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 one of her ploys to deny being the woman that she is?
I really can not deny the fact that she is different. Or perhaps, something has changed about her. Almost everything about her but I won't fall for her stupid trick of claiming to be someone else that she isn't.
Mrs. Moore's sobs fill the air while her husband's hand stays by his side instead of patting the woman in consolation.
Suddenly, she disengages from him and rushes to Andre's side. "How dare you?!"
Andre's eyes bulge open as she begins to shake her head gently at first until a tear drops from her eyes. "I am not Andre, ma'am", she admits softly.
I am immune to women's tears. But now, seeing a drop of tears makes me feel my stomach churning.
Is this guilt or what the hell is this?
Besides, I have never seen Andre in tears before. She must be faking it. She wants to keep up with this till the end.
"What?!" The woman exclaims sharply, the absence of her sobs filling me with a sense of peace.
I muse darkly, not ready to fall for her shits as I watch the drama of denial between her and her mother.
"He mistook me for your daughter", she lifts her gaze to meet mine then turns away quickly, fear consuming her probably because of my icy stare or because of the anger filling me up at the open denial again. "I am Jasmine Cooper. I have never been to New York City all my life. My parents are dead since I was little and I have stayed all my life in Chicago, doing one menial job or the other to survive."
No one is interrupting her. Not even her Father like I am thinking he will. As for me, the shot of adrenaline running down my spine isn't allowing me to say a word as I fold my arms, trying so hard not to do something rash.
With a melodramatic sigh, she continues, her eyes never leaving the woman who has shock running through her at the information. "I see no reason why I would deny being Andre when I can enjoy all of this luxury that I wasn't born with. I am not Andre, I've been saying this since he abducted me away from Chicago but he wouldn't believe me", she sniffs and I glare at her coldly.
"Abduct?" I scoff irritably. "Is that the word for what I did?"
She does not answer. She is also avoiding my gaze.
Nobody is saying a word. I have a lot to say to her but not here. She keeps annoying the shit out of me with every word that comes out of her mouth. She knows how much I hate people who pretend, yet she is doing this; pretending to be who she isn't.
It doesn't even suit her personality. The Andre I know is one crazy being that would never shed a tear or sound pathetic like this. She has a loud voice too, especially when she is unnerved but now she is talking too calmly for my liking, perhaps to make me feel guilty.
Mrs. Moore stares back at her husband whose face is blank. Within a split second, she faces Andre squarely and begins to roll up the hands of her dress as fast as possible.
I smirk.
That was the exact same thing I did.
There is nothing anyone can say or do to convince me that this isn't Andre. She is the one.
Andre Moore.
And she is going to suffer for her mistakes.
"We are getting married tomorrow at the registry", I say the moment her mother sets eyes on the baby tattoo on her arm. It's still there.
That is the second out of the numerous pieces of evidence that it is Andre. Andre can continue to deny it all she wants but I know the truth and I am sure her mother knows too.
"What?!" she proclaims, whirling round abruptly to face me. "Why the rush? We haven't even confirmed if what she is saying is the truth or not."
"I don't care", I shrug nonchalantly. I really do not care. "I won't let what happened months ago happen again. She has to remedy the situation and…"
"This isn't Andre, Xavier", Mr. Moore declares, interrupting me from going further. I sigh angrily before turning to him. I was expecting this but not from him. I expect Mrs. Moore to deny her being Andre but not him.
"Don't tell me you are falling for her tactics…."
"I know my child, Xavier. This isn't her!" he affirms with confidence, her gaze unwavering. This man has always been afraid of me but tonight, I can't see that fear.
Andre is the only person in this vicinity who doesn't get scared of me, but now the reverse is the case. She is scared of me and her father isn't.
Isn't this interesting?
"How then", I dip my hands into my pockets and stalk forward towards him with an amusing smile. "Will you explain the striking resemblance between this so-called Jasmine Cooper and Andre Moore, your supposed daughter? What about the tattoo? Andre is your only daughter, isn't she?"
I stop in front of him, my eyes fixated on him, searching for a weakness to dwell upon.
"Andre is my only daughter but she isn't her. You know Andre so well, she isn't like this. She…"
"Spare me the bullshit!" I shout angrily, my hands flying into the air as he blinks nervously, the fear I have been expecting coming back to take the position in his eyes. "I am not in the mood to bicker words with you, Nicholas. I should have known you would do everything possible to protect this crazy daughter of yours from me but mind you, I am not letting go this time. We are getting married at the registry tomorrow whether you like it or not!"
Without waiting for a reply, I twirl back and walk to where Andre is standing rigidly like a statue watching the drama between her father and me. This is one of the reasons why she defies me. Before she agreed to marry me, she made me promise to respect her father after the marriage and I promised.
After the marriage tomorrow, I will begin to fulfill my promise but for now, he is nothing but a jerk for wanting to protect her from me after all the humiliation she made me go through.
I grab Andre's cold hands, sending another hint to my mind about her usual warm hands but I ignore it and practically drag her with me to the door.
"See you at the registry tomorrow, Nicholas", I say out loud enough for him to hear without stopping as the man at the door shoves the door open to allow Andre and I out of the house she will never step foot in ever again.
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
Jasmine's POV She looked convinced.I'm sure she was convinced when she saw my strange hair, unlike the devil who wouldn't be moved a bit towards being convinced that I am not her.He is too blinded by obsession and revenge to see the truth.Relief washed through me when Mrs Moore ran off after a tear rolled down her eyes. Even though, I was hoping the conversation would take a new turn and she would ask me questions out of curiosity but she left.Mr Moore is my next target now. That man knows I am not her. He was so sure I wasn't Andre.I need to see him. We need to talk.Maybe that will change everything. Maybe this is an opportunity for the devil to realize his mistake before he fixes another date for the wedding.The fact that I was able to convince Mrs Moore a little today has made me feel so happy about the wedding postponement. This means everything will work in my favor and I will be out of here pretty soon.Wanting to distract myself, I move away slowly from the bed and appr
Xavier's POV She looks like she is going to faint soon. Her face goes pale and white as she continues to watch me with her hands around her mouth and her eyes bulging wide open.I can vow that this isn't the first time she is seeing a man naked so I wonder why the overreaction.Andre is known for her wild lifestyle.Suddenly, it hits me.I am dealing with a different person now. There is a high possibility that this is not Andre but someone else who looks just like her.It's hard to believe but I am giving it a chance even though nothing is changing about us pushing through with the wedding. I won't let my guard down. I won't be tricked again until another person is produced as Andre. This is when I will be fully sure that the woman before me who seems innocent and naive, unlike the fiery, strong-headed woman who left me at the altar months ago, is different.When she isn't moving or batting her eyes, I decide to cover up. I grab a towel from the stand and wrap it around my waist.I