All Chapters of BETWEEN SISTERS AND SINS: Chapter 1 - Chapter 6

~MAYA~ "Zip it higher," my mother, Evelyn Lin, snapped. Her fingers dug hard into my shoulders, spinning me around to face the triple-pane vanity mirror. "Maya, stop slouching. Ayra never slouches. You look like a broken doll." I stared at the reflection, but all I saw was my twin sister. The ivory lace hugged every curve of my body, but it didn't belong to me. Nothing in this room belonged to me. The five-carat pink diamond ring glittering on the velvet tray belonged to my twin sister. The penthouse overlooking the financial district belonged to her. "Mom, this is insane," I whispered, my voice trembling as I reached up to touch the heavy, layered lace of the cathedral veil draped over my head. It was thick enough to obscure my features, transforming me into a nameless, faceless silhouette. "Ayra’s been gone for only two hours. The wedding is scheduled to start in fifteen minutes. You can't just expect me to walk down the aisle and pretend—" "Shut your mouth!" Evelyn hissed,

~MAYA~ My heavy silk train swept behind us like a dying white bird, catching on the concrete floor, but Julian didn't care. He walked with the single-minded focus of a executioner heading to the gallows. "Julian, wait! Please!" A frantic voice echoed from the stairwell. It was Evelyn. She was running after us, her high heels clicking frantically against the concrete, her face masked with panic. Julian stopped dead in his tracks just three feet away from his idling, armored luxury limousine. He didn't turn around to face her. He kept his back to my mother, his broad shoulders casting a terrifying shadow over me in the dim garage lighting. "Vance Security," Julian barked, his voice cutting through the damp air like a blade. Instantly, four broad-shouldered men in sleek black suits stepped out from the shadows, blocking Evelyn's path. "Julian!" my mother screamed, her voice cracking as a guard physically intercepted her. "We need to talk about the registry! The contracts!

~MAYA~ The crimson warning lights of the penthouse alarm pulsed rhythmically against the marble pillars, casting a bloody, undulating glow over the grand foyer. The electronic chime blaring from the walls was like a relentless heartbeat, perfectly matching the frantic rhythm hammering inside my chest. Downstairs, the private executive elevator was already moving. Floor 3... 4... 5... "Julian," I gasped, the silk of my heavy wedding train twisting around my ankles like an unyielding shroud. My voice was like a breathless, panicked mess as I stared at the security monitor flashing on his palm. "They’re coming up. Damian has federal marshals. If they step out of that lift and see me instead of Ayra... your merger is dead. You’ll be thrown in a federal prison for corporate fraud. The whole Vance empire will slide into a nightmare." Julian didn't look at the elevator monitor. He didn't even pick up his pace. He turned around slowly, his frame completely absorbing the red emergency ligh