•RAFAEL•
“Why is she here, Rafael?” Polly asked after pulling me aside during lunch with Narra. “I married her. She’s my wife. That’s why she’s here.” “Your wife? Are you crazy? After what her father did to our family, you married her daughter? Why?” She frowned. “I know what I’m doing, and I have a plan. You must trust me, Polly.” “God, no. You must get rid of her before I do something to her because I won’t tolerate this. Her father took everything from us. He ruined our lives.” “Narra Colombo is our key.” Polly looked at me and scoffed. “You better not sleep with her, or I will drive a knife into her pussy while you watch,” she snarled before she walked away. I shook my head and went to the dining room, and found Narra clearing the table. She stopped and turned around when she heard me approaching behind her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend your sister. Is she mad at me?” She asked. “No, she’s okay. Next time I invite you for lunch with her, keep your mouth shut and remember your place.” She nodded before she took the plates and left the room. My sister Polly was stubborn and wouldn’t listen to anything I would say about my marriage to Narra. She wouldn’t even understand why I married Narra. My cell phone rang when I got to my home office. I sat in the chair behind my desk and leaned back. “Sir, we’ve received the stock from Montelli, and he will expect to see you at his club. Tonight at 8 PM.” I hung up the call and informed my men to be ready at 8 PM. I didn’t want to be unprepared for the meeting when Montelli might have planned something against me. *** “Are you going to show me off to your business associates so they will laugh at me?” She asked when the car drove to a stop outside Montelli’s nightclub. “You’re here because Montelli knows we got married a few days ago, and I want him to meet you.” “Your sister told me I don’t belong in your home because of what my father did. Is it the money that he owed you?” I looked at her and scoffed. “Let’s go inside. I hate being late to my meetings.” I hopped out of the car and opened the door for her. When we walked in, a bouncer directed us to Montelli’s VIP room. There were strippers, waiters, and drinks inside. Narra asked to use the bathroom while I sat with Montelli and concluded our business. My bodyguard placed the briefcase of cash on the counter, and Montelli’s men counted the money. When they were done and confirmed it was all there, Montelli and I stood up from our chairs and shook hands. “You are a good businessman, Sterling. Hopefully, we will work on more projects together. I am particularly interested in the new logistics business you’ve established. Think about it, and I might chip in a good amount of investment.” “We will talk, Montelli,” I smirked before I turned around and walked down the stairs to the ground floor, and that’s when I saw her. “Let me go, Chris. Let me go,” she mumbled as I approached them and grabbed the guy by his shirt. “You heard her, boy. Leave her alone unless you want me to break your legs,” I threatened him, pissed that he dared to approach her while she was with me. “You will break my legs?” He laughed. “Did she tell you she was moaning my name two weeks ago? Aneira is mine.” ‘Aneira?’ I thought as I looked at her, confused because Narra’s mother told me that Aneira died a week before Narra and I got married. “He’s mistaking me for my late sister. I don’t know him, Rafael. Please, let’s leave this place.” She looked at me, and I turned and looked at the guy before I let him go with a warning. When we got inside the car, I pressed my hand on my thigh, fighting the urge to call Jaxson to sort out the guy at the club. For his sake, I hoped I would never bump into him ever again, or he would be a dead man. When we got home, I closed the door behind Narra before I pushed her against the wall and placed my hand on her neck. “Were you involved with him before?” “No, Rafael. I don’t — I don’t know him.” She was panting, her forehead sweating as she looked at me in horror. “He called you Aneira.” “Aneira’s my late twin sister. We looked alike, and the guy thought I was her. He doesn’t know that my sister had died. You must believe me.” “Fine,” I released my grip on her neck. “You’re my wife, and I don’t want to see another man speaking to you or even looking at you. Do you understand?” She nodded before she hurried past me and went to her room down the hallway. She was sniffling when she disappeared into the hallway. *** Later that evening, after dinner, I headed upstairs to my room when I heard a commotion down the hallway. “You’re clumsy and ugly. My brother can never be your husband, even in your grave. Do you hear me? This whole charade will be over soon when I make him see he can’t be married to the daughter of our enemy.” “Why do you hate me? What have I done to you and your brother?” “You shouldn’t be here, bastard!” “Polly, ahh!” Narra screamed after I heard a slap. I rushed to them and got shocked when I found Polly cornering Narra, who had her hand on her cheek. “Polly, what’s going on here?” “This thing shouldn’t be here, Rafael. When is she leaving?” I grabbed Narra’s hand and stood in front of her. “Don’t lay your hand on her again, little sister. Do you hear me? Narra is my wife, and I will handle my marriage with her the way I want.” “I see,” she scoffed. “If she doesn’t raise our parents from the dead, she will join them,” she huffed before she walked away.•ANEIRA•“Why didn’t you tell me that Father killed Rafael’s parents, Mom? If you don’t get me out of here, Rafael and his sister will kill me. Please, you must get me out of here,” I whispered, talking on the phone with my mother.I kept pacing up and down in my room, ignoring the shooting pain in my ankle. I couldn’t sleep at night, thinking of everything Polly had said before she left.I had tried to call the hospital several times, but no one wanted to help me talk with my father. I was afraid that Polly would do what she said she would do.“If Narra were still alive, she wouldn’t be whining like a child. You shouldn’t call me at every inconvenience in your marriage. If Rafael’s sister wants to kill you, what do you want me to do?”“Mom?” My chest tightened. “How could you say something like that as if you’ve put no value into my life?”“You killed my daughter in cold blood and ended her life before she could achieve all her goals, and you want me to feel sorry for you?” She scoff
•ANEIRA•"This dress will look good on you, Narra. Rafael would be happy to see you in it, trust me." Sandra showed me the dresses as she placed them on the bed. "Whichever one you choose for me will be okay." I flashed her a faint smile, enough to show her I wasn't interested in pleasing Rafael. She looked at me and sighed. She leaned toward me and took my hands into hers. "I know this is hard on you, but Rafael is your husband, and there's no other way to win his heart if you don't be yourself and accept your new life with him." "Which dress am I wearing?" I slipped my hands from hers and stepped back.She gave me a blue mermaid dress and fixed my hair when I finished dressing up. When she had finished getting me ready for Rafael's business conference, someone knocked on the door. Sandra rushed to the door and opened it, and when she saw Rafael, she bowed and stood aside, letting Rafael inside the room. I rolled my eyes and sighed. If only someone could drive a knife through m
•RAFAEL•“Why is she here, Rafael?” Polly asked after pulling me aside during lunch with Narra.“I married her. She’s my wife. That’s why she’s here.”“Your wife? Are you crazy? After what her father did to our family, you married her daughter? Why?” She frowned.“I know what I’m doing, and I have a plan. You must trust me, Polly.”“God, no. You must get rid of her before I do something to her because I won’t tolerate this. Her father took everything from us. He ruined our lives.”“Narra Colombo is our key.”Polly looked at me and scoffed. “You better not sleep with her, or I will drive a knife into her pussy while you watch,” she snarled before she walked away.I shook my head and went to the dining room, and found Narra clearing the table. She stopped and turned around when she heard me approaching behind her.“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend your sister. Is she mad at me?” She asked.“No, she’s okay. Next time I invite you for lunch with her, keep your mouth shut and remember yo
•ANEIRA•In the car from the wedding, Rafael looked out the window and barely looked at me. I didn't even know what his relationship with my sister was like, but when my mother told me he loved Narra, I thought he would be happy we were married. "Any plans for our honeymoon?" I glanced at him, hoping to lift the tension in the air. He looked at me, scoffed, and looked away. "I thought we talked about this, Narra. There will be no honeymoon and no party to celebrate our wedding. You're my wife on paper alone." He looked at me, causing my heart to race before he looked away. Though I wasn't in love with him, I wanted to put on a good show for my father so Rafael would pay for his hospital bills and cancel all the money that he owed him. But his response, which contradicted everything my mother had told me, confused me. I didn't even know he considered our marriage to be civil, with no intimacy. Although my mother had told me that marrying Rafael would have certain benefits, I thou
•ANEIRA•"Rafael Sterling doesn't know your sister died, so you must impersonate her. Can you do it?" My mother stared at me."Why wasn't he told?" I scoffed. "If this arrangement is to save my father and cancel his debt, shouldn't he know he's marrying me instead of Narra?" "He wanted Narra and loved her. How could he love you, Aneira?" She chuckled. “You think he’d want you now that your sister’s gone? But since you asked, I told him you were the one who had died in the accident. He’s probably going to express his sympathy.”I looked away as she brushed my hair, styling and preparing it for the wedding, which was in three hours.Since my mother had decided my fate and tied it to a man who had a history of being involved in illegal businesses, including selling weapons and drugs, it was better than holding on to a love that never existed. Chris broke my heart, and I still felt it aching at the thought of everything we had been through. The things we planned and wanted to do togethe
•ANEIRA•“I don’t want to marry Rafael Sterling, Mother. Chris has already asked me to marry him, and I agreed. I’ve been with him for two years, and I won’t throw that away!” I fumed as I took my jacket from the closet and dressed up.“You will marry him in honor of your late sister, Aneira. Or do I need to remind you that her death was your fault?” My mother leaned forward, snarling.I looked at her and wondered why she had always preferred my sister over me. Even in her death, she preferred Narra to me.Though Narra and I were the split image of each other, she always said she was the prettier twin and more elegant and delightful while I was the opposite.“The accident wasn’t my fault. Narra missed the stop sign because—”“Because of you!” She snapped. “Narra wouldn’t have had the accident if you hadn’t distracted her with your cell phone that fell on the floor. She died because of your negligence and stupidity. If you weren’t my daughter, I would’ve gotten you arrested for taking