Chapter 3 The Twin

"Ariana..." Gerald turned to see Mrs. Brooks looking at their guest in surprise. Then, with a quick but graceful movement, the lady approached, extending her arms as if to hug the guest. Instead of welcoming the gesture, the girl dodged it.

"Don't. How dare you. Approach. And touch me," she said with a clipped tone. Mrs. Brooks froze. "I didn't come here to be warmly welcomed. I'm only here to deliver this." The girl handed a white envelope to Mrs. Brooks, who accepted it with trembling hands and appeared to be crying. "Very well. My business is done. I have to go." The girl turned to leave. But their hostess stopped her.

"Wait." Mrs. Brooks pleaded. The girl in front of her froze. "Ka-Karen. She disappeared. Please, help me." She pleaded again.

'Mama?' What other surprises were in store?'

Gerald saw the girl raise an eyebrow. "Disappeared?" She asked sarcastically. "Your daughter disappeared? Then what's it got to do with me?" The girl turned again, Mrs. Brooks tried to stop her, but the girl rudely brushed away Mrs. Brooks's hand until the petite lady fell. At the same time, the young boy bumped into the girl. And the homeowner, who had moved at some point, was now helping his wife.

"Why are you being rough with Mommy!" The boy shouted. His slender fists clenched, looking at the guest with anger. The girl turned to look at the boy sharply.

"Can't you see them?" Gerald heard the girl growl. Her hand pointed to the middle-aged couple standing not far from them. "Your mommy is just fine." She said flatly. "Instead of bothering to ram into me like an angry little deer, why don't you help her up? Good boy?" Her tone was laced with sarcasm. Gerald smiled. Intriguing. The girl was quite intriguing.

"Ariana. I beg you. Please, help me. Just this once," the lady of the house spoke again with a pleading tone.

Mama. So who is this girl? Karenina's older or younger sister? One thing was clear; they looked like identical twins.

The girl stared sharply at Mrs. Brooks. "Why should I help you?" She asked flatly, contrasting with her piercing gaze. "Fifteen years you were gone, and now, shamelessly, you ask for my help?" Her tone suddenly changed. "'I have no connection with you and your father anymore. My daughter is only Karenina. Whatever happens to your father, I no longer care.' That's what you said some time ago, Mrs." It turned out the girl was mimicking someone's voice. "So sorry. I have no business with you and your daughter." The girl turned again. But once more, Mrs. Brooks held her back. This time, she clung to the girl's slender legs.

Ah, so she was the discarded child? Gerald smiled bitterly.

"I beg you. Please, help me. Karenina is gone. She ran away while her wedding is tomorrow. Ariana, please help me. I begs you," Mrs. Brooks pleaded once more.

All right, Gerald understood now. The pieces of the puzzle were starting to come together. Mrs. Brooks was truly desperate over Karenina's departure, and she intended to make the girl in front of her a replacement.

Gerald smiled wryly once again. At this point, he would just be a spectator in this family drama.

He turned to his assistant, instructing the man to gather information about her. His assistant nodded and moved closer to overhear the conversation.

"I've already told you that I'm not anyone to you, and you have no right to ask anything from me. Not even a small favor," the girl rejected.

"I'll pay you, whatever you want," Gerald said, glancing at Mr. Brooks, the man who always acted superior.

He observed the girl's eyes, which now seemed interested in the offer from the homeowner.

Just like Gerald, who enjoyed observing her expression.

The girl looked at Mr. Brooks defiantly. His hands were folded across his chest. The shape of her breasts accentuated, which somehow attracted Gerald's attention. It makes his hands itch to touch it.

The girl raised her chin. "How much can you pay?" She challenged.

"Whatever you want. Or anything you ask for," Mr. Brooks replied. Gerald couldn't see the expression on the middle-aged man's face, but he was certainly feeling proud. Gerald wanted to hear the amount the woman would demand. Perhaps if Brooks couldn't pay, he would step in.

"Anything?" The girl challenged again. Mr. Brooks nodded, confident that he could fulfill whatever the girl desired. She smiled mockingly. "What if I ask for your child's heart in exchange for your wife's request?" She asked.

Gerald was shocked, very much so. He hadn't expected such words to come out of the girl's mouth. He had thought she would mention a large sum of money with many zeros behind it, but his assumption was clearly wrong.

The arrogant old man appeared to be stunned. "Why?" One of the girl's eyebrows arched. Gerald could hear a sigh. "You said you were willing to give 'anything,' right? Doesn't that mean you'd ask for something important to you? So, in exchange, I'm asking for something you deem important too," the girl replied.

"Ariana..." Mrs. Brooks sighed. She was still sitting on the floor, looking pitiful. The beautiful girl now knelt down and gazed at Mrs. Brooks.

Their eyes were locked. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but I'm not the poor girl you abandoned back then. So, if you're offering money to me, it means nothing. Even if I'm still poor right now, I won't accept a single penny from you," the girl stood up. Her voice raised.

She looked around the house, but her gaze never met Gerald's. Then, her eyes returned to Mrs. Brooks. "Dignity?" She asked skeptically. Her eyes locked onto Oliver Brooks. "To hell with dignity! We haven't had that since you left us. Since you left us begging and pleading for you to come back. Your dignity is your business, not mine." And with that, the girl walked away.

Gerald couldn't deny the alluring sway of her hips as she walked away. It was a far cry from the dramatic scenes of television dramas, but her subtle and graceful demeanor had captured Gerald's attention. Despite her cold and hostile attitude throughout their encounter, the gentle sway of her hips as she walked sent a rush of desire through Gerald's lower body. Alright, it seemed like the tables had turned. If initially, it was his mother who had forced this marriage, now Gerald desired it. Not the marriage itself, but he yearned for the girl who had disappeared from his sight.

Gerald scrutinized the middle-aged couple in front of him. The man appeared furious, while the woman looked utterly miserable.

"So, can someone explain to me the meaning of this drama?" he asked with curiosity. The two middle-aged individuals seemed taken aback, momentarily forgetting that Gerald was still present.

"Um, well, you see..." Mrs. Brooks appeared nervous again. "I thought she could be a backup bride in case Karenina doesn't return," she answered hesitantly.

Gerald tried to conceal his interest in the girl. "A replacement bride? Like that?" Mrs. Brooks nodded, trembling. "So, who is she?"

"She's Karenina's identical twin sister," she replied weakly. It was a fact that Gerald had suspected earlier and had now confirmed. So, all this time, his future wife had an identical twin sister, a fact kept hidden from the public. Gerald was certain that there were more facts he would uncover if his assistant succeeded in his task.

Gerald could only smile to himself. He would wait and act accordingly based on the information he would gather.