A Proposal She Couldn't Refuse

CHAPTER ONE

LAUREN’S POV

"I said we are done, Jake," I barked into the phone, rubbing my tired eyes. "Don't call me again."

"Lauren, come on. It was one mistake," Jake pleaded, his voice whining through the cheap speaker of my phone.

"One mistake too many. It's over. Have a nice life." I didn't wait for his reply. I hit the red button, tossed the phone onto my worn-out couch, and let out a long, exhausted breath.

My shift at the underground poker table had drained everything out of me. Dealing cards to criminals and lowlifes for ten hours straight meant I had to keep my guard up, my face blank, and my mouth shut. I just wanted to take a hot shower, crawl into my lumpy bed, and call it a day.

Then came the knock.

It wasn't a polite tap. It was loud, urgent, and rattled the cheap wood of my apartment door.

I frowned, grabbing a heavy wrench I kept by the door just in case. I peered through the peephole and froze. My grip on the wrench loosened in pure shock.

I unlocked the door and pulled it open. "What are you doing here?"

My mother, Evelyn, and my father, Richard, pushed past me without an invitation. They looked utterly ridiculous standing in my tiny, rundown living room in their designer clothes.

We despised each other. They had spent my entire life treating my twin sister, Serena, like a flawless diamond and treating me like the dirt they found her in. The hatred was mutual.

"Lock the door, Lauren," my father snapped. His face was pale, and he was sweating through his expensive suit.

"I asked you a question," I said, crossing my arms. "You haven't spoken to me in months. What do you want?"

My mother wrung her hands. Her perfect manicured nails dug into her skin. "Serena is missing."

I blinked. "Missing? What do you mean, missing? Did she go to a spa in Paris and forget to call you?"

"This isn't a joke!" my father yelled, his voice cracking with panic. "She's gone, Lauren. Ran away? Kidnapped? I dont know but she is fucking gone!"

"So? Let her husband find her," I said coldly.

"You don't understand," my mother interrupted, stepping closer. "Silas found out first. Julian’s right-hand man. He found out before Julian could."

I stiffened at the mention of Julian's syndicate. "And?"

"And Silas came to us," my father explained, pacing the tight space of my living room. "He told us we better find a solution, and fast. If Julian finds out she is missing, he won't just be angry. He will think this is a scheme from our family. He’ll think we are trying to slowly withdraw our partnership."

"The merger," I realized aloud.

"Exactly," my father said desperately. "The marriage between Serena and Julian was the only way to secure the merger between my company and Julian's syndicate. If Julian believes we are backing out, he won't blink twice. He will kill us, Lauren. All of us."

"So find her," I said, pointing to the door. "Hire a private investigator. Do what you always do and throw money at the problem."

"We don't have time for that," my mother said. She reached out and grabbed my shoulders. Her grip was bruising. "You have to pretend to be her. Just until we find her."

I shoved her hands off me, stepping back as if she had burned me. "No. Absolutely not. Are you out of your minds?"

"Lauren, please—"

"I said no!" I yelled, the panic finally bubbling up in my chest. "Do you hear yourselves? You want me to walk into Julian Cross's home? He is a terrible, dangerous man!"

"He is your sister's husband—"

"He is a monster!" I screamed, cutting my father off. "Did you both suddenly get amnesia? Let me jog your memory! Do you remember their wedding day? Do you remember the priest?"

My parents went completely silent. They looked away, the color draining from their faces even more.

"Because I remember it," I continued, my voice shaking with rage and fear. "The priest took one wrong step backward and stepped on Julian’s shiny leather shoes. Julian didn't even hesitate. He pulled out his gun and shot the holy man right through his forehead! Right there at the altar!"

My mother covered her mouth, a small sob escaping her.

"He let the priest's blood spill all over the white of his custom suit," I spat, disgusted by the very memory. "And then he stood over the bleeding corpse and officiated the rest of the wedding himself. And you want me to go live with him? I would rather jump off a bridge."

My father stepped into my space, his eyes hard and completely devoid of paternal warmth. "You have no say in this, Lauren."

"Watch me," I challenged.

"You owe it to us," he growled. "We gave you life. We put a roof over your head for eighteen years. And mark my words, if you refuse this, Julian won't just find us. When he is done slaughtering me and your mother, he will find you, too. You share our blood. He will wipe out the entire Vance family line."

My breath hitched. My heart hammered against my ribs. I hated them, but I knew my father was right. Julian Cross left no loose ends. If my family fell, I would fall with them. I hesitated, biting the inside of my cheek as my mind raced for any other way out.

But they didn't even let me think.

Before I could form another argument, my mother snapped her fingers. The front door opened, and two maids hurried inside, carrying large garment bags and heavy makeup cases.

"Grab her," my mother ordered.

The maids didn't hesitate. They ushered me into my own tiny bathroom before I could fight back. They stripped me, washed me neatly and aggressively, scrubbing away the smell of the poker den. They dried me off, forced me into Serena’s expensive, suffocating designer clothes, and sat me down on a stool. I was too paralyzed by the looming threat of Julian to physically stop them.

They worked fast. They styled my hair exactly like Serena’s signature blowout. They applied heavy, flawless makeup to cover up my tired eyes and my rough edges. When they were done, I stared into my cracked bathroom mirror and didn't recognize the woman looking back. I looked exactly like the sister I despised.

Within minutes, my parents dragged me out of my apartment and shoved me into the back of their waiting black town car.

The drive was a blur of nausea and rising dread. My stomach twisted into violent knots by the time we arrived at the massive, towering apartment complex where Julian lived. The glass and steel building looked like a high-tech prison.

My father gripped my arm tightly, marching me through the immaculate lobby. The security guards didn't even blink; they just nodded at me, thinking I was the boss's wife returning home. We reached the private, gold-trimmed elevator that led straight up to the penthouse.

My father shoved me inside the empty cab.

Before the heavy doors could slide shut, I reached out and grabbed my mother’s wrist. My tough exterior finally shattered.

Desperation clawed at my throat, and hot tears sprang to my eyes.

"Mom, please," I begged, my voice cracking. "When will you find her? How long do I have to do this?"

Evelyn Vance looked at my tear-stained face, and her eyes hardened. She ripped her hand out of my grip.

"That is none of your business," she said cruelly. "You just act like your sister. Keep your mouth shut and do what he says."

"But what if he knows?" I pleaded, a tear finally slipping down my cheek.

"The minute Julian finds out you are not Serena, he will kill you," my mother said, her voice dropping to a harsh whisper. "And when he does, we will throw you under the bus. We will tell him you did this all on your own out of jealousy. You are entirely on your own, Lauren."

She stepped back. The golden doors of the elevator slid shut, sealing me inside.

The cab began to rise, its mechanical hum vibrating through my designer heels. The reality of my situation finally dawned on me. The numbers on the digital display climbed higher and higher.

I was going up to the penthouse. I was supposed to be married to the ruthless, bloodthirsty Julian Cross from that moment onward.

Another single tear slipped down my face as I rode up to meet my monster.