Unexpected Encounter: A Second Chance at Love-Chapter 308: Samuel’s Grief

The warm smell of coffee filled the kitchen as Samuel stood by the counter, staring blankly at the mug in his hands. He had brewed two cups out of habit, one for himself and one for Katherine. The same way he had every morning since she had come to live with him.

But today the thought of handing her the cup made bile rise in his throat.

He shut his eyes for a second, trying to steady the storm raging inside him. She talked to Igor and she betrayed both Joshua and him.

A soft shuffle of footsteps pulled him out of his thoughts.

"Sam?" Katherine's voice floated gently from the hallway.

He opened his eyes and forced his features into neutrality before turning.

Katherine stood there in her pastel robe with her hair slightly tousled and face fresh with sleep. She looked exactly like the innocent girl he had risked everything to protect.

She was the sister he would have died for.

She gave him a soft smile, the kind she always gave him in the mornings. "You are up early. Did you sleep at all?"

Samuel's lips twitched upward but he quickly faked a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Couldn't sleep much. I made coffee."

Her eyes warmed. "Thank you," she said, walking closer.

Samuel froze for half a second as she reached for the mug.

He had held her when she cried, trusted her when the world was burning and took her in when Igor threatened to destroy her.

And all this time, she had been stabbing him in the back.

"Here," he said, handing her the mug. His hand brushed hers and he felt cold.

Katherine took a sip and sighed contentedly. "You always make the best coffee."

He didn't answer. His throat felt tight.

She didn't seem to notice. She sat on the stool by the counter, swinging her legs lightly — painfully carefree, painfully at ease.

"By the way—" she started, "you came home late last night. Everything alright?

Samuel's jaw clenched so sharply he had to look away but he forced a calm tone. "Just work."

Katherine hummed, taking another sip. "I was worried. You and Joshua have been so stressed these days."

Samuel's grip tightened around his own mug. He finally turned to look at her. She looked the same and she sounded the same but he didn't recognize her anymore.

He swallowed the bitter taste of betrayal and asked quietly, "Did you sleep well?"

Katherine gave a small laugh. "I slept fine. Though I had this weird dream that someone was following me." She shook her head. "Funny, right?"

Samuel's heart dropped.

She was oblivious and completely unaware that she had already been exposed. She didn't know that he knew everything and that her world was starting to crack.

He forced another smile. "Dreams can be strange."

"Yeah," she said softly, sipping her coffee again. "Still, it's nice waking up here. I have nothing to worry about with you and Joshua around."

That sentence hurt more than any knife ever could.

Samuel pressed his lips together to stop the emotions rising in his chest. He turned away and quietly rinsed his empty mug in the sink, so she wouldn't see the war happening on his face.

Katherine continued talking, filling the silence with sweet, harmless words.

Words he now knew were poison.

As Samuel dried the mug, he stole a glance at her.

The woman he had protected with his life was the same woman who helped Igor nearly end Joshua's. And maybe he was next.

He had never felt heartbreak like this. Not even when he had walked away from his own brother.

And yet, he forced his voice to remain steady.

"So" —Katherine began casually, stirring her coffee, "I haven't heard from Joshua since yesterday. Is he alright?"

Samuel's spine stiffened. Her tone was light and she sounded like a girlfriend sincerely worried would sound shaken but she sounded curious.

"Oh?" he replied cautiously. "Is it?"

Katherine nodded. "That he wasn't home last night. Is he with the Collins?" 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Samuel kept his expression blank. "Why are you asking?"

She chuckled, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Samuel, really? He is my boyfriend. Of course I am worried."

'Boyfriend'—the words hit Samuel harder than he expected.

Joshua had trusted her, loved her and protected her. Meanwhile, she had been reporting every little detail about him to Igor.

Samuel swallowed the bitterness, forcing his voice to remain calm. "He is fine."

Katherine pouted slightly, leaning forward. "Fine? That's it? Come on, Sam can't you tell me where he is? I called him last night and he didn't pick up."

Her eyes held just the right amount of fake worry. It was the perfect performance she had perfected over years of manipulation.

Samuel felt something tighten painfully in his chest and wondered how many times had she stood in front of him or Joshua with those same eyes and lied without blinking?

"Joshua is safe," Samuel said evenly.

"But where?" she pressed gently. "Is he here? Is he with Andrew? Should I go see him?"

Her eagerness slipped for a fraction of a second with a flicker of urgency in her voice.

And Samuel was sure that she wasn't asking out of concern. She wanted confirmation, Joshua's location and access so she could send Igor to finish the job.

Samuel forced a smile. "He is resting. That's all you need to know."

Katherine blinked, thrown off by the clipped answer. "Resting? Did something happen to him?" Her lips parted as she reached out and touched his arm. "Sam, please. You know I care about him. If something happened—"

He flinched before she could finish.

Katherine quickly masked her surprise, retracting her hand with a soft gasp. "What's wrong? Did I say something?"

Samuel looked away with his jaw clenched. The touch he once found sisterly now felt filthy and tainted by betrayal.

"You will see him soon," he said in a tight voice. "Just give him time."

She stared at him for a moment, uncertainty flickering in her eyes but the next second, she gave a relieved smile, looping her hair behind her ear.

"Alright," she said softly. "I will wait. Just let me know the moment he wakes up."

Samuel felt the sting of heartbreak blend with the sharp burn of anger. He wasn't just grieving a betrayal, he was grieving the sister he thought she was or the one she pretended to be.

"Yeah," he said quietly, "I will let you know."

Katherine beamed, unaware that he already knew everything.

Even more unaware that this morning might be the last time he ever looked at her with anything other than disgust.

…