Chapter 1

I heard my father sigh inside the study.

“If Kira is the one you want, then tell Roxy. You don’t have to keep doing this.”

Aiden shook his head.

“Kira is wonderful. She’s bright, full of life, and she nearly died saving me. But the Hartwell Group needs a steady, levelheaded woman at my side, and Roxy is perfect for that. Besides, they share one body. I won’t abandon either of them.”

“Those eighteen accidents were the only way to keep postponing the wedding until Kira woke. A wedding and my heart are all I can give her.”

His heart?

The words cut straight through me.

Everything I had endured over the past six months had been part of Aiden’s plan to give my sister a wedding.

The first time, the brakes on my car had failed. Another time, I had fallen from a yacht and nearly drowned. Aiden had known exactly where I would be before every accident. Afterward, he had always been the first to find me, carry me into the hospital, and sit beside my bed promising me another wedding.

My parents had probably known all along. They had helped him lie to me.

They all loved Kira more.

No wonder I always woke during the coldest months of fall and winter, even though I had told them I hated winter. Kira got the warmth of spring and summer instead.

No wonder I spent every fall and winter studying until dawn, entering competitions, completing internships, and earning every honor attached to our shared identity. The most important exams and deadlines usually fell during Kira’s half of the year, so my parents pushed me to secure scholarships and admission offers in advance, sparing her from taking the exams herself.

I did the work in winter. Kira reaped the rewards in spring.

My chest ached so badly I could barely breathe.

They had betrayed me long before I ever found out.

I wiped away my tears, steadied my breathing, and left the house without making a sound.

By the time I returned to the hospital, I was calm again.

Aiden arrived that afternoon carrying my favorite white roses.

He adjusted the pillows behind me, then read through every page of my chart and test results.

“The doctor says you’re still very weak. You won’t have the strength to make it through the wedding,” he said gently. “We’ll have to postpone the wedding.”

He brushed the loose hair from my face. His touch was as tender as ever.

I looked into the eyes I had once trusted more than my own and forced myself not to pull away.

“All right.”

Aiden’s hand paused against my cheek.

“You’re not going to argue?”

Once, I would have insisted on going through with the wedding no matter how weak I was. After eighteen postponements, I would never have given him another excuse.

Now I only gave him a faint smile.

“If you think postponing it is best, then we’ll postpone it.”

Relief crossed his face. He bent down and kissed my forehead.

“I knew you would understand. Once you recover, we’ll choose another date.”

He had no idea I had heard the truth. He had no idea there would never be a next time.

That evening, an assistant brought me dinner.

I took one bite without thinking. Within seconds, my throat swelled shut and the spoon slipped from my fingers. I collapsed on the hospital bed, struggling to breathe, and the room erupted into chaos.

“She has a severe chestnut allergy. Get the epinephrine now!”

The assistant went pale.

“That’s impossible. Mr. Hartwell said Miss Blackwood loved chestnut cream.”

A tear slid from the corner of my eye.

Kira loved chestnuts. I was severely allergic to them.

We shared one body, but our souls were different, and the body reacted differently depending on which of us was in control.

During my half of the year, chestnuts had never appeared on our family’s table. Aiden used to inspect every dessert himself before placing it in front of me.

Now even he could no longer remember which preferences belonged to me.

Fine. As he wished.

In three days, I would fall asleep forever.

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