All Chapters of Unexpected Encounter: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

On the drive, Samantha and Pedro talked nonstop. He was buzzing with the idea of finally being free of Ivan, but the doubts were already creeping in.“What if I don’t meet anyone else anytime soon? I can’t be alone, Sam. What am I supposed to do if no decent guy shows up?” he asked, voice small.She shot him a serious look before answering.“First, stop acting like you’re not enough. I’ve told you a million times: you’re gorgeous, hilarious, and you have the biggest heart I know. How could you think nobody good is gonna want you? Second, Ivan was never a decent guy. Being alone is a thousand times better than staying with someone like him. And third—you’ve got me.”She was trying to pump him up.“I’ve got you, yeah, but we’re not sleeping together,” he teased, half-smiling. “And you only say that stuff because you’re my best friend. You don’t know what people really think of me.”“Pedro, people at the hospital adore you. Staff, patients, everybody. That’s not just my opinion. Trust me

Samantha got even more on edge after that whole thing. Oliver’s visit only made the worry spiral in her head. She needed a glass of water. At least that helped calm her down a little. She asked her coworker to cover for a minute and stepped away real quick.She got up, grabbed the water, and came back. Still rattled, she didn’t even notice the movement in the lobby. She didn’t see the man who walked past staring straight at her. Samantha missed it, but her coworker didn’t. And she came right out with it:“My God, what a gorgeous man. I’d give anything for one night with him.”“Who?” Samantha asked, still trying to swallow the water.“The hotel owner. He just walked by,” she said, pointing.Samantha stood up from her chair to look, but only caught the back of him walking away, surrounded by other men.“Never seen him. No idea who he is,” she muttered.“Wait, I’m pulling up a picture online. You’re gonna freak,” her coworker said, already digging through her phone.Samantha went back to

Adam was pacing the hallway like a caged animal. Waiting with no answers was driving him insane, even if it probably wasn’t serious.“I can’t take this waiting bullshit. I’m going in there,” he growled, already moving.“They’re not gonna let you in the treatment room, Adam. Family only,” Caio warned.“Wanna bet?” Adam shot back, challenge in his voice.He headed straight for the doors they’d taken Samantha through. Right on cue, Pedro stepped out and came back into the lobby. Perfect timing.“How is she?” Adam fired off the second Pedro appeared.“She’s okay. Just low blood pressure. She probably hasn’t eaten and went through some major stress. Do you know what happened?” Pedro asked, trying to piece it together.“I didn’t know she hadn’t eaten. As for the stress… no clue,” Adam lied smoothly.“Right. But how do you know Samantha? I’ve never seen you with her before,” Pedro pressed, curious now.Adam remembered Caio’s warning (family only) and decided on the most shameless lie possibl

Marcos finished his shower, threw on fresh clothes, and headed out of the guest room toward the grand staircase of Adam’s mansion. Halfway down the hall, he ran into Sophia, who was also heading for the stairs.“Where you off to, squirt?” he teased, pulling her into a bear hug and planting a kiss on top of her head.“I stopped being a squirt a long time ago,” she fired back, pointing at how tall she’d gotten.“To me, you’ll always be my little squirt. Quit dodging. You sneaking out?”“Nope. Waiting for Adam to get home first. I want to see with my own eyes that he’s okay and that bullet really wasn’t a big deal,” she said, worry creasing her face.Marcos stopped on the step he was on, pulling back in surprise.“Wait… you’re telling me Adam got shot? What the hell happened?”“Caio didn’t tell you? That snake Sabrina was cheating on my brother with Oliver and set him up,” she spat, pure disgust in her voice.“I was on a job. Guess they didn’t want me distracted. Where is he now?”“I don

Samantha stepped inside, dropped the grocery bags on the kitchen counter, and headed straight to the bathroom to start filling the tub. Her purse (phone inside) stayed on the table.She walked to the bedroom, already tugging down the zipper on the back of her uniform dress. The fabric slid off her shoulders and pooled at her feet, leaving her in just underwear. She bent to pick it up, completely unaware of the eyes watching from the cracked-open wardrobe.She grabbed the silk robe hanging on the door and slipped it on, then padded back to the bathroom to adjust the faucet. The tub was almost full. Everything was ready for the long, relaxing bath she’d been dreaming of.On the table, her phone buzzed like crazy. She didn’t hear a thing.Adam was the one blowing it up. The second Marcos reported intruders and dead guards, he’d started calling nonstop to warn her she was in danger. No answer. His gut twisted tighter with every ring.Outside, Marcos had already slipped into the backyard,