In Love With A Twin FACED CEO

Claire's POV

The living room felt smaller when Dad held my hands like this. His grip was warm but firm, and I could see that look in his eyes again. The one that meant he had plans for my life.

"Claire Smith my daughter, I want nothing but the best for you," Dad whispered.

I knew where this was going. All my life I had been living to please him, and now he was about to ask for something else. Why couldn't he just let me breathe for once?

"Do you remember Desmond Baggins, your senior and childhood friend? The son of Doctor Charles, my best friend who owns the second biggest lab in the city."

Of course I remembered Desmond. How could I forget him? But I wasn't about to make this easy for Dad.

"Claire! Can't you hear me?" Dad snapped when I didn't respond right away.

"Yes dad, sorry about that. I got lost in thoughts. Yes I remember him. What about him? I hope all is well?"

Dad's face relaxed. "All is well Claire. You know their family is well recognized for their impact in the city. Did you know that he kept the family business going? He's now a doctor. It would make me happy if you go visit him today."

"Congratulations to him, that's good news," I said, trying to sound casual even though my stomach was twisting.

"Yeah he's really handsome. I think you both should catch up since it's been a while. You don't really know where this boat of reunion might land. It wouldn't be bad if you both become something more. Oh apologies for saying too much. You both should just catch up for old times sake. You can't tell what will happen, you know?"

My skin crawled. "That's gross dad. We are just friends with no strings attached."

"I know but it wouldn't be so bad if you guys were more than friends. I would love it if you guys would be more than just friends because he's the best guy I want for you. He's a doctor and a scientist too, and he's the son of my best friend. If you guys get to know each other and perhaps you fall in love with him, it'll pave more ways for our family. Don't you think so?"

I nodded just to end this conversation, even though everything inside me was screaming no. I swore to myself right then that I would never make the mistake of falling in love with anyone just to please my dad.

"I'll go see him shortly dad, since it's what will make you happy."

Dad smiled and left me alone. I sat there thinking about what he had said, and finally decided I might as well get this visit over with.

When I arrived at Desmond's house, his maid opened the door. The moment I saw her face, my breath caught in my throat. Her face was bruised and swollen, purple marks spreading across her cheek like spilled ink.

I wanted to ask what happened but this wasn't my house and it wasn't my business. At least that's what I told myself as I stepped inside.

"Please sit down ma'am while I call him. Would you like to have anything?" she whispered. Her voice was croaky and I could hear tears threatening to break through.

Poor girl. She looked so troubled. I wished I could help her, but then again, maybe I could help her.

"Ma'am are you ok? I asked if I could offer you anything," she said again, this time louder.

"Oh sorry dear, I was lost in thoughts. Yes I'd love pancakes thank you."

I kept watching her as she moved around the room. The injuries weren't just on her face. Her arms had marks too, and the way she walked told me there were probably more bruises hidden under her clothes. Someone was hurting this girl, and I had a terrible feeling I knew who.

Suddenly I felt someone grab the back of my neck with enough force to make me gasp.

"Who the hell is that?" I yelled, spinning around.

The face that stared back at me was older now but still unmistakable. Desmond Baggins, my childhood friend.

The same Desmond who had almost beaten a boy to death when we were nine years old. I had told my dad about it that day, but he hadn't believed me. Now he wanted me to marry this monster.

Looking at the maid's bruises, everything made perfect sense.

"It's me Desmond! My beautiful long time friend. To what do I owe this visit?" he said, his smile too wide.

"Is that why you gripped me like that? Please don't try that again," I snapped.

"I'm sorry for startling you. I've missed you so much, it's been a while."

As I looked around the room more carefully, I noticed the portraits on the walls. Half naked women in compromising positions with men. The images made my skin crawl and I stood up immediately.

"Can I use the bathroom please?"

"Of course sweetheart, you're free. Olivia come take her to the bathroom! Be fast!" he yelled.

"Ok Sir!" Olivia replied, and there was something in her voice that sounded like pure terror.

"Shut your mouth! How many times have I warned you to stop calling me sir?" Desmond snapped at her, pointing his finger right at her face.

"I don't understand Desmond. Is there anything wrong with her respecting you?" I said, unable to keep quiet anymore.

"Stay out of this Claire, it's none of your business," he snapped back, his eyes flashing with anger.

"Olivia, come take me to the toilet. I don't have all day. I have somewhere to be right now."

She hurried ahead of me to show the way. Once we were alone in the bathroom, I pulled out a pen and wrote on a piece of paper.

"I will send someone to take you out of here. Just pack up your things and get ready."

I handed her the note and left the house immediately.

When I got home, the silence hit me like a wave.

"No one is home, that's perfect," I said out loud, and my voice echoed through the empty rooms.

I settled into the living room couch with a glass of Glenfiddich scotch and put on some Elle Goulding. "Let Me Love You" filled the space around me as I waited for my friends to arrive for the blind date they had promised me.

I closed my eyes and let myself imagine a different life. A life where I chased my own dreams instead of following daddy's instructions.

It was a beautiful thought, but that's all it would ever be. My father was too strict to ever let me have that kind of freedom.

I kept sipping the scotch while watching Grown-ish on TV. The show made me thirsty for exploration and freedom, but in my world that was just a fairytale.

Matilda, Ciara and Eliana were basically the only friends I had. My parents didn't approve of our friendship, but that wouldn't stop me from seeing them.

Since my parents were always busy with work and hardly ever home, my friends came over to keep me company so I wouldn't die of boredom.

After a few hours, I heard a car engine outside. Excitement shot through me like lightning. I knew it had to be my friends.

I rushed to the window to check. Someone was waving at me from the car, and even though I couldn't make out the face clearly, I knew it was one of them.

"Claire! Hurry up! Come downstairs, let's go!"

I recognized Matilda's voice instantly. I hurried upstairs to change clothes and put on some perfume that would drive men crazy.

Standing in front of the mirror, I saw my mother's reflection staring back at me. Her charming smile and hazy eyes lived on in my face.

"I am ready to be my mother's daughter," I whispered to myself. "It's time for me to spread my wings. I don't care what my parents do to me when they come home."

I rushed downstairs and out of the house. My three friends jumped out of the car and wrapped me in the tightest hug.

"Take it easy please, don't suffocate me. You know this is my lucky day and I want to enjoy the fresh air of the outside world. My parents lock me up at home like a princess waiting to be rescued by her charming prince."

I could see the excitement in their faces. They had been planning something special.

"Claire let's go, your surprise can't wait!" Ciara yelled. She was the curvy one in our group, always full of energy. She grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the car.

My heart started racing. I couldn't stop thinking about what this surprise might be.

The drive wasn't very long, but it felt magical. I hadn't been outside in such a long time that this felt like a dream coming true. The windows were down and the wind was whipping through my hair, and for the first time in months I felt truly alive.

We pulled up to The Cosmopolitan, one of the most beautiful restaurants in town. Goosebumps spread across my entire body as we got out of the car.

We walked into the restaurant like we owned the place, like we were the girls from Charlie's Angels. Everyone inside was wearing blindfolds, but our arrival created such a stir that people were trying to peek at us through the fabric covering their eyes.

We became the center of attention within seconds. I could feel the tension in the air shifting toward us. The women at other tables were shooting daggers at us through their blindfolds as their dates kept turning to stare.

Suddenly my friends tied a blindfold around my eyes. This caught me off guard, but I couldn't really complain since this was literally a blind date and blindfolds were part of the whole experience.

They all put their blindfolds on too. After a few minutes, I felt around until I found a chair and sat down carefully.

"There goes your surprise!" their voices said in unison.

I waited, my heart pounding against my ribs. Minutes passed like hours.

Then I felt someone's hand touch my shoulder, gentle but confident.

"Who could this be? What kind of surprise is this? What are my friends up to? I just hope they don't get me into trouble," I whispered to myself, but the words got lost under the sound of my own racing heartbeat.

Claire's POV

I sat there waiting and my mind kept racing with questions about what kind of games my friends had planned for tonight. The blindfold felt strange against my skin but I tried to stay calm.

"You look so beautiful in this blindfold," someone said close to my ear. His voice was deep and masculine.

"Who are you?" I asked but got no answer. "Who are you?" I repeated.

"I'm Alias Dave-Don Carlos, son of Marcel Huston Carlos," he whispered back.

Those names hit me like lightning. There was something about the way they rolled off his tongue that made my heart skip a beat.

"Wow, that's a lot of names!" I said louder than I meant to.

"Yes, Dave is short for David meaning dearly beloved while Alias means lion. Don means Boss and Carlos means Strong. Together they mean 'The beloved Lion and powerful Boss.'"

"That explains the dominant voice you have," I whispered back. I could hear him shifting closer and the sound of fabric moving as he unbuttoned something.

"You can say that again," he said.

The surname Carlos rang a bell in my head. I remembered one of my friends mentioning it during our gossip sessions at school.

"Wait, are you the son of Carlos Pharmaceuticals?" I asked while my eyes moved restlessly behind the blindfold.

"Yes I'm his only son but I have a younger sister too," he whispered.

My heart started pounding harder because I suddenly remembered seeing him and his father on television commercials when I was seventeen. I had been crushing on him ever since and always wished I could meet him in person. Could this really be happening right now?

"What's your beautiful name if you don't mind me asking?" he said.

I hesitated for a moment because my thoughts were spinning but then I answered.

"My name is Claire Smith."

"Really? There's only one Smith family that everyone knows. They're the most recognized family in Las Vegas. Wait a minute, are you the daughter of Edmund Smith, one of the richest and most respected scientists in Las Vegas? He owns one of the first labs here and his achievements have been all over the Vegas spotlight for years. If he's your dad that means you're also the daughter of Felicia Smith who owns Felicia Fragrance and Co. She's actually my role model because I love creating perfumes even though I'm still learning. Are you really one of them?"

"Yes, I am, The first daughter of Mr and Mrs Smith and I have two sisters but sadly no brothers," I said and my voice sounded sadder than I wanted it to.

"It's such a pleasure to meet you. I know you probably have a box full of wishes and one of them would be having a brother," he whispered.

The way his voice sounded made my whole body react in ways I wasn't expecting. Even though I couldn't see his face clearly yet I was already lost in my imagination about what he might look like.

"You're absolutely right. I do have a lot of wishes but the one that ranks highest is wanting a brother."

"Your name suits your beauty though I can't see your face clearly yet. I'm already charmed by the little I've seen," he whispered and I heard him removing his blindfold.

His words had me completely under his spell so I reached up and gently pulled off my own blindfold.

The moment I saw his face I realized he was even more handsome than I remembered from those commercials.

Something about his hazy brown eyes and pointed nose made my breath catch. His muscle build was obvious even under his shirt and I could see part of his chest where his shirt had come unbuttoned.

The tight fabric showed off his physique in a way that made heat spread through my body.

When he pulled off his blindfold the way his lips moved caught me completely off guard.

Then he licked his lips while staring at me.

"Are you okay Claire?" he asked while still running his tongue across his lips in a way that made my pulse race.

I sat there completely lost in his gaze. His smile was brief but it was the most seductive thing I had ever seen and it took my breath away.

"Are you okay Claire?" he asked again and this time his voice was louder.

His question snapped me back to reality from wherever my imagination had taken me.

"I'm okay I'm just..." I started but couldn't finish the sentence.

"You're nervous I guess. I understand completely. It's alright. Can you tell me more about yourself?" he asked while his eyes never left mine.

I waited a few moments before answering because my heart was still racing.

"You already know my name. I'm a writer and I've written more than a hundred books but I'm currently working on a romance masterpiece that I'll be launching soon. I also love reading books and I'm an aspiring fashion designer. I design unisex clothes.

I have several wishes on my list. I want to be free from my parents because they control everything in my life. I want to get a masters in fashion design and I want to own a fashion brand.

I also want to be a renowned writer and someday I want to own a library filled with my own books," I whispered while watching his face anxiously for his reaction.

"You're a writer? That's incredible! A hundred books isn't just an achievement, it's a major milestone! You must be so passionate about writing! Congratulations and keep it up Claire!"

His words filled me with encouragement and lit a fire of determination inside me that I thought I had lost completely.

"Thanks for the encouragement. I really appreciate it," I whispered.

"You're welcome but that's quite a list of wishes so I stand corrected. It's not just a box of wishes, it's more like a catalog of wishes because you said you had two but you mentioned way more than two.

I totally understand that every human being has lots of wishes but sadly not all of them get granted. I'm not saying you should give up hope but you might get lucky," he replied.

His words felt heavy because I knew my wishes probably sounded impossible but I wasn't ready to give up hope just yet.

As we looked into each other's eyes I could see how eager he was to know more about me but I wanted to learn about him too.

"It's your turn now, handsome. Tell me about yourself, your dreams and wishes."

"Okay Claire darling. The obstacles fighting against my dreams and wishes are actually similar to yours," he whispered while raising his eyebrows in a way that left me completely in suspense.

"How similar? Please tell me because I'm all ears," I said curiously.

"Let me give you a glimpse into my world. My family isn't a picture perfect family. Many people see me and think that because my family has wealth I've been given freedom to chase my career, dreams and passions.

They don't realize that behind the curtains of riches there's an ugly chain of loneliness and bondage," he whispered and the low tone of his voice showed me how much pain he was feeling.

"Tell me more. I'm curious," I whispered back.

He gently took my hands and helped me stand up while he got to his feet too.

"Dance with me Claire while I continue," he whispered.

He put his right hand around my waist while I placed my right hand on his shoulder.

When he held my waist he squeezed it gently and raised his eyebrows again.

As we danced to slow music playing in the background he continued talking.

"Just like you I have a long list of wishes. I'm twenty nine years old and all my life I've been living to please my parents.

I've always wanted to be an artist and I dream of owning my own art gallery someday.

I also wish to become a perfumer because I've admired your mother's brand for a long time like I told you earlier.

I love creating perfumes with chemicals I buy with my allowance but my dad wants me to take over his pharmaceutical company," he whispered and tears started rolling down his cheeks.

I pulled a handkerchief from my bag and wiped them away.

His story didn't just touch me, it completely matched mine in so many ways.

"Sometimes I ask myself if I'm living my life for my parents instead of for myself," I whispered to him.

"I ask myself that same question every day. My dad forced me to study pharmacy after high school and he didn't care about what I wanted to do.

I had no choice so I did what he wanted but he still wasn't satisfied. He keeps reminding me about the family business even now," he whispered and his voice was full of tears.

This part of his story was exactly like mine so I could feel every bit of pain in his voice.

"I'm really sorry. I just don't understand why our parents won't let us choose our own careers. This is the twenty-first century for crying out loud!"

"I don't get it either," he whispered while gently squeezing my waist again.

He smiled and raised his eyebrows before his hands gradually moved to my backside. He squeezed firmly which made me shiver all over.

"Easy tiger, you're moving too fast," I whispered but he just smiled again and squeezed harder. This time I felt his entire body pressed against mine.

As we stared at each other and danced slowly to the music his dominance over my body made me want him more than I had ever wanted anyone.

Suddenly a phone started ringing. At first we ignored it and kept dancing but the sound wouldn't stop.

The ringing was getting louder and more annoying by the second.

He let go of me and whispered, "I think it's mine."

He reached into his bag and pulled out his phone. He gave me a strange look before speaking again.

"Can I take this please?" His voice sounded urgent.

"Go ahead," I replied.

He answered the call and walked away from me.

I sat down at the dinner table and watched my friends dancing with their dates while I waited for him to come back.

Twenty minutes passed and I started wondering what kind of emergency call could take this long. I wanted to go check on him but I figured it must be something urgent.

An entire hour went by and I became really worried. What kind of emergency call lasts this long? I couldn't sit still anymore so I got up from my chair and headed outside the restaurant hoping to find him.

When I got outside he was nowhere to be found. He had completely vanished without a trace.

"What could be the reason? Was the call really that urgent? He should have told me he wasn't coming back because now he's left me in a completely confused state. What am I supposed to do now?" I whispered to myself while looking around the empty street

Claire's POV

I stood there watching the empty space where David Don Carlos had been just moments before.

He had vanished without any explanation and left me standing like a fool in the middle of the restaurant.

Something about his sudden departure felt wrong but I couldn't put my finger on it which bothered me the most.

The whole situation made my stomach twist with unease so I decided to find my friends and tell them what had happened.

Maybe they could help me make sense of David's strange behavior.

I spotted Ciara, Matilda, and Eliana sitting at our usual table near the window and walked over to them with quick steps.

"David just disappeared on me," I said as I approached their table. "He got a phone call and then told me he had to leave immediately.

Their faces showed no surprise at all. No shock, no confusion, nothing. They just exchanged glances with each other like they had been expecting this news.

"Wait a minute," I said and crossed my arms.

"You three don't look surprised at all. What's going on here? Did you know this was going to happen?"

Matilda shifted in her seat and avoided looking directly at me. "Calm down Claire. Let us explain what we know."

"I'm listening," I said and sat down across from them.

"Look, that guy has a reputation for doing exactly what he just did to you," Matilda said.

"He disappears on people all the time but this might have been because of some emergency. Eliana saw him after he got that phone call and she said he looked really shaken up."

Eliana nodded quickly. "I felt sick during dinner so I went outside to get some fresh air.

That's when I saw him finishing up his phone call and he was trembling like he'd seen a ghost. I wanted to ask if he was okay but I didn't want to intrude on his privacy."

Their story sounded rehearsed and their body language told me they were holding something back.

I had known these girls since we were kids and I could tell when they were lying to me.

"You three have been my best friends for years," I said and leaned forward. "But right now I don't believe a single word coming out of your mouth. What aren't you telling me?"

All three of them frowned at my accusation but Ciara's expression softened after a moment.

"She's right," Ciara said to the others. "We can't keep lying to her face when she already knows we're not being honest. Claire deserves to know the truth."

"I knew you were hiding something," I said and felt my pulse quicken.

"Before you tell me what's really going on, I need to know something else.

When you girls invited me here tonight and said you had a surprise for me, David was that surprise, wasn't he? And if he was, then I need you to tell me everything you know about him because something about that man doesn't sit right with me. Who exactly is David Don Carlos?"

Matilda's eyes went wide and she started laughing like I had just told the funniest joke she'd ever heard

"Wait a minute," she said between giggles. "Are you falling for him already? Claire, you just met the guy tonight!"

Heat rushed to my cheeks and I felt my temper flare. "What's so funny about what I just said? Stop laughing at me and tell me what I need to know!"

"Sorry," Matilda said and tried to compose herself. "We don't know everything about David but we've heard some things from people who would know."

"What kind of things?" I asked and studied Ciara's face for any signs of deception.

"He's a player who never commits to any woman for more than a few weeks," Ciara said in a low voice.

"But that's not the worst part. We've heard rumors that he's involved in drug trafficking and might even run his own organization."

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. My body temperature seemed to drop several degrees and I felt like I might be sick.

Part of me wanted to argue that the rumors couldn't be true but David's disappearing act tonight made their story seem more believable.

I couldn't handle sitting there anymore listening to more details about David's supposed criminal activities.

Without saying another word to my friends, I stood up and walked out of the restaurant.

The cool night air hit my face as I stepped onto the sidewalk and raised my hand to flag down a taxi.

A yellow cab pulled up to the curb within minutes and I climbed into the back seat.

"Where to?" the driver asked.

"Maple Street," I said and gave him my address.

As we drove through downtown, I stared out the window trying to process everything my friends had told me about David.

The city lights blurred past us but then something caught my attention that made me sit up straight.

A man and woman were walking on the sidewalk just ahead of us.

The man had his arm wrapped around the woman's waist and something about his face looked familiar.

"Could you slow down a bit?" I asked the driver. "I think I recognize someone."

The taxi slowed to a crawl and I pressed my face against the window to get a better look.

My heart nearly stopped when I realized who I was looking at.

David Don Carlos was walking with a brunette woman who looked nothing like me.

As I watched in horror, he pulled her close and kissed her with the same passion he had shown me just hours earlier.

Seeing David with another woman so soon after our date confirmed every suspicion I'd had about him.

My friends had been right about his reputation and now I had proof that he was exactly the kind of man they had warned me about.

"Please drive faster," I told the cab driver. "My parents are expecting me home soon."

The driver pressed down on the accelerator and we picked up speed as we headed toward my neighborhood.

I was trying to forget the image of David kissing that other woman when I felt our car suddenly swerve to the right.

"What's happening?" I asked and grabbed onto the door handle.

"Something's wrong with the brakes," the driver said and his voice was filled with panic. "I can't get them to work!"

I looked up through the windshield and saw a large van heading straight toward us.

The van's headlights were getting brighter and closer with each second that passed.

"Can't you steer away from it?" I shouted.

"I'm trying but the steering wheel isn't responding either," the driver yelled back.

The van slammed into the front of our taxi with tremendous force. The impact sent our car spinning backward and we rolled over several times before finally coming to rest on our side.

Everything went black for what felt like hours but was probably only minutes.

When I opened my eyes again, I could taste blood in my mouth and felt sharp pains shooting through my ribs and left arm.

I tried to look over at the driver to see if he was conscious but my vision was too blurry to make out his condition.

Through the cracked windshield, I could see people gathering around our overturned taxi but their faces were just shadows to me.

My eyelids felt heavy and I struggled to keep them open.

The voices outside the car sounded muffled and far away like I was hearing them from underwater.

Then everything went dark again and I lost consciousness completely.

When I woke up, I was lying on a hard surface in complete darkness.

The air around me felt cold and damp like I was in a basement or warehouse somewhere.

"Where am I?" I whispered to myself. "Am I dead? Please tell me I'm not dead."

I tried to sit up but my body ached everywhere and I could barely move my left arm.

The darkness was so complete that I couldn't see my own hand when I held it up in front of my face.

Fear crept through my chest as I realsized I had no idea where I was or how I had gotten there. The last thing I remembered was the taxi accident and now I was somewhere completely unfamiliar with no memory of how I had arrived.