CHAPTER 6

Leonard’s POV

Liza’s body was right in front of me, her familiar features, the softness of her hair, the curve of her lips, but the eyes that met mine are so different. They are cold, distant and possess a depth that chills me to the core.

I couldn’t keep my cool any longer, “Just tell me the truth, I freaking know you are not Liza. Who the hell are you?” her eyes widened in shock as she remained fixed on spot, batting her eyes like a startled deer caught in the glare of oncoming headlights.

It was as if her mind was battling to process what she was hearing, her lashes fluttering rapidly in disbelief, trying to blink away the impossibility before her.

“I… I don’t know what… you are talking about Leo,” she stuttered trying to hide her nervousness and fear of her being exposed. 

“Who are you?” I demanded, my voice a mixture of desperation and anger. I took a step closer, and she took a step back. I clenched my fists, struggling to keep my composure. “What have you done to her?” I increased my pace as she hit her back on the hard wall.

My hands tightened around her neck. She tilted her head sideways as she had them shut, she struggled to mutter, “Do not hurt me, I’ll explain.” For a moment, there was silence and then I loosened my grip.

Her shaky breath was mixed with the stark silence that plagued the room. She realized I was getting impatient and decided to talk. “My name is Annabel from Spring pack. Please, do not hurt me,” she pleaded with her hands cupped together like she was praying to some gods.

Her words seemed to make my world collapse, the weight of them crashing down like a tidal wave. I stared at her, in anticipation for any sign of the woman I love, but all I see is the cold, calculating soul that has taken her place.

“What are you doing here?” I needed to know why she was in Liza’s body and if Liza was somewhere in there. I grabbed her shoulders and shook her subtly as if trying to wake Liza from a slumber.

“Please, fight her Liza. I know you are still in there. Please come back to me,” I was begging Liza and the more I realized she wasn’t going to come, the more agitated I became.

The room was quiet, and the air was thick with tension. After taking a deep breath, she began, her voice trembling slightly, as if she was finding it difficult to come to terms with the horror of it all. 

“It was a night I would never forget, a night before my wedding,” she started, her words soft but clear, carrying a heavy burden that I know not. “I had earlier caught my mate cheating and I rejected him. I remember the lack of remorse on his face,”

My eyes narrowed, trying to make sense of the narrative as my heart pounded in my chest. She continued, her gaze was distant as if reliving the memory “That same night, I was accused of poisoning my step-mother’s cup and was forced to drink from the same cup.”

“And then?” I asked, my voice hoarse with emotion. “I felt a cold dread creeping over me as I collapsed, each breath harder to take than the last. I was dying but could not miss the smug and mockery smile on my step sister’s face.”

She met my gaze, her eyes filled with an eerie calm that spoke of something beyond fear. “When I opened my eyes again, I wasn’t where I had fallen, I wasn’t even me. I was in this body,” she said, gesturing to the form that was so familiar with me yet now felt foreign.

My breath caught in my throat as the truth of her words sank in. I struggled to comprehend the enormity of what I was hearing. She continued “I didn’t ask for this . I’ve been trying to make a sense of it ever since.”

I stared at her, torn between the familiarity of the face before me and the stranger who now inhabits it. I wanted to reach out, to hold her, to find some left traces of the woman I love, but all I saw was the soul of another, burdened with a truth neither of us could fully grasp.

“Please,” she finally whispered, with her voice breaking. “Help me. Keep my secret. I would do anything you want,” her eyes pleading as desperation etched into every line of her face. 

“You can’t tell anyone. If this gets out, I’ll lose the chance to clear my name and the chance of finding answers to so many questions. I’m begging you.”

I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what I was about to say. “You dare ask me to live a lie, to pretend like everything is normal, that you are Liza, when she’s gone,”

She flinched at my words, tears welling up in her eyes. “I know it’s unfair. I just need you to keep this secret. This is my only way,” her voice trembling.

My heart was torn between compassion and a deep sense of betrayal, but I wasn’t going to let her see that. I wanted Liza, my mate and not some unknown soul in her body. I felt a push to take her into my arms, but no, that isn’t happening.

She reached out, her fingers trying to brush against my arms, but I pulled back and shook my head. My jaw clenched, trying to hold back the tide of emotions threatening to overwhelm me. “I can’t do that,” I said, my tone even.

“I can’t pretend that you are Liza, can’t lie to myself. Keeping your secret only means one thing… If I help you, then we can’t be lovers anymore. That’s the deal.”

Her eyes instantly widened, a look of horror crossing her face. “What? No… please. What would I say to my father? She let out a broken sob, the reality of my words sinking in, and she collapsed against me.

I held her for a moment and it surprisingly felt relieving. When she finally pulled back, her face streaked with tears.

“This is how it has to be. For both of us,” I said firmly. She nodded weakly, her hands trembling as she tried to compose herself. “I understand,” she faintly whispered.

With one last lingering look, I turned and walked away, leaving her standing alone in the room with the weight of our deal pressing down on her shoulders.