I never thought my fiancé was actually twins. Until that day, when Chloe, the adopted daughter, framed me for theft, and I was completely blacklisted by high society. My father just stood by and watched. Desperate for help, I went to find my fiancé—only to find two identical men, Ethan and Evan, in the attic. “Ethan, how much longer do we have to play along with Elena? If it weren’t for Chloe, I’d throw up every time I get close to her.” Ethan sneered, replying, “Come on, didn’t you put on quite a show last night? Her lips were practically swollen.” “Soon. Once Elena is completely driven out, Chloe will be the only heiress of the Sinclair family.” I collapsed to the floor, paralyzed. I couldn’t believe the family and love I had begged for were nothing but a sick lie. With trembling hands, I dialed that number. The man’s deep, teasing voice came from the other end. “Elena, running away isn’t always a good thing. Come back to me, and I’ll help you with anything.” I let out a bitter laugh and accepted. “Give me five more days, and I will sell myself to you completely.”
The voice on the other end fell silent for a moment. When Liam spoke again, the teasing tone was gone, replaced by a rare seriousness. “Sell? Elena, don’t degrade yourself.” “I’ve been waiting for you to come back to me for three years. Not for a transaction.” I chuckled bitterly, not believing him. *Ding-dong.* The doorbell rang, and I hung up the phone. It was Evan standing outside. I knew it was him because of the dark hickey on his neck—one I had left there myself. “Elena, are you still upset?” He walked in with a smile, reaching out to ruffle my hair like he always did. I coldly turned my head away, dodging his touch. “You know I’m innocent. When Chloe framed me for theft, why did you take her side?” The smile on Evan’s face froze, replaced by a helpless look. “Elena, you’re older than Chloe. Shouldn’t you let her have her way?” “Don’t worry about what the rest of the social circle says. Even if the whole world turns against you, I’ll always stand by your side.” Looking into his hypocritical, deeply affectionate eyes, my stomach churned. He was so disgusting. “Really? Then, thank you.” Seeing my reaction, Evan thought he had successfully calmed me down with his sweet words. He took advantage of the moment and continued: “Elena, there’s a gala tonight hosted by Chloe. Why don’t you come with me to support her?” I looked up at him, my eyes filled with sarcasm. “What, is the ‘thief’ show not over yet? Do you need me to go there just to be humiliated by her again?” “I’m tired. I’m not going.” Evan stepped behind me, softening his voice. “Elena, I know you’ve been wronged. But hiding at home won’t solve anything. Just do it for me, okay?” I remained silent. Evan pulled a sleek, elegant envelope from his suit pocket and waved it in front of me. “An invitation to Simon Joshua’s private studio.” “Elena, I remember you said you love his designs.” I looked up, my eyes locked onto it. “Accompany me to the gala, and I’ll arrange a meeting. Otherwise, I don’t think a master like Joshua would want to meet someone wrapped in a theft scandal and doesn’t know ‘the rules’.” It was a blatant threat. I let out a self-deprecating laugh. And I agreed. “Fine.” Evan smiled with satisfaction, planting a kiss on my forehead as if rewarding a pet. “Good girl. That’s the Elena I know.” “By the way, remember to wear the red dress I bought you. You look beautiful in it.” Watching his retreating back, I suddenly called out. “Wait!” Evan stopped at the door and turned around, looking confused. I stared into his eyes, forcing one last smile. “Do you love me?” “If you weren’t ‘Ethan,’ if we didn’t have this arranged marriage between our families, would you still love me?” Evan froze. It was as if he hadn’t expected such a “foolish” question. He lowered his head, avoiding my gaze. “Don’t ask silly questions. I’ll pick you up at eight.” He shut the door in a hurry, almost running away. I stood in the center of the room, unable to move for a long time. The last spark of light in my heart finally went out. “I see,” I whispered to the empty room. This time, I truly understood. My phone buzzed. It was a SnapChat message from Liam. [I agree to your plan.]
At exactly eight o’clock, the Vance family’s car pulled up. When I opened the door and got in, I realized the person picking me up was actually Ethan. Actually, the twins were easy to tell apart if you paid close attention. Ethan was serious and methodical. He was usually the one dealing with me during official business. Evan, on the other hand, was social and charming; he was the one I spent private time with. Normally, Ethan hated galas, so Evan should have been the one attending. I didn’t know why they had switched today. Ethan’s gaze swept over my dress, and he frowned. “Why aren’t you wearing the red one?” I did it on purpose. I knew Chloe’s dress would look highly similar to that red one. They always played this game where I “accidentally” wore the same style so Chloe could “effortlessly” outshine me. I was done playing along. I leaned closer, ignoring his question. Instead, I placed my finger gently on his neck. “Ethan, I just left a mark here yesterday. How did it fade so fast?” Ethan’s Adam’s apple bobbed violently. He jerked his head away to avoid my touch, his voice tight. “I probably put some ointment on it. Let’s not talk about that. We need to go.” Suddenly, I grabbed his tie, forcing him to lean down. Under his shocked gaze, I leaned in and kissed his neck hard. I left a fresh, crimson mark right there. The sound of the wet kiss was incredibly loud in the quiet car. “You—” Ethan’s entire body went rigid. I was so close to him that I could hear his heart hammering wildly in his chest. *Clack.* From the passenger seat, behind the privacy partition, came the sound of something breaking. After a long pause, the driver, Arthur, spoke up. “Apologies, Master Ethan. My cup slipped.” What a terrible lie. I figured the person sitting in the passenger seat was Evan. Ethan’s voice was incredibly raspy. “It’s fine. Let’s go.” I let go of his tie and sat back. I didn’t care. It didn’t matter who was in the front seat. I just wanted to disgust Chloe. When the car door opened at the venue, I took Ethan’s arm. I could feel his muscles tensing. His ears were still red from that kiss. He was surprisingly pure-hearted compared to his brother. As soon as we walked in, I saw Chloe surrounded by a crowd, basking in their flattery. She initially cast a casual glance at me, not planning to cause trouble right away. But when the bright chandelier lights hit Ethan’s neck, revealing that fresh hickey, her smile instantly froze. She immediately marched over with her friends, blocking my way. “Elena, you’re a thief. How dare you show your face at my gala?” “Ethan, why do you bring just anyone here?” The girls around her giggled, and the crowd turned to look at me with mocking or amused stares. Ethan’s Adam’s apple moved, but he didn’t say a word to defend me. As expected, he chose to be a silent bystander. I let go of his arm and stepped forward. “Chloe, don’t make baseless accusations. Where is your proof?” “Proof? Everyone saw it! My diamond necklace was found in your bag!” I laughed mockingly. “Right. So if I slip something into your bag tomorrow and pull it out, does that make you a thief too? If you’re so sure, call the police. Chloe, you’ve never been soft-hearted with me. Why haven’t you called them? What are you afraid of?” My aggressive tone infuriated her. In a fit of rage, she threw her red wine right at me, then smashed her glass at my feet. “Keep talking, Elena! Dad said it himself.” “If I beat you in the fashion design competition, you will be thrown out of the Sinclair family like trash!” Chloe walked away with her head held high. Wine dripped from my hair, and my bare ankle was bleeding from a glass shard. The crowd whispered, but I ignored them and walked to a dark corner of the hall. Ethan stood behind me, hesitantly holding out a towel. I didn’t take it. Instead, I asked calmly, “Is this enough?” Ethan looked at me blankly. “What?” “Playing along so Chloe can trample on my dignity. Is this enough for your little show?” Ethan didn’t expect me to be so blunt. His eyes drifted down, flinching at my bleeding ankle. “I…” Seeing him hesitate, I felt exhausted. I didn’t want to talk anymore. “If it’s enough, remember your promise.” “The invitation to Joshua’s studio.” “Ethan, I told you I loved his work because I loved you. Not so you could use it to threaten me.” With that, I limped toward the exit. Ethan took a step forward, calling out, “Elena!” But I didn’t look back, and I didn’t stop.
I didn’t go straight home. Actually, the taxi pulled over at a corner. Liam opened the door. Seeing the driver’s respectful attitude, I knew he was Liam’s man. Liam didn’t say a word. He just knelt in the car, his strong frame squeezed near my feet. He opened a first-aid kit and gently disinfected and bandaged my ankle. His movements were incredibly tender, almost reverent. It was completely different from the controlling, possessive touches of the twins. “Don’t worry, I won’t judge your choices anymore.” “But I will make them pay for this.” I looked at him in surprise. Years ago, Liam used to control everything, even what I ate. Over the last three years, he had changed a lot. He didn’t stay long. After bandaging me, he got out of the car. The driver safely delivered me back to my apartment. When I pushed the door open, the living room light was on. Evan was sitting on the sofa, a first-aid kit open at his feet. It looked like he had been waiting for a long time. I stopped at the entryway, my voice cold. “How did you get in?” He smirked. “Your passcode is my birthday. It wasn’t hard to guess.” I didn’t reply. I changed my shoes and walked straight to the bathroom. “It’s late. You should leave.” Evan seemed displeased by my lifeless attitude. He stood up and approached me. “Elena, I came all this way with medicine to bandage your wound.” “Why are you so cold to me?” He leaned in close, almost kissing me. I frowned and dodged. Displeasure flashed in his eyes, and he grabbed my wrist. Jealousy and anger mixed in his voice as he demanded, “You kissed me in the car.” “Why are you dodging me now?” I knew he was talking about me kissing Ethan. It was hilarious. He didn’t even love me, yet he was acting like this. Since he was angry, I decided to make him even more miserable. I mocked him playfully, “Because…” “The cold, stern look you had in the car was much hotter than this desperate face.” Evan was instantly provoked. He pressed me against the wall, trapping me with his body. “Hot?” “Maybe I should stay tonight. Let’s see which version of me you find hotter.” I pushed him away, my eyes filled with pure disgust. “I’m covered in the wine Chloe threw at me. Doesn’t that disgust you?” As expected, the moment Chloe’s name was mentioned, any romantic tension evaporated. I heard his heavy, suppressed breathing. Then came a loud *slam* of the door. Evan was gone. As I stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel, my phone buzzed with a notification from the competition committee: [The submission deadline is tonight at 11:59 PM. Please upload your final work on time.] I opened my laptop and typed on the keyboard. [Confirm Submission.] The screen displayed: “Submission Successful.” I leaned back in my chair and let out a long sigh. My mind relaxed, but as I looked around my study, something felt slightly off. I couldn’t find any obvious traces of intrusion, so I assumed I was just paranoid from exhaustion. I turned off the lights and went to sleep. At that exact moment, in the Vance mansion. Two laptop screens lit up simultaneously. Evan, leaning against his sports car smoking a cigarette, checked his buzzing phone. An email notification popped up: [Design Competition Submission — Elena]. He stared at the sender’s name, hesitating to open it. In his study, Ethan was looking at his work files, but he hadn’t turned a page in hours. The email notification finally snapped him out of his daze. He was hesitating too. He wondered if he should forward it to Chloe as planned. Both Evan and Ethan knew that if I lost this competition, I would lose everything. Chloe would naturally become the sole heiress. This was the plan all along. They shouldn’t be hesitating now.
The award ceremony took place three days later. Chloe and I sat in the front row as finalists. Robert and Ethan sat in the VIP section as sponsors. The bronze and silver awards were announced one by one. With each name, Chloe grew more excited. She was extremely confident. When the silver list was finished and neither of our names had been called, the tension in the room reached its peak. This meant the grand prize—the Gold Award—would be between her and me. For us and the entire high-society circle, this was more than just a competition. Robert had already made it clear to the public: “Real or fake daughter? I only care about the strong.” “Whoever ranks higher in this competition will be the sole heir of the Sinclair family and marry into the Vance family. The other one will have nothing to do with us.” The spotlight danced between us. Finally, it locked onto me. “The Gold Award winner of this year’s Design Competition is—Elena!” Applause erupted like a tidal wave. I stood up. I could feel Chloe’s body go completely rigid beside me. I walked onto the stage and took the heavy trophy from the presenter. Robert stood up, a proud smile on his face as he congratulated me. But then, a disbelief-filled whisper came from below the stage. “Impossible… This is impossible…” Chloe’s face was white as a sheet. She abruptly stood up, staring at Ethan in the VIP section, her eyes filled with shock and betrayal. Ethan’s reaction was complicated. He seemed to have expected part of this, but another part clearly caught him off guard. Robert ignored her outburst. He ordered the security guards to keep an eye on Chloe so she wouldn’t cause trouble. Then, he took the microphone and addressed the media. “Since Elena won the Gold Award, I officially announce that she is now the sole heir to our family empire!” He paused and nodded toward Ethan in the VIP section. “And we have a double celebration tonight.” “Taking this opportunity, I officially announce the betrothal of my daughter, Elena, to the heir of the Vance family, Ethan!” But before Robert could finish, I stepped forward and gently covered his microphone. *Screech—* A harsh feedback noise rang through the speakers. The applause stopped instantly. The entire hall went dead silent, everyone looking at me in confusion. I met Robert’s shocked gaze and spoke into the microphone. “Father, you’ve got the wrong person.” I paused, my voice echoing clearly in every corner of the room. “He isn’t Ethan.” The air seemed to freeze. I stared at the man whose pupils dilated in shock, and said slowly, “Evan, are you still not done playing pretend?”
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