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Henessey’s POV

“Wu-what—how are you here?” I stuttered, my mind reeling.

Kellen  raised an eyebrow. “What do you think?”

“No, no, no.” I ran my hands through my hair, feeling my world shatter. “What have I done?” This can't be. I’m not that foolish. I lifted my head, anger flashing in my eyes as a terrible speculation took root. “You…” I jabbed a finger at the sun-kissed, muscular man. “You did this to me.”

Kellen  scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief. “Do you really think I would force myself on you?”

“Yes,” I said firmly. “I think you can do that.”

He chuckled mockingly, stepping closer from the other end of the bed. Subconsciously, I backed away until I was up against the wall. “When I met you, I thought you were a classy lady.” He smirked, his eyes trailing down my neck to my nakenes . “I never knew you were this easy.”

Without thinking, I struck Kellen ’s cheek, his head snapping to the side from the impact. “Don’t you ever disrespect me. Whatever happened between us was a mistake that will be forgotten in this room, along with you.” 

I pushed past him, quickly gathering my scattered belongings. Dressed, I headed for the door when Kellen  called out.

“Helena.” Fury burned in his eyes, but I was unaffected. “This isn’t the end of this.”

Rolling my eyes, I shut the door behind me. I couldn’t care less about his threats. Stepping out of the five-star hotel, I hailed a taxi and directed the driver to my family mansion.

My father was dressed, ready for work, while my mother was still in her night robe. They were locked in discussion when I entered. They both turned to me, giving me a look.

“Helena, where have you been?” my mother asked. I was too stunned to reply.

Did she just call me Helena? Did my own mother not recognize me?

My father frowned, looking more serious than before. “Kellen  accepted our proposal, but I heard you rejected it?”

Again, I couldn’t speak. It had been years since I saw the face of the man who sent me abroad for 15 years for a crime I didn’t commit. “I missed you too,” I replied, smiling weakly in self-mockery.

“What are you saying?” my father raised his voice. “Have you lost your mind? Why did you reject the proposal that is supposed to save this family?”

“Because I don’t want to get married!” I yelled back. “Have you even asked me if I have someone I love or if I have dreams?”

“You ungrateful brat!” My father lifted his hand and hit me hard on the cheek. “How dare you talk back to me.”

My lips quivered, the stinging pain momentarily numbing my hearing. This was what my sister had to endure. No wonder she threw her burden on me without a thought. But I wasn’t like her. I won’t endure it.

“I am not going to marry him,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

“What did you say?” my father asked angrily, moving closer.

“I said I will not get married!” I repeated louder. My father raised his hand to hit me again, but my mother stepped between us, making him halt mid-air.

“Please, let me talk to her. You know she isn’t like this,” she pleaded, always supporting my father.

He dropped his hand, his anger seeming to subside. “Whatever you do, get her ready by tonight because she will go back to Kellen  and apologize, then accept his proposal.”

My mother nodded vigorously, certain she could convince me. She shielded me from my father until he was out the door. 

Immediately, she began to scold me, but I couldn’t hear her. I could only note the changes in the woman who told me she hated me all those years. Not much had changed in her appearance, apart from some botox and looking a bit older. 

Her forest-green eyes, just like mine, remained as hypocritical as ever. She was still the same woman who would rather defend her husband than fight for her children. 

As she noticed I wasn’t listening, she paused, trying to read my expression. Her eyes widened, a gasp escaping her lips. “You… you are not Helena.”

I smiled sadly. “Glad to know you can still tell the difference, mom.”

Her formal sweetness shifted to disdain as she took a step back. “Why are you impersonating your sister? What did you do to her?”

I couldn’t help but chuckle, shaking my head in disappointment. “Don’t worry, I didn’t kill your precious daughter. She trapped me in her situation.” I told my mother everything that happened, and just when I thought she would be mad at my sister, she got angry at me instead.

“None of this would have happened if you didn’t come back,” she said, then sighed tiredly. “I wonder if Helena is okay…” She trailed off, then got mad again. “You must go for that date. I will convince my daughter to marry him.”

“Are you even listening to yourself, mom? Helena doesn’t want to marry him!”

“Oh, shut up. You are just jealous of her.” She grabbed my hand and squeezed it tightly. “Better not ruin this for her, or else I will kill you myself, and no, I am not bluffing.”

Tears trickled down my face, my heart tightening in my chest. I snatched my hand out of her grasp. “I hate you so much, mom.”

I ran upstairs. Everything was the same, but my room was locked, forcing me to go into my sister’s room. I tried to call her, but she didn’t answer. Inadvertently, I made a decision; if my sister doesn’t want to marry, then I must do everything within my power to stop it.

That night, I dressed casually, not bothering with makeup for the date. Kellen  was waiting at the restaurant entrance with a triumphant smile, like he had won something.

I ground my jaw as I approached him, but before he could make any foolish comment, a black SUV swerved in front of us. Three masked men with guns emerged. Kellen  struggled but was knocked out with a gun butt.

I tried to fight the men dragging us into the vehicle, but the one behind me pressed a cloth to my nose, and slowly, everything went dark.