Three

CHAPTER 3

After waiting for fifteen minutes, Rose finally woke up. She tried to calm herself down and saw Isabella and her husband, Ben, sitting waiting for her. Sighing, Rose finally started the conversation.

"If Irene and Rudolf no longer live in the apartment, where are they now?"

Ben and Isabella exchanged glances, neither of them had any idea about Irene's whereabouts who seemed to have disappeared into thin air two weeks after they announced their engagement.

Then, Isabella tried to take charge of this situation. "I'll look for Irene, you don't have to think about it too much, Mom."

Isabella already knew that her mother had a history of heart disease that could be life-threatening, and at any time could make Rose die. Isabella did not want anything bad to happen to her parents. She looked at Rose, then gently grasped her mother's hand. While nodding her head, Isabella tried to reassure her mother that everything would be fine.

"I'll find Irene, Mom."

Rose smiled a little, she felt guilty for Isabella for ignoring her bad feeling about Rudolf. In Rose's eyes, Rudolf was a good man despite his eccentric appearance. Rudolf was thirty-five, ten years older than Irene, he was tattooed, had an earring in his right ear. But who cares about looks? So far, Rudolf had always fulfilled Irene's wishes and as a mother, Rose could only support their relationship from behind.

"Forgive me for not listening to you, Isabella."

Ben then gently rubbed his daughter's shoulder, making Isabella look up with a curious and concerned expression. "I'll take care of your mother. If there are many things you have to do, you just do them now. But most importantly, you have to take care of yourself."

"Okay, Dad."

Isabella got up from the chair, she cast her gaze alternately, looking at her mother, then at her father. Waving goodbye, she said goodbye. "I'm going to go now. I'll talk to you guys later."

"Bye, Bella."

"Take care, darling," Rose replied, responding to her husband's words.

Isabella sat in her car, her eyes staring straight ahead, the streets of New York City were really crowded during the day. Everyone has busy activities. And everyone didn't seem to want to budge. But despite her frantic thoughts, Isabella could still focus on driving her car to a subscription salon recommended by her own sister, Irene. It was the Diamond Salon. A beauty place that provides women's treatments such as hair care, body care, and others. When Isabella arrived, she immediately parked her car and went inside.

A beauty consultant named Antonio greeted her. "Welcome to Diamond Salon. It's been a while since we've seen you here, Miss Irene."

The man's voice in front of Isabella was very soft and his gestures seemed gentle. Perhaps that was why he was wearing pink-colored clothes. But Isabella tried to shake off his intimidating look and began to smile. "Can you do me a favor," Isabella took out her cell phone, showing Antonio a picture of her and Irene on the phone screen. "-look like this?"

Antonio visibly gasped, both eyebrows raised upwards. He looked at the screen, then at Isabella in turn. Her expression was one of astonishment. "You... are you twin sisters? Miss Irene never said that she had a very, very identical twin sister."

"Yep. But I have to do a little make over to really look like her," Isabella said, she clarified the situation. "I need to disguise myself as him, there is important business."

And without thinking for long, Antonio immediately raised his lips and smiled. He nodded his head and said, "You can come in now and I'll give you a miracle."

"Sounds good."

****

Isabella sat in the luxurious salon chair, her mind raging. She had always admired Irene's confidence and charm, traits that seemed almost effortless. Perhaps this transformation would help her channel some of that energy. As Antonio began styling her hair, Isabella let her mind wander back to her brother's last days before disappearing.

It was during the engagement party, a big event where everyone celebrated and congratulated Irene and Rudolf. Isabella remembered how Irene looked radiant, her smile genuine but her eyes holding a flash of unease that only a sister could notice.

"Antonio," Isabella's voice broke the silence, "do you remember seeing my sister here recently?"

Antonio paused, his hand still in his hair. He glanced at his reflection in the mirror, a hint of worry in his eyes. "Yes, I remember. She came in a few weeks ago for her usual treatment. He seemed... busy."

Isabella's heart skipped a beat. "Busy? How could that be?"

"Well, she was distracted, always checking her phone, and she seemed anxious, not like usual. I asked if everything was okay, and he just smiled and said that it was marital anxiety."

Isabella nodded, her mind piecing together pieces of memories and conversations. "Did he mention where he was going or who he was going with?"

Antonio shook his head. "No, she didn't. But she left abruptly, as if she had important business to attend to."

The rest of the salon session passed in silence, Isabella daydreaming. When Antonio finally turned the chair around to reveal her new look, she was shocked. The transformation was remarkable; he looked almost identical to Irene.

"Wow," Isabella whispered as she touched her newly styled hair. "You really did a miracle."

Antonio smiled, there was a hint of pride in his expression. "I was just doing my job. I hope you found what you were looking for."

"Thank you, Antonio," Isabella said after she checked the nameplate on Antonio's shirt.

After paying, Isabella immediately went to her brother's office, Alpha Company, a fashion company that always launches international products and becomes a trendsetter in the global fashion world. A popular company that always makes headlines in any media. Isabella's blue eyes couldn't look away from the tall building in front of her, it was beyond her expectations.

"This is much scarier than I imagined." Isabella got out of the car, she walked to observe the info board in front of the building.

But Isabella's heart suddenly stopped when a hand tapped her shoulder from behind. "Irene?"