The rain tapped softly against the tall windows of the penthouse suite. Chloe sat at the edge of the silk-covered bed, her hands clenched in her lap, still wearing the dress that changed her life in a single night. A wedding dress in disguise. A lie dressed in satin blue.
The ring on her finger sparkled under the chandelier.
She hadn't taken it off. Not yet.
Her heartbeat hadn't slowed since she heard Mrs. Squibb's voice in the hallway.
I'll have to kill her too.
Chloe swallowed hard, pressing her fingers to her lips. Her first instinct had been to run. But where? And with what? She had no money, no place to go,and a child sleeping miles away, completely unaware his mother was tangled in a deadly secret.
Not just a fake marriage.
Not just a mistaken identity.
But something much darker.
And someone knew.
Someone remembered.
A knock on the door snapped her thoughts in half.
She stood, quickly smoothing her dress. "Yes?"
Mark's voice came through. "Can I come in?"
Chloe hesitated. "Yes."
The door opened. Mark stepped in, now out of his tuxedo jacket, wearing a black shirt that clung to his shoulders and chest. His jaw was freshly shaven, his eyes tired but alert.
He looked at her like he was trying to read her.
"I figured you might want tea," he said, holding a tray.
She blinked. Tea?
He set the tray on the bedside table. "You looked pale earlier. I didn't want you fainting during your first night as my… wife."
He said the word like it meant nothing. Cold. Professional. But Chloe knew better.
"Thank you," she said softly, wrapping her fingers around the cup.
He watched her.
"I need to ask you something," he said, his tone shifting.
Chloe looked up. "What is it?"
Mark stepped closer. His eyes didn't leave hers.
"Why did you say yes?"
She blinked.
"You didn't hesitate," he continued. "You looked shocked when I called you Zoe, but you didn't correct me. And I've seen you before. You were at the party. Different dress. Different hair."
Chloe's throat dried. Her tongue felt heavy.
"I'm just surprised," Mark added. "You used to be quiet. Distant. But now…"
He trailed off.
Chloe forced a soft smile. "Maybe I've changed."
Mark tilted his head. "Overnight?"
She didn't respond.
He gave a slow nod. "You don't have to explain. This is a business deal. What matters is the image. Not the details."
Chloe let out a quiet breath. He wasn't pressing. Not yet.
"I'll send someone to pick up your things from your father's house tomorrow," he added, already turning to leave. "And if you're going to be Zoe Thompson-Williams for the next 365 days, you'll need to act like it. Perfectly."
The door shut behind him with a soft click.
Chloe sat still.
Act like Zoe.
She didn't even know who Zoe was.
Only that the girl had her face… and a past full of shadows.
***
Across the city, Mrs. Squibb stood in her dark study, staring at an old newspaper article. It was yellowed with age. Faded. But the photo was still clear.
A little girl with curly hair. A wide smile. A woman beside her,dead now. A nanny. A liar.
The headline read:
"WILLIAMS FAMILY NANNY VANISHES AFTER HEIRESS DISAPPEARS"
Mrs. Squibb clenched her jaw.
"That girl isn't Zoe," she hissed.
And if she wasn't Zoe.. then she might be her.
The one they lost twenty-three years ago.
The one they tried to erase.
The one who wasn't supposed to come back.
Mrs. Squibb reached into a drawer and pulled out a rusted key. She hadn't used it in years. Not since the night they buried a drugged girl in silence. Not since the dirt was smoothed over, and no one asked questions.
Now, someone was digging too close.
She picked up her phone.
"It's me. We may have a problem. She's alive."
***
Back at the penthouse, Chloe curled on the bed, staring out the window.
She hadn't told Mark who she really was.
She hadn't told him she had a son.
She hadn't told him she didn't even know her real last name.
But she would.
Soon.
She would find out who Zoe was.
Why she vanished.
And who really wanted her dead.
Her hand brushed the edge of the bed.
A click.
She turned.
A drawer had opened slightly. Just a crack.
Inside,an envelope.
She pulled it out, fingers trembling.
It had only one word on it.
"Zoe."
Her breath caught.
She opened it,and gasped.
Inside was a photo.
Two little girls. Identical. Sitting side by side in white dresses.
Twins.
Her eyes stung.
And beneath the photo,another note, handwritten.
"If you're reading this… they know. Run."
Chloe backed away, hands shaking.
But as she turned to run,she heard footsteps outside her door.
Heavy. Slow. Stopping right outside her room.
Then the doorknob turned.
Click.