CHAPTER SIX

Later that same morning…

The soft click of the bedroom door echoed through the room as Adrian left for work.

Natalie stood motionless beside the bed, listening to the sound of his footsteps fade farther and farther down the hallway until the mansion became completely silent.

Only then did she let out the breath she hadn't realized she had been holding.

Her eyes drifted to the bedside table where the phone had been on.

And how a few minutes earlier, it had carried a voice that threatened to destroy everything she had begun to hope for.

Slowly, Natalie sat on the edge of the bed and wrapped her arms around herself.

The conversation replayed in her mind for what felt like the hundredth time.

"Adriii, baby… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have run away."

"Please tell me you forgive me."

"I'll apologize to Papa too… Please just let me come back home."

Natalie squeezed her eyes shut.

"No…"

The whisper escaped before she could stop it.

"It couldn’t be Maria."

She opened her eyes again and stared blankly at the expensive carpet beneath her feet.

She didn't know Maria, She had never met her, Never heard her laugh…She didn't even know what her voice sounded like.

Maybe…

Maybe it really had been another woman.

Adrian was handsome, wealthy, and influential. Surely someone like him must have had admirers before the arranged marriage.

Perhaps it had been an old girlfriend.

Or someone who refused to accept that he was married.

Maybe the caller had even dialed the wrong number.

Natalie clung desperately to every delusions she could think of.

Anything.

Anything except the truth she feared most.

But no matter how hard she tried to convince herself…

One sentence refused to leave her mind.

"I'll apologize to Papa too."

Natalie's heartbeat slowed.

She stared toward the window, her expression gradually becoming troubled.

"Papa…"

Most people said "Dad."

Some said "Father."

Very few called their parents "Papa."

How many women could possibly be referring to Mr. Daves that way?

Her stomach twisted painfully.

She stood and wandered toward the floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the Lewis estate.

Outside, the morning sun bathed the gardens in a warm golden glow.

Gardeners carefully trimmed bushes into perfect shapes.

Housemaids crossed the courtyard carrying fresh flowers for the mansion.

A fountain sparkled peacefully beneath the sunlight.

Everything looked calm, Yet Natalie couldn't shake the feeling that something was slowly making its way toward her.

Something she couldn't stop.

She rested her forehead against the cool glass.

"If she really is coming back…"

Her voice was barely audible.

"...then none of this was ever mine."

She looked around the luxurious bedroom.

The king-sized bed, The elegant furniture, The designer dresses hanging inside the wardrobe.

Even the diamond wedding ring resting on her finger.

None of it belonged to Natalie

It belonged to Maria Daves.

A bitter smile curved across her lips.

"What was I thinking?"

For one beautiful night…

She had allowed herself to imagine that this life could truly become hers.

That perhaps she could stay here.

That perhaps Adrian's kindness wasn't simply meant for the woman he believed she was.

She had even begun to enjoy hearing him call her his wife.

The realization made her chest ache.

She closed her eyes and took a slow, steady breath.

"No."

She straightened her shoulders and looked at her reflection in the window.

"I don't know if that was Maria."

"And until I know the truth…"

"I can't let fear ruin everything."

The woman staring back at her still looked uncertain.

Still looked frightened.

But beneath the fear…

A quiet determination was beginning to take shape.

If she wanted to survive inside the Lewis mansion…

She had to become Maria Daves, Not tomorrow, Not next week, Today.

A gentle knock interrupted her thoughts.

"Mrs. Lewis?"

Natalie quickly composed herself.

"Come in."

The bedroom door opened, revealing an elegant woman in her late fifties dressed in a perfectly pressed housekeeper's uniform.

She smiled warmly.

"Good morning, Madam. I hope you rested well."

Natalie returned the smile, though it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"I did. Thank you."

The woman inclined her head politely.

"My name is Mrs. Carter. I've served the Lewis family for over twenty years."

She held a leather planner against her chest.

"I've come to help you with today's schedule."

Natalie blinked.

"My… schedule?"

Mrs. Carter looked mildly surprised.

"Of course."

"Mrs. Lewis has many responsibilities."

Natalie's heart skipped.

She had been so focused on pretending to be Maria that she had forgotten something important.

Being Maria wasn't just about looking like her.

It meant living her life.

And Natalie knew absolutely nothing about it.

The realization settled heavily on Natalie's shoulders.

Mrs. Carter opened the leather planner in her hands.

"I've taken the liberty of postponing a few engagements since yesterday was... rather eventful," she said gently. "Still, there are a number of matters that require your attention."

Natalie forced herself to smile.

"I'm afraid my memory is still a little foggy."

"So Mr. Lewis mentioned," Mrs. Carter replied kindly. "The doctor said temporary memory lapses can happen after severe emotional stress. Please don't pressure yourself. We'll help you remember."

Relief washed over Natalie.

At least Adrian had already given the household an explanation for her strange behaviour.

"Thank you," she said sincerely.

Mrs. Carter glanced down at the planner.

"This afternoon, the Lewis Charity Foundation will be sending over documents requiring your approval. You've always taken a personal interest in their children's education program."

Natalie nodded slowly, hoping she didn't look as lost as she felt.

"There is also a board dinner tomorrow evening. Nothing for you to worry about today, but I thought you should know in advance."

"I appreciate that."

"And Lady Eleanor Lewis will be visiting this weekend."

Natalie frowned slightly.

"Lady... Eleanor?"

"Mr. Lewis's grandmother."

Mrs. Carter chuckled softly.

"You've always admitted she intimidates you a little."

Natalie's heart skipped.

"Have I?"

"Oh yes. Though she has always been fond of you."

Natalie managed a weak laugh.

"I'll... keep that in mind."

Mrs. Carter closed the planner before walking toward the dressing room.

"I also thought it might help if I showed you a few personal things. Sometimes familiar surroundings help recover memories."

Natalie followed quietly.

The dressing room was larger than the bedroom she had slept in at the orphanage.

Rows of designer dresses were arranged by colour. Shelves displayed handbags worth more than anything Natalie had ever owned. Shoes sat neatly beneath soft lighting, while jewellery sparkled behind a glass cabinet.

Mrs. Carter smiled.

"You've always loved fashion."

Natalie looked around in amazement.

"I can see that."

The housekeeper walked over to a nearby shelf and picked up several leather-bound photo albums.

"These may help."

She placed them gently on a small reading table.

"Take your time looking through them. If anything begins to come back to you, let me know."

"I will."

After Mrs. Carter excused herself, silence returned to the room.

Natalie slowly opened the first album.

A little girl in an elegant white dress smiled brightly from the first page.

Maria.

The resemblance stole Natalie's breath.

It was like looking at a childhood photograph of herself... except it wasn't.

She turned another page.

Birthday parties.

Family vacations.

Horse riding lessons.

Private schools.

Charity galas.

Every photograph showed Maria surrounded by people who loved her.

Every photograph reminded Natalie of everything she had never had.

She had no birthday albums.

No family holidays.

No parents smiling proudly beside her.

The orphanage owned only one old camera, and even then, photographs were rare.

Natalie gently traced a fingertip across one of the pictures.

"So..."

She swallowed.

"This is the life you lived."

A strange feeling settled inside her chest.

It wasn't jealousy, rather it was grief.

Grief for a childhood she never got to experience.

Her eyes lingered on another photograph.

Maria looked about eight years old, standing between Mr. and Mrs. Daves with a wide smile on her face.

Natalie tilted her head.

"...Why do we look exactly alike?"

She had asked herself the question before.

Now, surrounded by these photographs, it felt impossible to ignore.

Could it really be nothing more than coincidence?

Or...

Was there something much bigger that no one had told either of them?

She closed the album slowly.

"I need to get answers… but how."

At that very moment, miles away from the Lewis estate, a luxury taxi rolled through the busy streets of Panilton.

Inside the back seat sat a young woman wearing oversized sunglasses and an expensive cream-coloured coat.

Maria Daves.

She stared silently out of the window, her expression being unreadable.

The driver glanced at her through the rear-view mirror.

"Home, Miss Daves?"

Maria remained quiet for a moment before shaking her head.

"No."

She smiled faintly.

"Take me to the Grand Imperial Hotel."

The driver looked surprised but nodded.

"Yes, Miss."

Maria leaned back in her seat.

She had no intention of returning to the Daves mansion.

Not yet.

The phone call that morning had confirmed one thing.

Someone had answered Adrian's phone.

A woman.

Maria's fingers tightened around her handbag.

Whoever she was...

She had spent the night with Adrian.

A slow smile spread across Maria's lips, though there was no warmth in it.

"Before I go home..."

She gazed out at the passing city.

"...I want to find out who married Adrian Lewis."

The taxi disappeared into the afternoon traffic, carrying with it the woman whose return would soon unravel every lie Natalie had desperately tried to protect.