I swallowed my fury.

Dennis had played me for a fool, but I refused to let him see my anger. Instead, I smiled, laughed, and pretended nothing had changed. I studied his routine, memorized his schedules, and mapped out every blind spot in the security system.

It took weeks. Weeks of silent suffering. Weeks of pretending.

But when the night finally arrived, I didn't hesitate.

I clutched Lewis tightly against my chest, heart hammering as I slipped through the shadows. The cool night air bit at my skin, but I ignored it.

Behind me, alarms blared. Guards shouted.

I ran.

I didn’t stop, not even when my lungs burned, not even when my legs threatened to give out. I had to keep going.

By the time the sun rose, my strength had nearly abandoned me. I collapsed beneath an old, abandoned bridge, cradling Lewis against me.

We had nowhere to go. No food. No water. No hope.

And then—

"Georgia?"

The deep, familiar voice sent a shiver down my spine. I turned, barely able to make out the figure standing before me.

Arceus Montenegro.

My ex-boyfriend.

The man I left behind.

The man I thought I’d never see again after my parents forced us to broke each other's heart when they found out that he was just a bartender.

Arceus brought me to his home, a secluded estate hidden away from prying eyes. He didn't bombard me with questions, didn't demand answers. Instead, he simply handed me a plate of food and watched as I ate in silence.

But I knew the questions would come.

And they did.

“Why are there people out there with your face, Georgia?" His voice was calm, but his dark eyes burned with curiosity.

I hesitated. "I don’t know."

It was the truth—or at least part of it.

I saw the news about it, they titled it as ‘Georgia Wilson's Impostors Lookalike!'. I even saw interviews about some of them and then yeah, they want to steal my career.

FUCK THEM!

For weeks, I lived under his protection, slowly regaining my strength. Arceus never pushed me. Never demanded anything.

And despite everything, I felt safe.

Years passed.

Lewis grew into a bright, energetic toddler, filling the house with laughter. Arceus treated him as his own, his presence a comforting constant in our lives. 

That... that make me fall for him again.

One day, we made a choice.

I changed my son’s surname to Montenegro.

If the world wanted to believe he was Arceus’s son, I would let them. It was better this way.

But I never said to him that he was Dennis's son for our safety. I have no idea if Arceus knew about him but I don't care. I needed to protect him just like how he used to protect us.

"I want you to come with me," Arceus said one evening, handing me an invitation.

It was for a grand investor's event.

I blinked at him in shock. "Why?"

"Because I want the world to know you're mine. I'm gonna marry you real soon." His expression was unreadable, but his words sent a shiver through me.

The event was overwhelming—lavish gowns, expensive suits, the weight of power in the air. But nothing could have prepared me for what happened next.

A voice, sharp and mocking, whispered near my ear.

"Finally, hun. We meet again."

I stiffened. Dennis.

He smirked, his eyes gleaming with amusement.

"I assume you've figured it all out by now?" he murmured, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Clever girl."

Rage burned through me.

I wanted to scream, to throw my drink in his face, to wipe that smirk off his lips.

But I didn’t.

I just smiled. Smiled like I wasn’t plotting his downfall.

Days later, on Lewis’s birthday, Arceus proposed.

The room erupted in cheers. My son giggled in my arms, oblivious to the storm raging within me.

I should have hesitated.

I should have questioned everything.

But when I looked at Arceus—the man who had given me shelter, protection, love—I said yes. This was our plan back then before everything turned into chaos.

For the first time in years, I felt like I could finally move on.

But fate had other plans.

Days later, I went to file for a Cenomar. 

I nearly dropped the document when I saw the result.

I WAS ALREADY MARRIED.

My breath caught in my throat as I stared at the paper, disbelief washing over me in waves.

This had to be a mistake.

Desperate, I spent hours talking to the person in charge, hoping—praying—that there was some kind of error.

But there wasn’t.

The marriage was real. Legally binding.

And my husband? Fuck, it's Walter. What they're telling is a damn truth.

Exhausted and defeated, I dragged myself to the parking lot. My mind was spinning, heart pounding with unanswered questions.

I reached for my car door, frowning. Hadn’t I locked this?

Something wasn’t right.

Before I could react, a strong hand clamped over my mouth.

“Hmpp..." I moan.

A sickly sweet scent filled my lungs.

I struggled, panic clawing at my chest, but my strength faded quickly.

The world around me blurred. My vision darkened.

The last thing I heard was the sound of my own heartbeat slowing.

Then—nothing.

I woke up to darkness.

A single, flickering bulb cast eerie shadows across the damp, concrete walls. My head throbbed, my wrists ached from the cold steel of handcuffs. I struggled, pulling against the restraints, but it was useless.

Then the door creaked open.

Shania.

She walked in with slow, deliberate steps, her heels clicking against the floor. The moment our eyes met, she smirked.

“You really don’t recognize me, do you?” she sneered, arms crossed over her chest.

I didn’t say anything. I didn’t have to.

“I’m your twin, Georgia,” she finally admitted, her voice dripping with resentment. “Your long-lost sister.”

Shock paralyzed me.

I searched her face for any sign of a lie, but the anger in her eyes was too raw, too real. That's where I realized, she was the person!

“All my life, I was nothing compared to you,” she continued, her lips curling into a bitter smile. “I had nothing. No money, no love, no name. And every damn time I opened a magazine, there you were. The perfect Georgia Wilson.”

Her fingers curled into fists.

“They laughed at me. Bullied me. Treated me like trash,” she whispered, voice shaking with rage. “So when that bomb went off, I took my chance. I became you. Smart, right? I study everything— your style, walk, and the way how you present yourself. I just watched everything on interviews."

I clenched my jaw, my nails digging into my palms.

"You're lying," I spat.

She laughed—a cruel, mocking sound.

"Oh, sweetheart, I’m not." She stepped closer, her perfume choking the air between us. “And guess what? Mom and Dad? They’re dead because of accident. Of course, I infiltrated their last will."

My stomach dropped.

No.

That couldn’t be true.

“Which means…” She leaned in, her breath warm against my cheek. “I own W Beauty Cosmetics now.”

I barely had time to process her words before pain exploded through my ribs.

A hard kick. Then another.

I gasped, curling in on myself, but it didn’t stop. Punches. Kicks. The feeling of drowning as they shoved my head into a drum of water.

By the time they were done, I could barely breathe.

They stuffed me into a sack—like garbage—and tossed me away.

I didn’t know how long I was unconscious.

All I knew was that Arceus found me.

His private investigator had been searching for me in secret. And when they did, they didn’t hesitate.

They saved me.

The next time I woke up, I was in a hospital bed, weak but alive. Arceus was there, his face unreadable.

“Who did this to you?” he asked, voice low and dangerous.

Tears burned my eyes. “Shania—my twin who's p-pretending to be me.” I whispered.

His hands curled into fists, but he said nothing.

I took a shaky breath, swallowing down my fear. “Arceus, I need your h-help.”

His gaze softened. “Name it.”

I clenched my fists. “I-I need to change my face.”

He didn’t flinch.

For the next few days, plans were set in motion. A plastic surgeon was brought in. A new identity was created.

And just like that—

Georgia Wilson was dead.

In her place stood Gale Brittany Mercedes.

But that wasn’t the only change.

For Lewis’s safety, I disguised him as a little girl. If Dennis and Shania were still looking for us, they’d never expect that.

The world moved on, believing Georgia Wilson was gone for good.

But I wasn’t finished yet.

I was just getting started.

A few months later.

I walked into W Beauty Cosmetics—as a man.

I had trained my body, perfected my disguise, and built a new persona.

I infiltrated their company, and soon enough, I was hired.

But I didn’t come here to work.

I came here to destroy.

One night, I snuck into Shania’s office, my heart pounding as I rummaged through her drawers. I needed proof—anything—that could expose her.

The door suddenly creaked open.

I barely had time to hide under the desk before footsteps echoed through the room.

Then, I heard them.

Shania. And Dennis.

Their voices were low, but I could hear everything.

“That bastard Arceus Montenegro,” Shania hissed, her heels clicking against the floor. “His damn company is all everyone talks about. It’s getting in the way of our new product launch. We need to get rid of him." 

Dennis chuckled darkly. “No. We're benefiting to that project. I stole millions from his company while you... you are still earning to that cosmetics!" 

My heart stopped.

They were planning to kill Arceus.

I bit my lip, forcing myself to stay still.

Shania sighed. “We have no choice. That man needs to disappear.”

Dennis’s voice turned cruel. “Ugh! Fine. Give me $10 Mil and I'll make sure he'll be mourned by tomorrow morning." 

I shut my eyes, rage boiling in my veins.