Novel-novel oleh Fayour

NADIA POV“Welcome to the sixth annual fundraiser hosted by the Callahan Foundation,” the host announced. “And tonight, we are pleased to have the man behind this remarkable foundation and his lovely wife, Mr Drew Callahan and Mrs Isabella Callahan.”The host gestured towards our table, drawing everyone’s attention. Drew smiled and gave a small wave, and I followed suit, smiling at the crowd as the applause filled the hall.The programme continued, with the host introducing a few more guests before inviting the first speaker onto the stage. I settled back in my chair, looking around the room while trying not to appear too interested in everything happening around me.Everyone seemed to know Drew. People kept coming over to greet him, congratulate him on the foundation’s work or talk about business. And every single time, he introduced me as his wife, his hand resting on the back of my chair as though it belonged there.I was slowly getting used to hearing the name Isabella, but I coul

NADIA POVThe moment we stepped into the hall, heads turned in our direction. Conversations paused, smiles appeared, and a few people raised their hands to greet us. Drew held my hand as we walked further inside, acknowledging the guests with the occasional nod. I did my best to keep up, smiling and waving whenever someone greeted us, although my nerves were getting the better of me.I was still trying to settle into the whole Isabella act when a woman approached us.“Wow, looking gorgeous as ever, Isa!” She pulled me into a hug before I could say anything. Thank God for those lessons. I had spent enough time memorizing names and faces to know exactly who stood before me.“Monica,” I greeted with a smile. “It’s lovely to see you.”“It’s been months since we last saw you!” She held my arms and looked me over. “I was beginning to think the rumours were true, you know? That you’d run away with a lover and died.” She laughed, clearly pleased with herself.Of course. Monica. That one bitch

NADIA POVI was still trying to convince myself that the dress wasn’t a terrible idea when Mrs. Collins came back to help me with the zipper.Getting into it was one thing. Getting the damn thing to stay in place was another. The neckline left very little to the imagination, and the slit seemed determined to climb higher every time I moved. By the time I was done with my makeup and had put on the jewellery Drew had sent, I stood in front of the mirror wondering if I should have asked him to send something with a little more fabric.The woman staring back at me looked nothing like the Nadia Ellis who had been buried alive a few months ago. Her hair fell in soft waves around her shoulders, the diamonds at her neck catching the light whenever she moved. The green gown hugged my body in all the right places, and the heels made my legs look longer than they actually were.I looked beautiful. And a part of me was glad and another part hated it.“Miss, the car is ready,” Mrs. Collins called.

NADIA POV“Hello, miss.” Mrs. Collins called from the doorway. “You have a package from the boss.”I looked up from my phone. “Coming.”I put my phone aside and walked towards the door, wondering what Drew could possibly have sent me. Mrs. Collins stood outside my room beside a large black box tied with a silver ribbon. A smaller box sat on top of it, accompanied by a white envelope bearing my name.“What’s all this?” I asked, staring at the packages.“Your dress for tonight, miss. Mr. Callahan had it delivered this morning.”I blinked. “This morning?”“Yes, miss.”I glanced at the envelope again. “And he couldn’t tell me about this himself?”Mrs. Collins gave me one of her familiar smiles. “I’m sure Mr. Callahan has his reasons.”Of course he did. Drew Callahan always had a reason for everything, even when those reasons made absolutely no sense to me.I picked up the envelope and pulled out the card inside.Wear the dress. The car leaves at seven.That was it. No greeting, no explan

NADIA POVThe past three months had been filled with endless lessons on how to walk, talk, laugh, and sit. Everything about me had to change, from the way I held my cutlery at the dining table to the way I carried myself when entering a room.Apparently, becoming another woman required more work than I had imagined.Drew had hired a team of professionals to train me, and each of them seemed determined to make sure I didn’t embarrass him by pretending to be his dead wife. There was a speech coach who made me repeat Isabella’s words until I could imitate her tone without thinking, an etiquette instructor who seemed personally offended by the way I held a fork, and a woman named Victoria who had spent years working with Isabella and knew more about her habits than anyone else in the mansion.Victoria was the worst of them all.She could spot the smallest mistake, whether it was the way I tilted my head, the way I crossed my legs, or the way I smiled at someone. According to her, Isabella

DREW POVI’ve never been a believer in coincidence or second chances. Trusting that someone could change or make things right after a mistake has always seemed like a waste of energy to me. Ninety-nine percent of the time, people don’t change. They make excuses, repeat the same mistakes, and expect everyone else to forgive them.But there is always that one percent.The rare anomaly that makes you question everything you thought you understood.For me, that anomaly was the woman currently lying in my home.The longer I watched her, the harder it became to believe that this was nothing more than an unbelievable coincidence. She had Maeve’s face. Not similar features or the kind of resemblance people noticed in passing. She looked enough like my dead wife to make even me question what I was seeing.The first time I saw Nadia was a month ago. I had been looking for Maeve. She had disappeared without warning, and for a brief moment, I believed she had run off with some bastard. Maeve had