chapter one

ELENA’S POV

I sat on the floor of my room, staring at the wall like it had all the answers to my ruined life;

My hands were trembling, my heart felt like a crushed piece of glass, and my eyes were swollen from crying all day,

How could they?

My life had been stolen from me in one night.

I hated them. Every single one of them, my mother, my father… and Aria. Especially Aria.

“How could she do this to me?” The one person I thought I could confide in.

The thought alone burned through my chest: My best friend teamed up with my mother to ruin my life;

They took away something I could never get back.

When I got home that morning, my mother didn’t even look me in the eye. She didn’t say a word. She just avoided me all day.

My phone kept buzzing with messages from Aria. I didn’t bother opening them. I didn’t want her apologies;

She could rot in hell for all I care.

A sharp knock shattered my silence.

Before I could respond, the door burst open.

“Elena!”

I flinched at the sound of my father’s voice.

He stormed into the room, his face red with anger,“What is wrong with you? Sitting here crying all day like your world ended!”

I stared at him, disbelief clogging my throat, “My world did end!” I snapped, my voice trembling.

His jaw tightened, “Enough! Stop acting like a child,” He snapped back.

“A child?” I shot up from the floor. “They drugged me and made me lose my virginity to a stranger because she wanted me to take Elara's place.”

Elara was my twin sister and we share the same face, but we couldn’t be more different. She’s bold, wild, and loves being the center of attention, while I’ve always preferred staying in the background, quiet and composed;

He glared at me. “She did what's best for our family. What’s done is done. Crying won’t change anything.”

I shook my head slowly, tears spilling again. “You… you don’t even care, do you?”

He folded his arms, his tone cold, “What I care about is this family. We are drowning, Elena. You sitting here and sulking won’t fix anything.”

My chest tightened.

“Aldric Harrison is already asking questions. If he finds out Elara is gone, we’re finished. Do you hear me? Finished!”

Aldric Harrison was the kind of man people feared before they even met him; cold, calculating, and ruthlessly precise in everything he did;

My sister was married to him like a business transaction. She willingly agreed to it to save our family from ruin because it was all her fault that the family business was in trouble in the first place.

For those three months of marriage, Elara faked happiness in front of everyone, including my parents, only to cry on my shoulders because of how miserable her life was in Aldric Harrison's arms; he only treated her like a trophy wife and an object of pleasure.

“No… how could you even…” I tried to protest

He slammed his hand on the table. “Enough! You’ll do as I say!”

I flinched at the sound and shook my head, tears flowing down my cheeks, “No, I won't”

He leaned closer, his voice low and dangerous. “You think you have a choice? You will move into Aldric’s mansion tomorrow. That's final. I'm sick of all these emotional games.”

I stared at him, horrified. “Dad…”

“You are Elara Harrison from now on,” he said in a final tone.

He grabbed a pair of scissors and a small case from his pocket and threw them onto my table.

“Cut your hair. Make it short. Like hers. Your mum will come with the dye,” he said sharply.

“And put these in.” He pointed to the contact lens case.

Elara dyes her hair honey-blonde and wears her confidence like perfume, loud and intoxicating. I keep mine chestnut brown, simple, untouched;

And we had different eye colours.

I swallowed hard, my vision blurring. “I can't believe you are doing this to me,” I whispered.

He didn’t even blink. “If that’s what it takes to keep us alive, so be it.”

With that, he turned and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

******************

The sound of my heart echoed louder than my footsteps as I stood before the massive iron gates of the Harrison mansion.

I drew a shaky breath and whispered under my breath, “You’re Elara Harrison now.”

The security guards bowed slightly when they saw me. “Welcome home, Mrs. Harrison.”

Home. The word made my stomach twist.

I forced a small smile, pretending I belonged here as the gates slowly opened, revealing the grand white mansion that looked more like a fortress than a home. Everything screamed power and intimidation, just like Aldric.

Thank God I've been here multiple times to see Elara. So it wouldn't be hard to flow along;

Inside, the housekeeper, a woman in her late fifties, hurried toward me.

“Mrs. Harrison, welcome back.”

Her voice was polite but hesitant, like she was studying me. I prayed she wouldn’t notice the subtle difference because she seemed to be the closest person to Elara in the mansion.

“Thank you, Mrs. Beatrice,” I replied, trying to sound composed.

She smiled faintly, “Mr. Harrison has already left for work, but he left you a note.”

My heart skipped, “A note?”

“Yes, ma’am.” She handed me a folded sheet of expensive stationery. “He said to prepare a special dinner tonight. His younger brother is back in the country after 10 years.”

“His… brother?” I repeated softly.

“Yes, ma’am,” Beatrice continued. “He also said to look beautiful for the evening.”

I forced a polite nod, “Of course.”

Inside, my thoughts spiraled. Great. More eyes on me.

The entire day was a blur of nerves;

Beatrice and the maids helped me set the dining hall, the chandeliers glittering like stars above the long mahogany table.

Every time someone called me “Mrs. Harrison,” I flinched inside.

When everything was finally ready, I went upstairs to change. I picked out a soft satin gown, something simple, elegant that Elara would wear.

I stood before the mirror, my reflection both familiar and foreign. My short honey blonde hair brushed just above my shoulders, styled neatly like hers.

The contacts itched my eyes, but I blinked through it, whispering, “Don’t mess this up.”

The sound of the front doors opening made my heart stop.

He was here.

I straightened my posture and walked down the stairs slowly with measured steps

Aldric Harrison stood in the middle of the living room, removing his suit jacket. His presence filled the space immediately, tall, commanding, and cold as ever;

His gray eyes lifted to meet mine, and I swore my heart forgot how to beat.

“Elara,” he said simply, his voice deep, smooth, and terrifyingly calm.

I managed a small smile. “Welcome home.”

He looked at me with that piercing gaze that could strip a person bare. My palms were sweating, but I held my ground.

He finally nodded, “You look different today.”

I froze. Different? My mind raced. Did he notice?

He tilted his head slightly, “In a good way.”

I released a shaky breath and forced a smile, “Thank you.”

Before I could say more, his voice softened just a little. “I want you to meet someone.”

He turned slightly, gesturing to the man who’d entered behind him.

And for a brief second, I forgot how to breathe.

The younger man was stunning. He shared Aldric’s sharp jawline and piercing eyes, but this one radiated effortless charm. His smile was confident. almost dangerous in its own way;

His hair was slightly longer, messier, falling perfectly into place without trying.

“Elara,” Aldric said, stepping beside him, “this is my younger brother, Adrian Harrison.”

Adrian’s gaze met mine, and for a heartbeat too long, neither of us looked away. His sea-green eyes seemed to see right through me.

He smiled slowly, the kind of smile that could melt resolve. “So you’re the famous Mrs. Harrison.”

I swallowed hard, forcing my lips into a polite curve. “Nice to meet you, Mr Adrian Harrison.”

He held onto my hands and his eyes moved to my arm, “Did you get hurt?”

I pulled my hand from his and touched my left arm where a small bandage was on.

I didn't know how I got hurt or how the bandage got there, but I woke up in that hotel room and saw it that way.

“Yeah,” I quickly answered, “Just a little scratch.”

“Interesting,” He smirked and nodded.

Aldric turned towards the stairs, “I need to freshen up before dinner.”

He left me with his brother who began to creep the hell out of my by his stares;

Adrian's voice stopped me the moment I turned, “Have your hair always been short?”

“Excuse me?” I scrunched my brows as I turned back to him

He chuckled and stepped closer, “I mean…you look familiar and I could've sworn that you had long brown hair.”

My pulse spiked.

Who the hell is he? I've never met him before.

I forced a smile, “Oh, you must have met my twin sister, Elena.”

“Really?” He corked his brow, he didn't seem to be convinced.

What's the deal with this guy?

He held my arm with the bandage, “Did your twin sister also get hurt in the exact same place and had the exact same bandage?”

My heart was pounding fast in my chest. “What are you talking about?” I asked with a trembling tone as I tried to pull away from him.

His grip was firm and tight and looked me dead in the eyes;

“I put this bandage on you,” he whispered in a serious tone, his eyes turned dark and dangerous,

“You were the woman in my bed, two nights ago.”