Chapter 3 3

Celine

When we arrived at the waiting black car, Jace carefully put me in the back seat. I didn't even have time to see what car brand it was, but it was a beautiful luxury car. He told the driver, "Roy, take us to the reception venue."

"Alright, boss," came the calm response from the driver. I sat there nervously as Jace and I sat in the rear.

I shifted away from him, but I remembered that I had to pretend I was my twin sister.

Jace didn't say anything as he looked at my face and held my palm in his.

"How do you feel about this day, my love?" he asked me. I opened my mouth to speak, thinking of what Clara would have said if she were the one.

I was still overwhelmed, so I told him the truth. "I'm just overwhelmed."

"Why is that? You didn't believe me when I told you I would marry you and no one else. I love you, Clara, and I meant every word I used to confess my feelings to you. So you don't have to be afraid, thinking this marriage is a trap. And I will always support your modeling career. How about your twin sister? I didn't see her at the wedding?"

Jace looked at my face lovingly, and I knew this was the right time for me to tell him I wasn't Clara, his woman. But I recalled my father's warning that Jace would deal with all of us if he found out Clara had fled before her wedding day with him.

"Clara," he called my sister's name, and I snapped out of it, reminding myself that my new name was Clara.

"Yes. Celine traveled to help me cover for my modeling shoot abroad. You know I told you it means so much to me, so she had to travel in my place. That's why she couldn't attend our wedding." I faked a smile and met Jace's gaze. His black, curious eyes held my blue ones, and he smiled.

"Alright. I know you said your sister normally covers for you, but you should have allowed her to attend our wedding at least." Jace said, drawing closer to me in the rear as he kissed my neck.

I gulped hard and said, "It doesn't change anything. As long as I'm here with you."

"I know, but a wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime day. You shouldn't have sent Celine away. Maybe after our wedding, she could have traveled. You never let me meet your sister, you know." Jace spoke to me once more, and my jaw dropped as I looked at his handsome face in shock.

I recalled that each time Clara asked me to accompany her to see her billionaire boyfriend at his house, I normally refused.

"Yes. You don't have to worry about Celine. She'll get to meet you once she's back," I lied.

"How about her bakery shop? I haven't gone there, but you said she has a shop. Wouldn't her bakery foods spoil or the business experience momentary losses now that she traveled for your modeling?" Jace looked concerned about me, and I felt bad that I had spoken so badly about him before, when he was a gentleman despite his wealth. I had thought of him as an arrogant billionaire, and I was similarly angry because my parents rejected my marriage to Martin Enzo, my boyfriend.

"About Celine's shop, I'll go there for her until she's back to take over her business," I told Jace as the car pulled to a stop at the reception venue-a magnificent white hotel in the city.

"Can you cook?" Jace asked me in shock, and I smiled.

"I can try," I lied, knowing that Clara hated the kitchen and didn't like to cook.

"Alright." Jace agreed as he said, "We've arrived. Let's go in."

I sighed and got out of the car with him as we went into the hotel for the wedding reception.

***

The wedding reception ceremony was lively and more crowded than I had expected. Media crews were recording us, and many top celebrities attended the wedding, congratulating Jace and me.

They obviously thought I was my famous twin sister, and I had to pretend I was her, wondering how Clara was faring abroad.

How did Clara feel, knowing I was taking her place as the bride?

It wasn't like I had snatched Jace; Clara was the one who put me in this tight situation to marry her fiancé.

Jace and I were invited on stage by the MC to cut the huge white cake that had almost eight layers. I smiled, knowing I was the one who had baked this lovely white cake for my twin sister's wedding.

My best friend, Ava Kingsley, was present as my assistant to help me ice the cake and make it ready for the wedding reception.

"Three, two, one, go!" the MC squealed, and Jace held my right hand gently as he sliced the huge cake in two.

Once we cut the cake, the audience erupted in a round of applause for us, and I wanted to step away from Jace as I was still overwhelmed.

At one point, it felt like I was the one getting married. But then, I wasn't the real bride-Clara was.

Jace wrapped his arms around my waist as the DJ changed the music to a love song for us. The MC invited Jace and me on stage once more to dance while the guests cheered us and brought numerous gifts and checks for us.

I was so nervous; I hadn't expected this kind of elaborate wedding.

How could Clara give up her wedding day for work? I shut my eyes, but I felt Jace bring his face closer to mine and whisper in my left ear.

"Open your eyes, Clara." He looked at my face once my eyes fluttered open, and I hadn't expected the ceremony to be this way.

I wasn't the media type of person. I mostly lay low, not the public figure. The lavish wedding made me sick because I knew it was fake. I felt quite emotional, and Jace pulled me into a warm hug and kissed my forehead tenderly.

Tears welled up in my eyes, and he whispered in my ear, "What's wrong, babe? Should we go home? If you're tired of the wedding reception, you should let me know."

"No, I'm okay." I smiled at him sadly, knowing this was supposed to be his and Clara's happy day. I tried not to think of what the future held for us, as I didn't even know when Clara would be back.

I promised myself not to fall in love with my sister's fiancé. He was her husband now, so I tried to dance and act like I was Clara. Besides, the wedding invitation was 'Clara weds Jace', and now it was 'Celine weds Jace'. But he was so kind that I didn't think my sister deserved him.

An honest woman does-not me or her.

The wedding reception came to an end, and Jace took me back to the black limousine and said, "We're going for our honeymoon, babe. Happy marriage to us!"

Jace brought out a champagne bottled drink from the car's fridge and popped it open.

"Oh no! I don't drink champagne," I pondered. Well, for my twin sister's sake, I had to sacrifice and do what her husband wanted.