After I started dating Alexander Sterling, I overheard him talking to his identical twin brother, Caleb: "Alex, come on. Let me swap in for you and have a little fun with Elena. She’ll never know." Alexander’s response was cold, indifferent: "I don’t care. Do whatever you want." I pretended I hadn't heard. I stayed. I kept playing the part of the devoted girlfriend to the "wrong" twin. But later, when Alexander saw the bruises on my neck—marks Caleb had left—he finally snapped. He grabbed his brother by the throat, his eyes burning with a terrifying madness: "Who the hell gave you permission to touch her?!" 01 Late at night, after I’d just stepped out of the shower, my phone buzzed. It was a text from Alexander. A pinned location for an ultra-exclusive, members-only club downtown. I gripped the phone, my knuckles turning white. Before I could even type a reply, a second message popped up: “Don’t make me wait, Elena.” I let out a shaky breath and typed back: “On my way.” I threw on my clothes as fast as I could. As I stepped out of the bathroom, I ran into my stepfather, Rick. He was leaning against the doorframe, his eyes glassy with that familiar, nauseating hunger. He blew a cloud of cigarette smoke into the cramped hallway. "Dressing up late at night? Where do you think you’re going, princess?" He stepped toward me. I could smell the stale beer on his breath. I retreated a few steps, creating distance. "Alexander is expecting me," I said, my voice cold. At the mention of that name, Rick froze. The predatory smirk faltered. He knew Alexander Sterling wasn't someone to mess with. I took the opportunity to bolt past him toward the front door. "You think you're untouchable just because you found a billionaire's son to hide behind?" Rick spat at my back. "Wait until he gets bored of you. I'll still be here." I looked back at him, my hand on the doorknob. "Are you willing to bet your life on that?" I slammed the door before he could respond. 02 The club was the kind of place where the furniture cost more than my college tuition. Everyone inside was draped in designer labels and old money. In my simple hoodie and jeans, I felt like a glitch in the system. A server led me toward a private VIP suite on the top floor. Before he could open the door, voices filtered through the mahogany. "Come on, Alex. I heard Elena is totally wrapped around your finger." "Let me swap in. Let me play the boyfriend for a few nights." Laughter erupted inside. "Damn, Caleb. You’re really trying to steal your brother’s girl?" "You don’t get it," someone else chimed in. "That girl is pure. She makes him home-cooked meals, reminds him to take his vitamins... she's that old-school devoted type. Who wouldn't want a piece of that?" "Would Alex really let you?" "Are you kidding? They’ve shared everything since they were kids. It’s just another game to them." Then, Alexander’s voice—deep, resonant, and utterly heartless—cut through the noise: "Fine. Consider it your welcome-home gift." The room erupted in cheers. The server looked at me, his face a mask of professional awkwardness. I didn't flinch. I didn't cry. I smiled at the server, straightened my shoulders, and pushed the door open. I hadn't approached Alexander Sterling for love. I had approached him for a shield. To ensure I wasn't bullied at school and to keep my stepfather's hands off me at home. When you're drowning in a shark tank, you don't care who throws you the rope. You just climb. 03 The golden boys in the room whistled as I walked in. They looked at me like I was a toy on a shelf. I kept a soft, gentle smile on my face as I walked toward the center of the lounge. Alexander and Caleb were sitting side-by-side. They had the same face—chiseled, pale, and dangerously handsome. To anyone else, they were identical. But I knew the difference. Alexander was a storm—heavy, oppressive, and dark. Caleb was a wildfire—reckless and sharp. "Elena. You’re here." A hand reached out and pulled me down onto the sofa. I looked at the man holding me. It was Caleb. I knew, and yet I leaned into him. It didn't matter which twin it was, as long as the Sterling name protected me until I finished my exams and escaped my hellhole of a home. "This is my brother, Caleb," the man said, interlacing his fingers with mine. I saw the real Alexander flinch slightly at the introduction, but he quickly masked it with a nod. I looked at Caleb with adoring eyes. "Alex, honey, I bought some electrolytes for you on the way. You've been drinking too much. Why don't you take one?" I had said this to the real Alexander many times. Caleb looked at the bottle in my hand, his lips curling into a smirk. "Sure, baby. Feed it to me." In my peripheral vision, I saw Alexander. He had a cigarette between his fingers, but he wasn't smoking. He was just staring at us. 04 As the night went on, someone suggested a game. "Kings. High card makes a rule." Caleb and I both drew. "Looks like the couple wins," a guy laughed. He was a friend of the brothers, clearly in on the swap. Caleb leaned in, his hand gripping my chin, pulling me in for a kiss. Suddenly, a loud crash echoed through the room. Alexander had kicked the coffee table. He stood up, looking down at us with eyes like cold steel. "I’m tired. We’re done here." Caleb stopped an inch from my lips. His eyes darkened. After a long moment, he let go of me and stood up. "Right. I forgot you just got back, Caleb," Alexander said, his voice dripping with irony. As we headed for the door, I reached out and zipped up Caleb’s jacket. "The wind is cold tonight. You just got over that fever, don't get sick again." I said it while Alexander was standing right behind his brother, watching me. I had spent three days at Alexander's penthouse last week, nursing him through that fever, making him soup, and making sure he slept. "Elena. Let's go home," Caleb said, pulling me into a hug. As I turned to leave with Caleb, the real Alexander finally spoke: "Elena." I stopped and looked back at him like he was a total stranger. "Who is it that you actually love?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous. I lowered my eyes to hide the mockery in them, then looked up at Caleb. "I love Alexander. The man I love is Alexander Sterling." I watched Caleb's expression turn cold at my words, even though he had to keep playing the part. 05 Alexander thought I loved him. Everyone in his circle thought I was obsessed with him. They had no idea that my life was a carefully constructed lie designed specifically for him. I was a survivor. If cancer hadn't taken my father when I was twelve, I would have been just another girl raised with love. My biological mother died when I was young, but my first stepmother—my dad’s second wife—had been kind. She made me cookies and told me stories. Then, on my 12th birthday, my dad collapsed. Stage four. A year later, he was gone. I remember him holding my hand in the hospital, wiping away my tears. "I’m sorry, Elena. I couldn't give you your 13th birthday cake." "Don't be mad at me for leaving, okay?" I couldn't speak. I just shook my head. I didn't want cake. I wanted him. But the clock stopped. His last words were: "You have to live, Elena. Whatever it takes." Then the clouds moved in. My stepmother lost everything in a bad investment. I became a burden. My relatives didn't want me. Then she remarried. She married Rick. The day we moved into his house, Rick used a spare key to open my bedroom door while I was sleeping. I ran to tell my stepmother. She slapped me. "Don't start rumors. He was just checking to see if you were cold. If you ruin this marriage, you're on the street." From then on, I pushed a desk against my door every night. I stood by the bed in the dark, holding a pair of scissors, watching the doorknob turn. Once. Twice. Three times. School became my only sanctuary. Until it became a different kind of hell. I was a straight-A student. After one midterm where I topped the class, I was dragged into the girl's locker room and had a bucket of ice water poured over me. The ringleader was Tiffany Mills. "Elena, because of you, I got a B. Do you know how much my dad hit me for that?" Tiffany gripped my chin, looking at me like I was a cockroach. Her friends stood around, counting the seconds between each slap they gave me. When I told the principal, he just said: "Tiffany is a star student from a wealthy family. She wouldn't do that. You girls need to learn to get along." As I left the office, I saw a group of boys walking down the hall. Everyone stepped aside for them. The leader was Alexander Sterling. 06 I started observing him. Collecting data. I waited outside a bar he frequented until I saw him come out alone, looking drunk and miserable. I walked up to him, making sure he could see my school ID. I handed him a pack of mints. "You look like you're hurting. These help with the nausea. Want one?" Alexander looked up, his dark eyes intense. When he didn't answer, I took his hand and placed the mints in his palm. "Don't worry. They're sweet." He looked me up and down. "In a school uniform at a bar?" I blushed. "I... I was worried about you." He leaned back and smirked. "Are you stalking me?" I nodded sheepishly. "I'm sorry. I just didn't want you to be alone while you were drunk." "You like me?" I bit my lip and nodded again. "Yes. I’ll be good to you, Alexander." He paused, then reached out and flicked my ID card. "Elena Vance. Class 3." "I’ll give you a chance," he said dismissively. Before I could react, he kissed me. It was hard, almost desperate. When he let go, he said, "Remember to breathe next time. Go home. Don't come back here." As soon as he turned away, the shyness vanished from my face. I wiped my mouth. The plan was in motion. 07 The next time Tiffany Mills tried to corner me, Alexander showed up. The door to the storage room was kicked open. Alexander stood there with his security team, his expression freezing. That was the first time I saw Tiffany Mills lose her cool. She was forced to her knees and slapped repeatedly by his staff. "Tiffany, if you’re going to hit a dog, you have to check who the owner is first." Alexander pulled me into his arms, looking down at Tiffany with pure disdain. A dog. That’s all I was to him. A loyal, obedient pet. When he dropped me off at home that day, we ran into Rick. When Rick saw me getting out of a luxury car, he grabbed my hair. "You little slut! Acting all pure and innocent with me, and you're out here turning tricks!" Before he could finish, a bodyguard crushed Rick’s wrist. Rick was kicked to the ground and beaten until he couldn't scream. He spent a month in the hospital. I calculated the time I had left until graduation. I played the part of the doting girlfriend perfectly. I ignored his flings and his coldness. I didn't need his love. I needed his shadow. I became the girl who stayed the longest. People whispered that Alexander actually had feelings for me. Until tonight. Tonight, they realized he didn't have feelings at all. I was just a toy he could hand over to his brother. But I didn't care. Because very soon, I was going to leave them all behind. 08 "Elena, you’ve been daydreaming this whole drive." Caleb’s voice snapped me back to reality. We were in front of a luxury apartment. I put on a confused face. "Alex? Did you move?" Caleb seemed annoyed by the name. He gripped my hand harder. "Yeah. I have a lot of places." Inside, he pinned me against the sofa. "What were you thinking about?" "I was thinking about what kind of soup to make for your stomach," I said softly. Caleb’s eyes softened. "Good girl." He kissed my wrist, then looked at me, his voice husky. "Elena. Who am I?" "You're Alexander." He bit my wrist. Hard. "Ow! Why did you do that?" I faked the pain. "Who am I?" "Alexander," I whispered, biting my lip. He bit my neck this time, like a predator marking its kill. Ding-dong. Ding-dong. The doorbell rang incessantly. Caleb cursed and went to open it. "What are you doing here?" Alexander pushed past Caleb and walked straight to me. "The game is over," Alexander said, standing over me. "That's no fun," Caleb smirked. Alexander didn't waste time. He pulled me up from the sofa. The bite mark on my neck was staring him in the face. His expression went dead. It was the silence before a hurricane. Bang! Alexander slammed Caleb against the wall, his hand around his brother's throat. "You’ve been away too long. You forgot the rules?" "Who the hell gave you permission to touch her?!" 09 Alexander was out of control. This was a side of him I’d never seen. Caleb seemed surprised too. He choked out a laugh. "Why so sensitive, bro? You're the one who sent her to me. Don't act like the good guy now." Alexander’s veins were bulging in his arms. After a few seconds, he let go. Caleb rubbed his neck and waved at me. "Hey, Elena. Let's re-introduce ourselves. I’m Caleb." He wasn't embarrassed. He just laughed. Alexander stepped in front of me, blocking my view of his brother. I couldn't read his eyes, but I knew exactly what emotion I needed to show. I looked at Alexander, tears streaming down my face. I didn't yell. I just whispered: "Did I do something wrong? Do you not want me anymore?" I saw his Adam's apple bob. Then, he pulled me into a warm, tight hug. "I’m taking you home." His voice was low and surprisingly gentle. Behind his shoulder, I saw Caleb’s smile fade. His dark eyes were unreadable as he watched us. "The game is over," Alexander said as he led me out. "Stay away from her." Caleb leaned against a table, hands in his pockets. "I can't promise that, Alex. You know we used to share everything. You never cared before." "Shut your mouth," Alexander warned. Caleb just snapped his fingers at me. "Remember the name, Elena. Don't call me by his name next time."
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