I confronted Xavier, furious and heartbroken. But instead of apologizing, he sneered at me.
“Do you really think Sylus loves you?” he spat, his voice dripping with contempt.
His words rattled me. Confused and hurt, I demanded to know what he meant.
Without warning, Xavier grabbed me by the collar and dragged me into a room Sylus had always forbidden me to enter.
I had never questioned it, thinking it was related to their dangerous mafia business. But nothing could have prepared me for what I found inside.
The room was filled with photos, hundreds of them, plastered across the walls. Every single one of them was of a girl who looked exactly like me.
From her childhood to adulthood, the images chronicled the life of Charlotte, the real woman Sylus loved.
Xavier’s voice was cold and cruel as he stood beside me, watching my reaction. “Take a good look. This is the woman my brother has always loved. You are nothing but a replacement, a poor substitute for his fiancée.”
The truth was a dagger to my heart. I had been living in a lie, playing a role that was never meant for me.
From that moment on, I distanced myself from Sylus and searched for the news online.