Semua Bab The CEO'S secretary : Bab 21 - Bab 30

ELIAS' POV The voice on the phone had vanished, but every word kept on repeating in my head.“She was a warning. The next one won’t be.”I made calls to double the security and the number to be tracked. This needs to end. I can't watch the people I care about die for my sins.I returned to the study and found Chloe pacing around. She turns around and sees me then runs towards me with fear in her eyes. “What do we do now?” she asked.I couldn’t lie to her. Not anymore.“I need to call someone.”“Who?” Her voice was wary.I hesitated. Then gave her the truth.“Gavin.”Her brow furrowed. “Why?”“Because he’s been keeping something from me.”I dialed the number. Gavin picked up on the second ring.“You finally decided to call back,” he said. His voice was calm, not surprised. “I take it this has to do with the photograph.”“And the second message,” I said. “We need to talk.”There was a pause. “Where are you?”“My penthouse. Come now.”He didn’t argue. “Give me fifteen minutes.”I hung

ELIAS' POV For a moment, no one spoke. The air in the underground garage thickened as I stared at the photo on Chloe’s phone. My mouth went dry. My mind tried to process what I was seeing. But the shadows in the image matched the time of day. The wrinkles on the bedding were exactly how I had left them that morning. Whoever took this… they have been there. Inside. Again. And the woman in the chair? Identical to Chloe. Same hair, same bone structure, down to the faint scar above her left brow.It wasn't just someone who looked like her. It was her duplicate. Or her twin. But Chloe didn’t have a twin. “Elias?” her voice came out small with fear. I looked up. Her hands trembled around the phone. “How… how is that even possible?” I didn’t know how to answer. I wasn’t sure I even believed what I was seeing. I took a slow breath, finding balance, then looked at Gavin. “She has just her mom, no twin,” I said aloud, more to myself than him. But Gavin’s brows furrowe

CHLOE’S POVI stared at the table where the picture of her sat with its edges slightly curled, as though it had been printed quickly.It was me.Or at least, it looked like me.Same hair, same mouth, same way my chin tilted slightly down when I was caught off guard. But the eyes… I couldn’t explain it, not in a way that made sense. They were my eyes, but sharper and colder.Gavin had set down the picture there without any comment, his expression cold and unreadable, while Elias leaned back in the chair beside me, elbows on his knees, hands clasped . He hadn’t taken his eyes off the image, not even for once.“The data shows it is near Zurich,” Gavin said finally. His voice was calm, but his gaze turned to me like he was checking my reaction. “Facility in the woods, not far from the lake. Protected area, but there’s a channel open. On purpose.”“An invitation,” Elias muttered.“Or a trap,” I said softly.Gavin smirked faintly, like the two were interchangeable.I stared at the woman in

CHLOE'S POV I couldn't breathe.Below, everything seemed to be frozen.Her figure stood out against the dark background like a silhouette. The street light was so dim like an amber glass, there was a light snowfall.She shouldn’t have been able to see me from this distance. The balcony was dark, the curtains barely parted. But somehow, I knew she did.And I knew that smile.I’d seen it in mirrors before, that was me practicing something polite for people I didn’t really want to talk to. But on her, it looked… wrong. It looked sharp, like the edge of a knife.I blinked not even a full second and she was gone.The street was empty, only the little flakes of snow falling down lazily.My breath came fast now, and the cold air burned in my lungs. I stepped back inside, dragging the curtains shut, my fingers clumsy.For a long moment, I stood there in the dark hotel room, trying to decide if I’d really seen her at all.Then the knock came.I jumped, the sound too loud for my disturbed nerve

CHLOE'S POV “Step away from her,” Elias repeated, his voice sharper this time.My double’s gaze turned to me, then back to him, her mouth curving in the smallest smile. “I wondered how long it would take you to arrive.”The way she spoke…my voice, my tempo….made me want to crawl out of my skin.Elias stepped forward, one hand lifting slightly like he was reaching for me. “Chloe, come here.”I should have moved instantly. I should have gone straight to him. But my legs rooted to the spot, eyes still fixed on her. On the key she’d slid across the table. Its brass surface caught the dim light, gleaming like temptation.“For when you’re ready to remember.”The words circled in my head like vultures.“Chloe.” Elias’s voice was gentler now, but stressed. “Come here.”I pushed air into my lungs, forcing myself upright, my hands trembling as I stepped back from the table.But before I reached him, she spoke again.“Tell me, Elias…” Her eyes cut to his, sharp and knowing. “How do you know thi