“M-Me?” Adeline stuttered, shaking her head.“What? Do you see anyone else claiming to be me?” I snapped. “Go on, start. I’ll also start, I have nothing to hide.”I sat down and began sketching, Since I recently finished a bridal collection, I drew inspiration from that and focused. The silence in the hall was heavy, but Adeline’s limbs must have felt heavier since she leaned against the wall, unable to reach for the sketchpad that had slipped down a while ago. “Mrs. Volkan,” One of the reporters said and I raised my head to realize they were referring to Adeline.“You don’t have to be scared, you can start designing. We are all with you.” I shook my head, chuckling. They were all in for a rude awakening. “I…” Adeline began, glaring daggers at me. “I can’t…”“What do you mean by you can't?” One of them said, and soon, they were sharing glances.“Does this mean—”“It means nothing! She can’t just bring this up and—”“Everyone knows Julia Volkan is the silver designer. She knows her
“Mrs. Volkan, what do you have to say about the accusations leveled against you?” A reporter spat as blinding camera flashes lingered. Atlas’ grip on my waist tightened. “The press conference will start soon, and we’ll answer all your questions.”“Mr. Volkan, is it true that you were in an asylum?”I shut my eyes, resisting the urge to run my hands through my hair. When Atlas suggested a press conference, I was against it. I rejected the idea because I didn’t want him to be questioned and insulted as well. Atlas refused to see reason. He was determined to clear my name in front of the entire world. “Yes,” he admitted and I froze. “I was in an asylum, wrongfully. My wife,” He turned to me, “She saved me.”Our eyes locked and I managed a smile as his eyes softened. “Because of her, I can stand here and speak,” he continued. “So, all these accusations are not only baseless, they are disgusting.”“At least you admitted it,” We turned to see Adeline strolling in, and she had a wide gr
“You need to calm down, Mrs. Volkan.” The doctor began. “My partner will deliver all the details but I can assure you of one thing—”“Dr. Karev!” A blonde-haired man yelled, running toward us. He adjusted his white jacket and offered his hand for a handshake. “You must be Mrs. Volkan?”I glanced at Rade. I wanted an answer, not a back-and-forth. “Is my husband okay? I hope nothing is wrong and—”“Wrong?” He shrugged. “Mr. Volkan is awake and fine. You brought him here at the right time and we were able to stop the bleeding.”Relief sank into my bones and I turned to Rade, a soft sob escaping my lips. “C-can I see him now, is he—”“Of course. He’s been asking for you. I’ll take you there myself.”I nodded and followed the doctor down the hall, my breath hitching as he opened the door. Atlas sat up in bed, a tired smile dancing on his thin lips. His sleek dark hair fell into his forehead, almost hiding his hypnotic green eyes. “I… I thought you left.”I shook my head, struggling to fo
“Let me go!” I cried as Adeline pushed me into a room and shut the door. “You are crossing your limits, Adeline!”“Shut it!” She snapped, glaring daggers into my skin. “Shut up,” she sneered. “Why should I let you go?” she paced to and fro, then froze. “So, you can go and tell Atlas everything? So you can snatch Chewy from me once again?”My heart clenched, She was insane. I thought she was deranged but this…“Atlas was never yours. Not then, and never now—““I said shut up!” She pulled out a knife and pointed it at me. “All of this… It’s your fault!” She snapped, her grip on the knife tightening as tears leaked from her eyes. “You stole Chewy from me twenty years ago! You became his wife! Why?” She grabbed my arms and shook me. “I… I did all of this to become his wife!”I pushed her. “You’re not his wife. I’m the real Julia and it is just…” I gestured at her face. “This is repulsive!”“I’ve worked so hard for this,” she whispered, as the sound of footsteps reached my ears. “I escap
“Elara!” Another voice boomed, snapping me out of my daze. I rushed down the stairs, only to stagger back as a palm collided with my cheeks. Hands wandered into my hair before and my back hit the rail, I pushed the attacker, my breath uneven as I realized it was the imposter. “You! You attacked my daughter!” She slapped me again, grabbing my hair, while I tried to keep my gaze on Elara, wondering if she was fine. “I didn’t touch her— we need to — I—” I tried to form words in between choking on my blood. The deranged woman was pulled off me and I came face to face with Atlas. “Do you see, Atlas?” The imposter pointed at Elara and I shook my head, he had to believe me. Despite his eyes darkening as he cradled Elara, I needed him to believe me. “What did you say?” The impostor began. “She’s your wife? She’s Julia? Then ask her… if she’s truly Julia, why did she push her daughter down the stairs just to spite me!”“I would never do that!” I cried. “Elara’s my daughter!”“Oh real
“Tell me, who is she?”“She’s someone from the orphanage mommy,” Lily chimed in, “We’ve been trying to get a name, or information but my server’s not working.” She shut the laptop with a huff, running her hands through her hair. “So far,” Leo continued, “All we know is she’s not Aunt Lovie, but who else could she be?”I leaned against the door, their words sinking in. There was only one other person she could and the thought made my chest tighten.I pulled out my phone and dialed a familiar number, the person on the other end picked up almost immediately.“Bella?”“I need your help, Rade,” I said, running my hands through my hair. There was shuffling in the background before his voice returned.“What happened?” I recounted the events since she arrived and leaned against the wall waiting for his response. “So, just between the two of us, you think it might be Adeline?” The silence between us was heavier than a stack of bricks. Her name settled in my bones and I tried not to recall