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Henessey’s POV

“You are perfect. Let’s get married,” Kellen declared, not even blinking.

My eyes widened. “What?” I stammered, unable to believe my ears. “Are you serious? Have you lost it?”

Kellen seemed completely relaxed as he sipped his wine, his tailored suit accentuating his broad shoulders.

His piercing cognac brown eyes bore into mine as he spoke, his perfectly styled hair giving him an air of confident sophistication. “No, Miss Wilson. Quite the opposite,” he said with a small smile playing on his lips. “I like your honesty. Your attitude might not be accepted by many men, but you're exactly what I want.”

I shook my head vigorously. “No, you have lost your mind.” I stood up, grabbing my purse. I was ready to leave and inadvertently noticed Kellen's strong but seductive cologne and the crisp cut of his jawline. It was a pity that I had no interest in such a fine man.

“I’ve already informed your parents that I’ve accepted,” he said, stopping me in my tracks.

My jaw dropped. “You've got to be kidding me. I’m the one you want to marry, not them!”

Kellen casually patted his lips with a napkin before giving me a little smirk, the soft light of the restaurant casting a flattering glow on his chiseled features. “Our marriage is supposed to be a union of our families' businesses, isn’t it?”

I opened my mouth, but no words came out. The audacity of this man was unbelievable. With a sigh, I closed my mouth and sat back down, feeling a bit sorry for him because of what I was about to do next.

“You’re impossible, Kellen Powers.” I swayed towards him, my eyes locked on his as I picked up my untouched glass of wine. “You seem to have gotten the wrong impression of me. I thought I made it clear, but maybe not clear enough.”

Without a second thought, I poured the wine over his head, watching it trickle down his neck and onto his spotless white shirt and suit. A smirk of satisfaction spread across my lips as I leaned in, resting my head on his shoulder. “Read my lips: I will never marry you, even if you were the last man alive.”

With that, I flipped my hair and walked away with my head held high, feeling triumphant. But as I walked, I heard something that made my blood run cold, stopping me in my tracks yet again.

It was Kellen’s laughter. I turned to see him clapping, as if he had just witnessed the funniest thing ever. “Bravo, Miss Wilson! You’re the first woman to try that, but guess what? You’ll also be the last.” He stood up, straightening his suit, and started walking toward me. My heart pounded in my chest. “You will pay for this, but only after you become my wife.”

I could feel him getting closer. The sense of his towering presence made my legs tremble. Summoning all my strength, I shoved him away. “I will never marry you, you lunatic!”

Terrified of what he might do next, I ran out of the private restaurant, my bracelet slipping off unnoticed. I ran into the street and hailed a taxi. One stopped, and I jumped in, escaping the madman.

In the safety of the taxi, my breathing slowed, but my anger burned hotter. My fists clenched as I thought about the person who put me in this situation: my identical twin sister, Helena.

Two hours earlier, I had arrived in Massles country, and my twin picked me up. I was thrilled to see her after such a long time, but she seemed rushed. She kept asking me for a favor, so insistent and desperate that she made me promise to help her.

Foolishly, I promised without knowing the consequences. I refused when she said I had to pretend to be her for an arranged date with her most eligible suitor.

She didn’t want to marry; she wanted to chase her dreams. I begged her to go on the date and pursue her dreams afterward, but her audition time conflicted. Her pitiful pleading got to me. I couldn’t refuse the first request my twin had made in 15 years, and that was my biggest mistake.

“It’ll be easy,” she said. “Just make me look bad,” she said. “Make him hate me,” she said. “No man would want to marry me if you act your worst,” she said.

I gritted my teeth, thinking about how wrong she was. I behaved in the worst way possible, but somehow, Kellen endured it all. Even when shocked by my attitude, he stayed unnervingly calm and still wanted to marry me!

I groaned in frustration, causing the driver to glance at me through the mirror. I was boiling inside because I knew my sister would blame me for her sudden marriage. Had I known it would turn out this way, I would have never agreed.

Amidst my frustration, my phone buzzed in my purse. Seeing the caller, I answered immediately, but before I could speak, he beat me to it. “You’ve seen it, right? The tape of Ella and me. Please don’t do anything stupid. I told everyone she was my girlfriend to save face, so please don’t reveal anything, Henessey. I beg you.”

I looked at my phone screen to make sure I wasn’t hearing things. “Eric, what the hell are you talking about?”

The line went silent, only his breathing audible. “Eric? What tape are you talking about—”

He abruptly ended the call, leaving me more confused than ever. But within seconds, I understood. Several friends and even strangers sent me the same video.

My phone slipped from my hand as the video played. My fiancé, Eric, was having sex with his co-actor, vanessa. 

The same one he claimed to have nothing with every time I accused him. Many times he made me feel guilty for calling him out for something that he claimed to be innocent of and I found out in the most brutal way possible.

Hot tears streamed down my cheeks, then became a downpour. My life was ruined. My happiness was gone. The driver, noticing my condition, stopped the car. “Are you alright, miss?” he asked.

My mouth trembled as I tried to catch my breath. Incoherently, I opened my purse and pulled out some money, not caring that it wasn’t the right currency. I pressed the money into the driver's hand and got out of the vehicle.

Surprisingly, the car had stopped in front of a nightclub. There was a waiting list, and just when I thought I would turn back, the bouncer motioned for me to come forward. I looked around to make sure I wasn’t imagining things, and sure enough, he was waving at me.

The bouncer gave me a small smile, as if he recognized me or maybe mistook me for my sister. At this moment, I didn’t care. I just needed a drink, and fast.

The inside of the club screamed luxury, but it was all a blur as I headed straight for the bar. “Aunt Roberta on the rocks,” I ordered.

The bartender gave me a look but made the drink. I wanted to get drunk and forget my sorrows. I didn’t care if it was a temporary solution; I just wanted to forget.

I always thought I had a high tolerance, but after three cups of Aunt Roberta, I started to feel lightheaded. The upside was that I was giggling, and all my problems seemed to fade away.

I was dancing to the music when I suddenly slipped. I expected to hit the ground, but strong arms caught me.

I smiled sheepishly as I tried to focus on my savior. “Handsome,” I said, burping.

The stranger didn’t say anything, but I could faintly smell alcohol on him. I traced invisible circles on his chest, smiling. “Keep me company tonight,” I burped again. “I promise it’ll be an experience of a lifetime.”

I squinted at his face, trying to see clearly, and something about him felt familiar.

He pinched my chin and pressed a kiss to my lips. “A night with you will definitely be a sufficient apology.”

“Huh?”

Before I could question him, he kissed me again, and that was the last thing I remembered before everything went black.

I woke up with a splitting headache. It felt like my head was going to explode. Why did I drink so much? Groaning, I swung my legs out of bed and tried to stand, but then I paused. Something caught my eye.

“You’re finally up,” said a voice. I looked over and saw a half-naked Kellen.

Wait… Kellen? “Kellen?!”