Xavier's POV
Confusion clouds my mind as I stare at Andre with white hair beneath me. Andre doesn't have white hair, she is red-haired.
Where the hell did she get this hair color from?
She is still struggling to cover her hair with the wig when I stopped her. My hand firmly on her, locking her to the bed while I sit above her, my brows creased in wonderment.
Is this part of her trick to get me off the track? When I first saw her in Chicago, I knew instantly that she had changed her hair color. I thought she just dyed her red hair back to black and also her personality so I wouldn't recognize her but I did.
But seeing that the black hair is nothing but a wig and that the real hair is white is making me more puzzled.
I know Andre can go to any length to get what she wants. She wants to escape my wrath forever but I won't let that happen.
Now that she is here, I won't let her slip away like I once allowed it. I am going to make life a living hell for her, not only because she humiliated me but also because she keeps lying and pretending to be someone else.
Jasmine my foot!
How the hell did she know that we are back in New York? She claimed never to have been in New York but she was quick to figure out that we left Chicago for New York.
I am not a dumbass!
Every other piece of evidence is pointing to the fact that she is Andre, not some fucking Jasmine. She has that tattoo, she has the same face so what else do I need to be sure it's her?
Nothing.
I don't need any more evidence. She is Andre and I won't let her deceive me.
A knock resounds right outside the door jerking me out of her reverie. I step down from the bed quickly, my gaze riveting back to the hair which I find strange.
I have never seen anyone with white hair before and I wonder how she did this.
Before the door can open, she sits upright in bed and quickly puts on the wig to hide her white hair.
The door opens and two maids come in. I turn to them and they bow. One of them is holding a tray of food and the other is holding a bundle of clothes.
I called her parents last night to tell them that I have a surprise for them. I intended to take her to her parent's mansion today but now I feel like making it some other day.
I take a last look at her and brush past the maids to take the exit out, my mind jumbled and a lot of questions popping up in my mind.
Is this really Andre? Why has she suddenly turned meek like a dove? Why does she look nervous all the time? Why does she have white hair instead of red hair?
I ignore the greetings of the maids I come across on my way to the bar. I don't get what is happening and I really need to find my answers as soon as possible.
As soon as I get to the bar, I put out a stool and grab a bottle of wine when an idea strikes me.
I drop the bottle of wine and stand back up to fish out my phone from my pants pocket. I am wearing black pants with a t-shirt.
I dial Mr. Moore's number instantly, my mind going back to how our story started.
Mr. Morre is a business partner. He used to be amongst the shareholders of my father's company and he had the lowest shares in the company.
His daughter, Andre, is red-haired. We met at a party and I won't say we started on the right foot. She poured her wine on me and humiliated me at the party. She was rude and abusive and I vowed to deal with her.
She didn't know who I was, but even after she knew I was one of the youngest billionaires in the city, that didn't stop her from insulting me each time our paths crossed.
As fate would have it, she was Mr. Moore's only daughter. Her father needed my help and I took advantage of him. I struck an offer with him and he concurred without a second thought.
I wanted Andre to be my wife but she kicked against it. I made her father do the talking. I don't know how he did it but she made me believe her father was the one who persuaded her to agree to marry me
All I wanted was revenge for the humiliation but what I got was more humiliation.
"Xavier?" His loud voice pulls me out of my thoughts. "How do you do, son?"
"Is Andre a twin?!" I demand impatiently. This can be the only explanation for the striking resemblances and the few differences.
Apart from this, then there is nothing more to say. Being a twin is the only thing that can convince me that this white-haired woman is not Andre.
"What? A twin? Of course not", he answers quietly and falls silent, then he gasps. "Have you seen her? Have you found my baby?"
When Andre went missing, I was so sure her parents were hiding her. But after placing them on surveillance for two weeks, it was clear that they had no idea of her whereabouts too.
We have been searching for her for eleven months. Anytime we find her, she always manages to slip away like a thief in the dead of the night.
We found her twice.
Once in the UK and once in London.
"I haven't found her. I will visit you tonight."
"Xavier, are you…."
I cut him short by hanging up the call. That answers it. Andre isn't a twin but the puzzle has not been solved yet.
This white-haired woman is either related to Andre or is Andre. The more I try to think about it, the more convinced I am that this woman is Andre and that she is just pretending.
But I want to give her the benefit of the doubt.
If she isn't Andre, then Andre will come out from wherever she must be hiding to come to save her look-alike if she has a conscience at all.
If this is Andre, this is part of the punishment for the humiliation she has caused me and my family.
I don't care if anyone gets hurt in the process. My ego was bruised and it needs to be healed.
The same thing she ran away from is what she has come back to. She is going to go through with this till the very end.
I don't care who she is. All I know is that this woman right under my roof and nose is Andre, the woman who ran away and left me standing in the aisle on the day we were supposed to get married.
I stand up abruptly, dropping my phone on the bar counter before taking long strides back the way I came.
I don't have a conscience anymore. People don't step on my toes because I don't forgive that easily.
Andre didn't offend me once or twice. She deserves whatever comes her way.
We are still going to visit Mr. Moore, he needs to identify her but I don't really care whether they tell me she is Andre or not. They would want to protect her from me. I just want to do that out of courtesy.
The door to her room opens before I can get close and the two maids come out. I ignore them and enter the room before slamming the door shut to signify her of my presence.
She is sitting down on the edge of the bed with her head bowed. She hoists her head up the moment I slammed the door shut and our eyes interlock.
"Get ready, we are visiting your parents in an hour and we are getting married at the registry tomorrow."
She seems confused for a while as if she is trying to process what I am wrong. Suddenly, she exclaims in a loud voice. "No."
She shakes her head intermittently, pleading with me with her eyes as she sinks to the floor in despair.
I whirl around and leave the room with a big smile on my face.
Jasmine's POV Staring at the sensual outline of his mouth in a full-blown level of curiosity is my newfound habit since we left the huge mansion where he kept me locked all day.I keep asking myself what he stands to gain. I keep asking if this is just a ploy to get me kidnapped forever or if he is really honest about mistaking me for some Andre Moore whom he is obviously obsessed with.He is good-looking despite his dark look. His blue eyes are unique and his voice sends chills down my spine.How can a woman run away from a man like this? Is it because of his sinful handsomeness or is there more to it?I am scared of him but I am not tired of watching him despite being unable to find any answers.A part of me wants to be assured that everything is going to be fine once we get to the house we are headed to. Andre's parents will definitely know I am not her. Then I can be free.Even though I hated the life I was living, this new life here in New York City isn't too promising for me to
Xavier's POV Pulling in a sharp breath, a surge of relief fills me up as I lift my gaze to meet with the brown-eyed woman lying through her teeth. I expect to see fear and surrender in her eyes but instead, her eyes are deeply disturbing, leaving me with only one option left to clear up this misunderstanding.Her hair.That confusing stupid white hair."Andre?" Mr Moore calls out from behind his wife leaving me with no choice but to turn away from the lying bitch.Mrs. Moore also turns back to her husband and runs into his arms as she tearfully blurts out. "My child, Nicholas. My child is here.""Andre?" Mr. Moore's eyes do not leave hers as I observe a flash of disapproval and doubt in his bright eyes. My eyes fly to Andre's. Her lips are trembling and her eyes are teary. She isn't rushing to embrace the life out of her father like I am thinking she would do when she sees him.Is this because she is still mad at him for forcing her to walk down the aisles with me? Or is this just o
Jasmine's POV Crying was never the plan but I can't help it as I push down the choking tide of panic building in me.This isn't happening.Right before my eyes, my life has been stamped upon and I feel helpless. What can I do when the parents can't even recognize their own child?They seem to be scared of him too, just like I am.Who is this man? A devil incarnate?My body shakes with extreme fear as a sob escapes me and before I know it, I begin to cry loudly.It is actually satisfying crying here. I guess it is making the reality dawn on me that I am in a huge mess, not just because I have been kidnapped but also because I would be married off to this evil man tomorrow morning.I can't seem to think of anything else to say to him to convince him that I am not her. Is he blind? Is he stupid to have mistaken me for her? Is this how much he is obsessed with her that he would do anything to satisfy his stupid ego?The soft texture of the car's leather seat isn't going to console me as
Xavier's POV There was a reason why I never forgot or forgave Andre. Her eyes. Those brown eyes which have haunted my dreams for months with mocking expressions and a sense of defeat. It fills me with rage and humiliation. But I can't seem to figure out why the shade of her eyes is different now. Her eyes were always twinkling with mocking amusement that I can never forget. Aside from that, they were always cold with hatred making me wonder just what she wants in a man that I don't have. But the woman before me has a different countenance that is making confusion cloud my mind. There is no amusement whatsoever or cold expression, all I can see is an angry flush. Andre would never flush for me. She hates me with passion. Actually, I thought we were beginning to get along well before the wedding but her fleeing proved me wrong. It was all a facade to make me believe she was interested in the marriage as much as I wanted it. She hated me and that made me hate her in return. I h
Jasmine's POV Despair fills me even in my dreams, making me wake up with a start and a frustrated cry for help.Unfortunately, when my eyes open up, I still find myself in the room, the prison he has locked me in since we got to New York.I have tried. Tried to think of a solution. Every problem has a solution, doesn't it? That's what I was made to believe but not anymore. This problem before me seems to have no solution. I am stuck here for life.I have cried too. And I am tired of crying.My head is still banging from the series of crying sessions I had in his car before he sent me home and even after we got to his mansion.I sit upright, noticing that I am still in my dress. My eyes scan the room until it falls on the meal on the stool before my bed. The maid had brought me dinner before I fell asleep.I am not hungry. I just want to leave this place. I want to go back to Chicago. I want to go back to my previous life. This life is definitely not one I have envisioned for myself.
Xavier's POV A loud shrill of fright leaves my mouth as I struggle in my sleep and finally flicker my eyes open to see I am in my room. I am wet all over and my breathing is hard. Instinctively, I sit upright on the bed with my gaze forward as I think over the dream again. I thought I had gotten over it. It's been a while since I had that dream but now it is back. This dream has haunted me for years and now it is back. Why? A fresh toxic stab of guilt consumes me immediately and I drag a hand through my hair with my eyes closed and my teeth gritting each other. Suddenly, a sharp pain hits me. I open my eyes as soon as I drop my hand from my hair wondering where the pain is coming from. Then my eyes fall on the bandage on my shoulder. My right shoulder. The memories come rushing too instantly. I was shot on my way back from the club. Did I pass out? Who is behind this? What is happening? Hurriedly, I step down from the massive bed ignoring the weakness in my body and the pai
Jasmine's POVThe question of whether I am still going to get married to this man or not hangs in the air surrounding me with the horrible feeling I felt the very first time he announced the wedding.That was just yesterday but it feels like a month already.I was worried sick about his wounds. I kept tossing in bed and hoping nothing would happen to him overnight. Seeing him this morning looking just like his usual self makes me relieved and surprised about who this man really is.He does not look like someone who was on the brink of death just last night. The evidence of the shot was the well-bandaged arm. If not for that, I would have thought a miracle had happened overnight.My stomach rumbles immediately and I decide to summon up the courage to step out. Usually, breakfast is brought to me before I even wake up but today is different.Today is supposed to be our wedding. A wedding between two strangers with no direction. No sense of where their lives are going.I wonder how my li
Xavier's POV Uncaring about the state I met him, I grab his throat, digging my fingers into him as his already swollen face becomes red. My first instinct is to make sure his veins pop out but in the remembrance of my decision to give him a slow torturous death, I let go of him, making him cough and take in as much air as he can.I trust Antonio to always do the right thing. The bastard's state is enough to make me reward Antonio but that will be later.I need to know who sent him. I need to know where he came from.He doesn't look familiar. He doesn't look like someone who is from one of the opposing groups. Antonio says he has refused to say a word despite the beatings.Ignoring his blood-stained clothes and his bleeding mouth, I roll up the sleeves of my shirt, extending my unhurt hand to Phillip who is the closest to me.He places an ice pick in my hand and I am about to get to work when the idiot begins to scream, shaking vigorously and bawling his eyes out.His expression is