Page 72 of Lethal Seduction

The man’s name tag readsMax Salgado, and there’s something about him—something that feels... familiar, like a kinship. Maybe it’s the way he looks at us, the way his eyes flicker just a little too long at the sight of our hands intertwined. I can tell Michael notices it too.

“I’m Max,” he introduces himself, shaking both of our hands. “I work here while I finish my degree. Hoping to become a curator someday.”

“That’s impressive,” I say, genuinely meaning it. There’s passion in his voice, a quiet determination that I respect.

Max nods towards the exhibit we’re standing in front of. “This one’s one of my favorites. We’ve got pieces here that are hundreds of millions of years old. Kind of makes you think about how small our lives really are in the grand scheme of things.”

His words hang in the air for a moment, and I glance at Michael, who gives me a knowing smile. It’s true. We’ve been through so much in the past year, things that felt monumental, life-changing. But here, in this space, with relics of a world far older than our own... it all seems so insignificant.

“Well, good luck with your degree, Max,” Michael says as we begin to move away. “You’ll make a great curator one day.”

Max’s smile falters, just for a second, but he recovers quickly. “Thanks. I’m sure I’ll see you around. Enjoy the museum.”

As we walk away, I can’t shake the feeling that there’s something more to him, something buried beneath the surface. Trauma, maybe. God knows we’ve both been through our share of it.

“You feel that too?” I ask Michael, my voice low, as we make our way through another exhibit. “Something’s... off with him.”

Michael glances back over his shoulder, but Max has already disappeared into the crowd. He squeezes my hand again, pulling me close. “Everything’s fine, Patrick. Whatever craziness we dealt with last year, it’s over. We’re safe now.”

I nod, trying to convince myself that he’s right, but the nagging feeling lingers. There’s more to Max Salgado than meets the eye.

And something tells me we’re not done with the craziness just yet.

But, for now, this is the happiest I can ever remember being. The start of a new life with the man of my dreams. I couldn’t ask for a better ending to the old and beginning of the new chapter in my life. I’m truly going to be happy forever after.

I found my forever!

THE END