SAMANTHA
With Leslie punished, my thoughts began to scatter. They ran in a thousand different directions, none of them good. Tension formed in my chest. A heavy knot that made it hard to breathe.
To my surprise, Lionel merely cast a thoughtful glance toward me. His anger seemed to have cooled. His face relaxed. Then he smiled.
It was not a kind smile. It was the smile of a man who had just made a decision. Or the smile of a man who was very proud that something incredible had happened. It seemed he had been waiting for this day.
"Since my sons have an interest in you," he said, "I will not punish you. Instead, I will reward you."
Reward me?
Really?
I gawked, my mouth falling open. My eyes went wide. I wondered if fortune was really smiling at me. After everything that had happened—the fight, the accusations, Leslie's banishment—could something good actually come from this?
