“Are you two back together now?” One of the reporters asked. Although I knew that these types of questions were bound to be hurled at us, I wasn't quite prepared to answer any of them. I also hated how nosy these reporters were. Clearly they were not here to cover the naming of the school or any topic related to community service. All they were intent on finding out more about was my relationship with the prince. I stared at them as I pursed my lips together while I decided to maintain my silence. “You shouldn't ask me about this. Why don't you ask the lady instead?” The prince said as he threw the ball my way. It took all of my effort not to turn and glare at him. Instead, I plastered a lady-like smile onto my lips as I thought of an appropriate answer. “Who knows?” I replied teasingly without disclosing any other details. Perhaps Desmond could sense that I wasn't in the mood to deal with all the reporters because he quickly signaled to the guards to help us out of the place.…
Desmond seems to consider my words. By that time the desserts had started to taste sour in my mouth instead of sweet because I had lost all of my appetite. The prince’s gray eyes focused on me just as I placed my utensils down.“Don't you feel that something has changed around you?” Desmond asked as he stared directly at my face from across the dining table. I wasn't sure what he was referring to so I replied by shaking my head from side to side. In truth it would be more accurate to say that there were so many changes that had happened around me that I wasn't even sure which change he was exactly referring to. “You’ve caused quite a bit of trouble as of late. I'm sure that your parents aren't so pleased about it, not to talk about a few other people,” the prince commented before grinning wryly my way. I felt my core tightened as a disturbing feeling swirled around in my belly at his words. “I don't know what you're talking about,” I denied although I didn't sound so convincing.
Diana's words and the look of concern in her eyes came back to me along with how powerless and vulnerable she sounded when she told me that she might not be able to cover for me all the time. Some things were definitely getting out of our control. Just like how I couldn't cover for my sister for every single thing, it was becoming impossible for her to do the same. I was certain that just as much as I was worried for her, Diana was worried for me too. I would be lying if I said that the prince’s proposal to protect me didn't sound overwhelmingly tempting. However, I knew that everything came with a price of its own. “And what would I have to do in return for me to receive this proper protection from you?” I asked as I leaned slightly forward over the table. The way Desmond smiled at me told me that he was enjoying our little conversation and that he was glad that I was at least considering his proposal. “In the longer term, there is something that I need to accomplish, and for me
“Wait. I don't want to do this…” I managed to say after he freed my lips and I found my voice again. My heart thumped loudly in my chest, and frankly, I was very surprised at the way that my body was reacting to his advances. Perhaps it was because of my lack of experience at the time, but I had thought that I wouldn't feel this way or react this way if I was with someone other than Anthony.“Are you sure? It looks like you were enjoying it,” the prince said as he kept on staring at my face. The way his gray eyes seemed to bore into me made me feel like he could read my mind. I wasn't sure what I was feeling at the moment, but I was certain that I had ventured into very dangerous territories. “All I need to do is fake being your girlfriend. This shouldn't be part of the deal,” I pointed out as I tried to calm myself down. “You're right, this isn't part of the deal but I am sure that it can help you forget everything that you need to. I told you that you could use me however you w
“The last king?” I repeated blankly after recovering from my initial shock and confusion. It felt like time suddenly came to a stop and all I could hear in the tense silence that surrounded us was the fast beating of my heartbeat. His answer surely caught me off guard, and for a moment, I wasn't sure if I understood what he really meant. I must have looked confused enough for him to give me an explanation. “I'm going to be the next king and I am also going to be the last king of this country,” he said slowly and clearly as if it would help me absorb the true meaning behind his words.Desmond will definitely be the next king and after that his son should take over, at least that was how things were supposed to be, unless he doesn't want things to turn out that way in the future. I felt my jaws loosen as my mouth hung open when I realized what he was trying to say. Desmond nodded his head in affirmation as if he could feel that I was finally taking in the meaning of his words. Many th
True to the prince’s words of speculation, I couldn't come up with a single thing about the society that we lived in that was beneficial to the country's future or for the people in general. Having been on the receiving end of the twisted madness of the society, I surely struggle to see the merits in all of it. “See? You can't really come up with anything, can you?” He guessed quite correctly while sounding quite amused. Desmond grinned at me and he seemed satisfied that I was unable to answer his question. “What is so great about the country being run by the royal family and the nobles? Even if our country is democratic, it is only democratic in name only. You should know that best with your father currently running in the election with full backing from the King and also the Vulcan family,” Desmond said before showing me a knowing smile. Even though it is almost certain that the election will be postponed by the King's death, it would come to no surprise that my father would win
It was a very random thought but I found myself wanting to buy some desserts to share with Brandon. It just felt like the perfect treat that we could enjoy together after breaking the good news. It also felt too long since the last time that I had something from this bakery. Instead of the car coming to the stop just as I had ordered, Zain continued driving without stopping or slowing down. “Didn't you hear what I just said? I want to make a stop here, can you park over there in front?” I asked as I started feeling confused. Something felt amiss and I began wondering what was wrong with Zain. It was then that I realized that Zain had not spoken a word since I entered the car, and I had not seen his face since he had not turned around to look my way. Many gruesome scenarios appeared in my mind while I actively tried to tell myself to remain calm. “I'm not your driver and we will not be making a stop based on your request,” a voice replied coldly. The voice clearly did not belong to
Desmond and I were now on the same side and our plans were clearly aligned with each other. Bradon's silence made me feel like I had to keep on speaking before I would lose my courage. “Prince Desmond agreed to help me with my plan to remove the power of my family and also punish my parents for whatever that they have done wrong. This is probably going to be my only opportunity to right what is wrong,” I said while trying to sound calm. If he was in any way surprised with my decision, he showed no signs to betray his feelings. It was as if he had more than half expected that the outcome would turn out this way since the moment that I left the mansion to go see the prince. He looked straight at me but refused to comment, and that made me feel even more uneasy inside. After all, despite all of my bravery, I still haven't told him the main part of the prince’s plan to end the rule of the monarchy in the country. I could still recall Desmond's words and the absolute look of determinatio
"You should go to bed," Bradon told me the moment that we stepped into the mansion. I knew that his suggestion was spot on because sleep was exactly what I needed to deal with what was to come. The media and everyone had undoubtedly gone wild as they both communicated and speculated on what was the truth and what were twisted lies from all the events that happened in the past that I shared with my sister.I switched off my phone when it wouldn't stop vibrating, without bothering to read the caller ID on the screen. I could already guess who would be calling me and also exactly what they had to say."It feels like my head is ready to explode," I confessed before smiling weakly at Bradon."Which is precisely why you should stop thinking or caring about anyone else and just get some shut-eye," Bradon said as he peeled away the mobile phone that I held in my hand. I let him do so without putting up any resistance because all I wanted to do was crawl into bed and hide under the sheets wit
"My name is Diana, which can only mean that the Diana standing over there is, in fact, my twin sister, Dahlia. In fact, for the past months, I wasn't present, and the Diana that you knew had always been my sister acting out in my place," Diana explained as if it was something to be proud of.The crowd went wild, but I decided to focus my attention on the two figures that seemed so intent on ruining my life along with my sister’s. Our father had officially become our enemy, and at that moment, he looked like he might have started to regret pushing both of us over the edge. Mr. Malton, who, after all this time, clearly never regretted his actions and never realized that he should have been man enough to take responsibility. I was certain that even now, he was willing to destroy our reputation and our future—all for the sake of the money undoubtedly promised to him by our father. Desperate times truly call for desperate measures; that applied to our father but also to us as well.I could
I found myself praying silently that Desmond could bring everything under control, but my prayers probably fell on deafened ears. Instead of Desmond stepping up to the podium, it was my sister who approached it instead."What is she doing?" I asked in a shaky whisper as I felt myself breaking into a cold sweat. It felt like my eyes were about to pop out of their sockets as I continued staring in bewilderment and disbelief at my sister, who stood with a beautiful smile behind the podium, the microphone very close to her lips. I turned to stare at Desmond and managed to lock gazes with him. I could tell that he was staring right back at me, and the way he nodded his head reassuringly was supposed to bring me some relief and keep me at ease, but it only made me even more nervous.I could tell that everyone in the crowd was staring daggers at my sister, even from where I was standing. It wasn't surprising, considering that everyone thought Diana was me. It felt like tight knots had formed
Back to the present"Homewrecker! Homewrecker! Homewrecker!"The violent chanting continued and began seeping into my consciousness, dragging me back to the present. Disaster seemed to be staring me right in the face."Leya..." Bradon whispered my name right beside my ear.His presence close to me reminded me that, unlike that day back then, I wasn't alone. I had Bradon by my side, and, on top of that, everyone was here with me: Desmond and my sister. I suddenly felt a surge of confidence that made me believe that there could be a way out, one that would save us all from this dire situation my father had plotted against us.I had to admit that after leaving the country, I hadn't spared much thought for what would unfold after my departure. I never took care to follow up on any news-not that they would be made public-related to Mr. Malton's wife and child. I had no idea what happened to him or his family after that incident. My parents completely cut me off, and there was frankly no on
"What have you done? Have you completely lost your mind?" my father yelled at me immediately when our family was gathered in private. His face was completely red with anger as his voice echoed in the room. My mother looked like she was on the verge of tears, and I could tell that she was more worried about our family rather than her own daughter. "News of your ridiculous and scandalous behavior is now all over the place!" my father continued yelling. As if to drive his message home, his mobile phone began ringing non-stop. One glance at the name displayed on the screen drove my father to the brink before he switched off the phone and threw it onto the floor. My mother let out a scream at my father's sudden violent outburst before sinking down onto the sofa as if she had lost all strength in her body.I took the opportunity to slowly take a seat, and Diana was by my side in an instant. I knew that the best way to brave out this storm was to keep quiet and not let his words get to me.
Not having the experience of being a criminal before, I wasn't quite sure how one was supposed to be treated, but the experiences that I went through might have indeed been close. I thought that I was used to disappointing my parents and the people around me. I thought that I was used to seeing the look of disappointment and disapproval in their eyes before it became a look of resentment and then complete apathy and lack of care. I thought that I could deal with everything without getting my emotions involved because, after all, I was supposed to be used to this kind of treatment, and that was why I was caught utterly off guard by how quickly things escalated.Thinking back on it, my memories were quite blurry. Either it was simply too much for me to take in at the time for my brain to form any clear memories, or it was simply too shocking and too harsh for me to take. Either way, everything seemed to fly by me and over my head.Although every single teacher and the principal tried to
Just thinking that the fool right in front of me dared to say he was in love with my sister, while he couldn't even tell the two of us apart, made my blood boil. It took a lot of effort to repress the urge to reach out and strangle his neck right then and there. I reminded myself that I had a part to play and quite an audience to impress."No... this can't be..." Mr. Malton whispered hoarsely from a distance, stepping even further away from me. I stood up from the table, grabbed his arm, and pulled him back to my side as I glared up into his face."It's actually quite simple to fool you. All I had to do was dress up in my sister's clothes whenever I met you and talk a little more sweetly..." I said, letting out a hysterical laugh. I could still feel everyone's eyes on us as the attention in the room escalated even more than before.Mr. Malton was speechless as he tried to pull his arm away from my grip, but I wasn't about to let him get away so easily."Well, now I guess the secret is
I had no idea how Diana managed to keep the girls silent up until that point so that the news wouldn't spread; however, I knew that it wouldn't be too long before everyone in school knew about this illicit affair. We would be extremely lucky if this news did not spread beyond the school walls. Despite the gravity of the situation, Mr. Malton was already ready to make his retreat."What if they don't believe us? I feel so scared. I don't want to be alone, and I don't want you to leave me," I said pleadingly just to see his reaction."You know that I would never do that. It would just be temporary until everything blows over. I promise that I will never leave you. How could I possibly leave you? I love you so much," he declared his love for me boldly.The more dramatic things became, the more I felt that his act of adoration was completely fake. No matter how many times he claimed to be in love with my sister, it seemed like he couldn't even tell us apart. I wondered what kind of face h
"Leya, you need to help me find a way out of this. Diana simply cannot make this kind of mistake," my sister told me slowly and clearly as she stared directly into my eyes."You're right. You can't afford to make these kinds of mistakes," I agreed solemnly."No one else must find out about this. We have to do something before word gets out because word is definitely going to get out,," my sister stated calmly, and I could tell that she had returned to her calm and collected self."Can't we tell them that they simply misunderstood and that it's not true?" I asked, daring to harbor a little bit of hope."They probably won't believe what we tell them, but they might believe what we show them," Diana replied, and I could tell her mind was made up.Without using any more words, it seemed like an understanding had formed between us, and once again, it felt like it was us against the entire world....**The Next Day**As I pushed open the back door to the building that was supposed to be off