All Chapters of Married To The Man Who Killed My Twin Brother : Chapter 11 - Chapter 17

I barely recognized myself.That was my first thought when the maids finally stepped back and let me see the full mirror. I stood there for a moment, genuinely unsure of the woman looking back at me; the sweep of her gown, the soft architecture of her makeup, the way she held herself like someone who had been born into rooms like the one she was about to walk into.The dress Edris had chosen was deep burgundy, fitted through the waist, and flowing just enough at the hem to move when I walked. It's simple on the surface and devastatingly expensive. Underneath I could feel it in the fabric, in the way it held its shape, in the absolute confidence it seemed to lend to a body that hadn't felt confident in months."You look beautiful, ma," one of the maids said softly behind me.I swallowed."Thank you," I said, and meant it more than she probably knew.I heard him before I saw him. His voice drifted up from the ground floor. He was speaking low, with his words short and controlled. The ca

The hospital had a particular kind of silence that pressed down on you.It wasn't peaceful; it was just quiet in the way that rested you. It was the silence of held breath, of waiting rooms and low lighting, and the particular cruelty of clocks that moved too slowly. I had been sitting in it since last night, and by morning, it had soaked into my bones.I hadn't gone home to change. I was still in the burgundy gown, heels abandoned somewhere beneath the chair, my carefully constructed hair from last night now loosely pulled back with a clip one of the nurses had offered me with quiet sympathy. My makeup had survived better than I had. I sat with my knees together and my hands folded in my lap. I stared at the door to Edris's room as though staring hard enough might tell me something the doctors hadn't.“Stabilised” was the word they kept using.I had decided I hated that word; it told you nothing. It wasn’t really an answer. It was just a word people used when they wanted you to stop

The sunlight reached my room before I was ready to open my eyes. I lay still, watching the ceiling, trying to hold on to that brief stretch of peace between waking and remembering. It never lasted. One by one, the memories returned—the watch, the gala, the poison, the hospital, until they crowded out every other thought. They settled over me, heavy enough to make the day feel exhausting before it had even begun. I turned my head to check the time; it was already 6:43 AM. I could hear movement from downstairs. The particular sounds of someone who had decided the day had begun, whether the day agreed or not. I heard shoes on hardwood, the clink of keys, the low murmur of what I assumed was a phone call. I sat up. “Edris wouldn't,” I whispered to myself. I got out of bed immediately and went downstairs. I found him in the hallway, already dressed for the day. His jacket was on, his tie neatly in place, and there was nothing about him to suggest he’d walked out of a hospital less

We drove back from the office without saying much.It wasn’t uncomfortable.For once, neither of us felt the need to fill the silence. We had both been through enough for one day.I turned my attention to the view outside, but it didn’t help.My mind kept returning to the meeting.The more I thought about it, the more confused I became.Edris kept his attention on the road.He never mentioned the meeting.I didn’t bring it up either.I was too drained to have that conversation.The smell of dinner greeted us as soon as we stepped inside.Something rich and savory drifted in from the dining room. The table had already been set, candles flickered softly, and everything was ready before either of us had to ask.I pulled out a chair and sank into it.The day’s events had drained every bit of energy I had left, and sitting down felt like the first chance I’d had to breathe."Long day," Edris said, settling across from me and reaching for his glass."That's one word for it." I picked up my