it wasn’t somewhat his fault. It sounded like a horrible accident, but if Brad hadn’t taken comfort in that woman’s arms and slept with her, she wouldn’t have felt so guilty when her fiancé found them and ran from him. Ran right off a cliff? That was horrific.
“During Mum’s funeral, I was miserable in every way.” He looked her over. “For some reason, I saw you that day—really saw you for the first time. The friend you’d always been. The beautiful woman you were growing into. You were a beacon of light, hope, and happiness. You were everything I wanted and in no way deserved. Then when you held me that night and comforted me and we kissed …”
“You used me just like you used Annabelle,” she finished for him.
Brad didn’t refute her. He looked absolutely miserable.
He’d never cared for her like she did him. He’d used her for comfort and a distraction, days after sleeping with another woman.
If Brad had come to her, explained, asked for forgiveness, they might have worked through it. But he’d left her, as if they had no past together. No apology. No word of where he was going. As if they had been nothing more than brief acquaintances.
For eight years, Arianna had hoped there was an explanation, and that her dear friend would return and explain and everything would be okay. This revelation that every negative assumption she’d made at the time had been right … that he didn’t love her … it made the pain of those days and weeks come back to her like a hit from a sledgehammer.
Arianna collapsed onto the bench. From the high of accomplishing a pinnacle of her career to feeling like a dumb teenager with a crush on someone who never cared about her, barely knew she existed.
“I tried to help everyone I could in Africa, tried to somehow make amends for my sins,” Brad continued, as if more words would make it better. “But I was truly still hiding. I’ve turned to God, asked for forgiveness, and I can’t tell you how many times I was protected in Africa. Well, you saw my scars. They show the healing from physical wounds, but my spiritual wounds are still raw. I’ve tried but I don’t know how to truly turn my past mistakes over to God and believe He could help me fix it all somehow. I needed to clear this up with you, and I need to apologize to Levi.” He lifted one hand. “I can’t even express the depth of my regret and sorrow.”
Arianna stared at him. He was sorry; she could easily see that. He’d worked and tried to make recompense by helping so many in Africa. He was trying to turn it over to God, and it seemed he needed her forgiveness. But did he need or want her love?
She had no idea what to say. It was a lot. She wanted to forgive him, and she loved him despite the feelings of betrayal and being second choice to poor Annabelle who’d died tragically. Poor Levi. No wonder he was so serious and never dated.
“Can you … ever forgive me?” Brad asked, his brown sugar eyes pleading with her.
Arianna stood, put up a hand, and took a step back. “Please. I need a moment.”
“I understand.” Brad simply stared at her.
A scream built in Arianna’s throat. If he loved her and wanted to be with her, he would say that. She’d instigated every kiss they’d ever had. He’d responded, but that didn’t mean he loved her. It was probably only a physical reaction.
Tears blinded her, and she whirled and ran. She had no idea where she was going, but she had to get away from Brad and the fact that he didn’t love her. Dodging around trees and water features and couples, she heard Brad and Mason calling to her, but she didn’t answer. She couldn’t—
A hand wrapped around Arianna’s arm and yanked her behind some bushes and trees. She screamed out in surprise, but it was quickly smothered by a hand over her mouth. A second strong arm wrapped around her waist.
“Finally, you are here. Exactly where I need you.”
The voice was horrifying familiar.
The Gifted Genius!
Arianna’s heart thudded violently against her chest. He was in the castle, and he’d gotten her alone.
She felt a cold breeze and then was yanked out a patio door. It shut behind them with a softsnick. Icy wind stung at her face and hands, and hot tears pricked at her eyelids.
“I don’t have much time, so it will have to be painless and quick, my beautiful victim. My wife came along to help out. We’ll kill you and then put you back in the solarium. A rooftop garden. Perfect for December.”
A woman stepped out of the shadows.
The Gifted Genius’s chin bumped against her head as he nodded. “Come now. You’ve got this, love.”
Instead of coming toward them, the woman retreated until her back hit the snow-covered barrier surrounding the patio. Arianna’s eyes had adjusted enough to see that his wife’s face looked … absolutely terrified. Her lip was split, and she had a bruise on her cheekbone. Her injuries and terror made no sense. Arianna was the only one who should be terrified in this situation. She was about to be worse than injured—she’d be dead.
The woman’s hair was slicked back in a tight bun, and she wore a black wing suit. A long silver knife glinted in her hand. The embossed wedding cake knife. Arianna would’ve gasped in outrage if she could get a sound through the sweaty hand gagging her. They were going to kill her with the very knife she’d personally ordered and arranged to rest next to the elaborate ten-tier wedding cake.
