Chapter 3
"Where are you going, Tina?" Leon asked as he tried to get a better view of Tanya's face, who deliberately avoided his gaze.
Unprepared for the sudden encounter, Tanya remained silent in nervousness. She didn't dare say or do anything that might put her and Tina in a problematic situation.
Hearing no response from her, Leon narrowed his eyes and looked closely at Tanya. Then, he confidently concluded, "You're not Tina, are you?"
Tina was well-known as Lingerfield's most famous fashionista. Exaggeration aside, people would always turn their heads and check her out regardless of where she was. Tina, admiringly, had always spoken and moved like a queen, constantly exuding class and confidence. She had always looked dazzling, even when she wore nothing but jeans and a shirt.
Some twins had distinguishing features that differentiated them, but Tanya and Tina looked immensely identical. The former's lips, eyes, nose, and even body resembled Tina's entirely.
The two, however, had temperaments that were utterly different from one another. That was also why Leon knew the girl in front of him was not Tina, even though she looked an awful lot like her.
Unsure of what to say, Tanya ignored Leon's question and lowered her head. She tried to leave, but the latter stopped him.
"You know Tina, don't you? How are you related to her?" Leon asked in his deep, majestic voice, which was different from how he sounded last night.
"I— I'm her sister," Tanya truthfully replied. When her gaze fell on the silver buttons on Leon's shirt, her body warmed increasingly for no reason.
"Tina has a twin sister? How come she didn't mention anything about you?" Leon asked in disbelief upon hearing about it for the first time.
Not wanting to appear suspicious, Tanya cleared her throat softly and explained, "Tina and I didn't grow up together. I got lost when I was two years old and was later adopted. I only got to meet her last month."
Only after speaking did Tanya realize she didn't owe him any explanation. Perhaps, it was hormones that urged her to open up.
Uninterested in staying any longer, Tanya nodded and said, "I don't mean to be rude, but I have to go, Mr. Darving. It was nice meeting you."
Still, Leon didn't get out of her way. Instead, he knitted his brows suspiciously and asked, "How did you know who I am?"
Tanya panicked inwardly for a second, realizing this was supposed to be their first encounter. However, she immediately composed herself and thought of an excuse.
"You are the successor of the Darving Group, right? You're Leon Darving, and my sister was your date last night," Tanya calmly replied.
"You're quite updated, huh?" Leon said with a smirk.
"Well, my sister mentions you a lot," Tanya said in defense, not wanting to raise suspicion.
Leon had never been fond of smiling and being soft in front of others, but since Tanya was Tina's sister, he spoke moderately.
He said, "She does? Then maybe I'll be your brother-in-law sooner or later."
Tanya felt uncomfortable hearing Leon's words, so she diverted her gaze elsewhere. It wasn't that she didn't want to hear him talking about her sister, but his mere sight reminded her of the intimate moment they shared last night.
Thinking about what happened, Tanya's cheeks inevitably warmed.
"I'm sorry, but I have something urgent to attend to. I don't have time to chat," Tanya reasoned and hurriedly turned to leave.
Leon didn't plan to stop her, but he saw her limping as she walked. Concerned, he walked after her, grabbed her by the arm, and made her face him again.
Tanya, on the other hand, stood frozen on her spot because of Leon's touch. There were traces of fright and vigilance on her face, which the latter didn't understand.
Leon thought, 'I didn't expect her to be so timid.'
After brushing off that thought, he said, "You seem to have hurt your leg. Let me give you a ride."
"No, I'm fine. You don't have to bother," Tanya readily refused.
However, Leon only said, "Didn't you say you have something urgent to attend to?"
Tanya glanced at the black Bentley parked on their side. After hesitating for a few seconds, she inwardly exhaled a breath of helplessness, thinking, 'Fine. I brought this to myself.'
"Right. Thanks," she said.
Tanya got in the car, and Leon wasted no time. He quickly turned the engine on and drove. The sun rays, on the other hand, seeped through the car's window, highlighting Leon's picturesque face.
Tanya stared in the rearview mirror in awe, clutching the cloth bag in her lap, not daring to make a sound.
Suddenly, their eyes met.
'He's looking at me!' Tanya thought as she averted her gaze in panic.
Leon, on the contrary, only shrugged and continued driving. His eyes remained focused on the road, but he kept thinking how Tina and Tanya could look so alike anywhere he looked. He even thought that he wouldn't be able to recognize who was who if the two had the same temperament.
When Leon was about to give up on looking for a difference, his sharp eyes suddenly caught something.
Looking at the rearview mirror, he saw two purplish red marks on Tanya's neck right below her ear.
Of course, Leon was a man who knew what that was.
With that, only one thought surged in his mind.
'No wonder people have always said not to judge a book by its cover. Tina was liberal and bold, but she was a virgin. Her sister, on the contrary, looks timid, but she seems to have a wild side.'
Unable to endure the silence any longer, Leon faked a cough and asked, "Were you at the party last night? Tina and your father are there, but I don't think I saw you."
With last night's party being brought up, Tanya blushed and coughed.
'Shit!' she inwardly remarked.
Chapter 4
Tanya tried her hardest to remain calm and composed. After clearing her mind, she adjusted her sitting position and said, "I had to do something last night, so I didn't go. Sorry."
Hearing Tanya's answer made Leon's smile turn more mischievous. Thinking that she got the kiss mark on her neck last night, he only nodded and said, "No, you don't have to apologize. It's just a party, and you're not obligated to attend. Anyway, what's your name?"
Tanya, however, pretended not to hear his question and shifted her attention to the window. She didn't want to engage in a conversation.
Hearing no response from her, Leon didn't ask further questions. He focused on driving until they arrived in front of the white carved gate of the Yates family.
Seeing the modern European-style villa with three floors sent an indescribable feeling to Tanya's heart. Needless to say, the Yates family's estate looked nothing close to where she lived. Tanya's thoughts wandered for a second, but she quickly composed herself and turned to Leon.
"It's Tanya," she softly said as she opened the car door and said thanks almost inaudibly.
Leon got confused for a second until he realized she had merely answered his previous question.
Nodding, he thought, 'Tina and Tanya. Their names are almost the same.'
Not long after their arrival, the carved gate slowly opened.
The Yates family's butler, Mark Lewis, came out carrying a suitcase in his hand. Tina soon walked after him.
She was wearing white wide-legged high-waisted pants, a red sleeveless silk blouse, trendy sunglasses, and a white sun hat on her head. What made her even more compelling was that her long brown hair tucked underneath her hat moved gracefully in response to the refreshing breeze. Tina, as always, looked like a subject that had just stepped out of a painting.
The latter didn't know Leon was coming, so seeing his black Bentley surprised her. She was about to greet him when her eyes fell on Tanya, who had just gotten off Leon's car.
"Tanya?" Tina called, even deliberately taking off her sunglasses to check. "It's really you! Why are you with Mr. Darving?" she asked, immensely surprised.
When Tanya didn't answer, Leon replied on her behalf, saying, "I happened to come across her on my way here."
Even though Tanya reported almost everything that happened at the party last night to Tina, the latter remained doubtful.
Tanya told her Leon went to the VIP lounge to look for her but soon passed out from intoxication. Then, she claimed she left before Leon woke up, but Tina wondered if it was just a coincidence that they came into the villa together.
Not wanting to waste time, Tanya walked directly toward Tina despite the pain in her ankle.
"Tina," she called as she pulled Tina to the other side of the gate so that Leon would not overhear their conversation.
After keeping their distance, Tanya looked at Tina with a troubled expression as she said, "I came here because of our deal, Tina. You promised to transfer one hundred thousand bucks to me if I attend the party on your behalf. I did everything you asked for, but I haven't received the money yet. You are not answering my calls either."
Tina frowned upon hearing Tanya's purpose of visit. She looked at Leon first before rolling her eyes at her sister, saying, "It's just one hundred thousand dollars, Tanya. What's the hurry?"
Tanya's eyes started to tear up upon hearing Tina's remark. Unable to conceal her emotion, she snapped and said, "Tina, one hundred thousand dollars may not seem like much to you, but it will help me a lot. My mother is having her surgery this afternoon, so how could I not be in a hurry?!"
"Your mother?" Tina asked, raising her brows. She looked at Tanya sharply and added, "Tanya, she's just your adoptive mother! Our real mom died five years ago, and dad is inside."
With that, Tanya fell silent.
She couldn't refute her sister's words because Tina said nothing but the truth. Even so, she didn't give the latter the impression that she was okay with everything she said.
Seeing Tanya behave like that, Tina stood before her grimly, openly pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration.
The latter left the hotel in a hurry last night after having a frightening experience. It wasn't that Tina deliberately forgot the money she promised to Tanya, but she had a lot of things on her mind at the moment to still keep track of everything.
Now, Tina could not help but feel angry that her sister, whom she had made such an effort to get in touch with after such a long time apart, cared only about outsiders.
"Dad made a great offer to you, Tanya. He promised to pay for Mrs. Hart's treatment if you return to us and cut off your connections with the Harts. You could've dealt with your adoptive mother's surgery fee without difficulty, but why do you have to be so stubborn?" Tina snapped in frustration.
She didn't even wait for Tanya to respond and successively asked, "Why did you choose to stay beside Mrs. Hart? Why didn't you come back to us? Tanya, are you trying to embarrass dad?"
"Tina, let's talk about that next time, okay? I have no time to deal with such things right now. I just need one hundred thousand dollars, please? Or maybe you can give me at least half. I need it badly," Tanya replied with teary eyes, deeply concerned for her adoptive mother, who had been admitted to the hospital for half a month due to heart complications.
Tanya's adoptive mother, Nancy Hart, had a scheduled surgery this afternoon. But then, hospital protocols were there for a reason. If Tanya failed to raise enough money for the surgery, the doctor wouldn't push the surgery through. However, Nancy's heart condition could no longer tolerate delays.
One hundred thousand dollars was not even that significant to Tina, so seeing Tanya's teary eyes softened her heart eventually.
"I forgot your account number. Sent it to me again," Tina casually said, making Tanya's eyes glimmer in delight.
"Here, wait!" she exclaimed as she rummaged through her bag to look for her bank card.
Leon, on the other hand, silently watched the two from the other side after greeting Mark briefly. He was leaning against the car door, casually puffing on his cigarette.
Now that he could see the two together, he could tell their differences well. Since Tina was wearing high heels, she looked half a head taller than Tanya.
Leon couldn't hear what the two were talking about, but it seemed to him that they were arguing.
Tina looked dead serious while Tanya was panicking.
Leon watched them for a moment before putting out his cigarette and striding toward them.
"Is there anything I can do to help?" he asked.
Chapter 5
Tina didn't mean to be rude by declining Leon's kind gesture, but dragging him into her and her sister's mess was the last thing she wanted to happen.
"It's okay, Mr. Darving. My sister and I can handle this matter by ourselves. For now, why don't you go inside with Mr. Lewis and have tea while Tanya and I are talking? I'll join you shortly," Tina graciously said.
Leon didn't want to be impolite, so he shook his head, smiled reassuringly, and suggested, "I'll wait here. Why don't you two go inside instead and take your time?"
But then, Tanya and Tina responded "No" in unison.
"You really are twins," Leon said, smiling in amusement.
Tanya wasn't in the mood to joke around or prolong their conversation. Thus, she quickly handed her bank card to Tina, saying, "Here. I'll forever be grateful for your help, Tina."
Being the good sister that she was, Tina shook her head and replied, "It's not a big deal, Tanya."
Tina's determination to make Tanya return to their family hadn't wavered a bit. The former promised to give the latter the money if she attended the party, so she wanted to get that over with first.
Tina opened her mobile bank app and immediately transferred the money to Tanya. After that, she turned to Leon and said, "This is my twin sister, Tanya Yates, Mr. Darving. We had looked for her for twenty years after she got lost when she was two years old. We met last month, but she had no plans of returning to our family because she got too attached to her adoptive mother. Anyway, Mrs. Hart is going to have an operation this afternoon, so Tanya came here to ask for help. I'm her sister, so as much as I envy the attention she was giving to a stranger, I could only help."
Leon couldn't help but pity Tanya's situation, but he was also a bit confused because of the kiss mark on the back of her ear. He could tell that it was a new mark, judging from the looks of it, so he thought, 'If she's this concerned about her adoptive mother's surgery, how could she still have time to engage in sex?'
But then, Leon knew he didn't have any right to judge anyone.
"Tanya," he suddenly called in his deep, majestic voice, which inevitably sent shivers down Tanya's spine.
"I have some connections with Aide Hospital. If you need anything, just tell me," Leon offered.
Aide Hospital was the premier aristocratic private hospital in Lingerfield. Their entire staff consisted of internationally renowned medical specialists who provided only the finest services and interventions. Since it was on top of the list, the cost of their consultations alone was unimaginable. Because of that, people of lower socioeconomic status would not visit this place, even if they were in desperate need.
Tanya was at a loss for words because of Leon's generosity. She had avoided his gaze since earlier, but something suddenly urged her to look at him.
The sun shone brightly behind him, so it took a few seconds before Tanya's eyes adjusted and gained clearer vision.
'I wonder how a man could look so much like a male protagonist from a book. He's irrefutably charming,' Tanya inwardly remarked.
Leon's charm remained unmistakable even though he only wore a gray and white long-sleeved shirt, dark blue vest, and dark blue suit pants of the same style.
When his blue eyes fell on her, she felt as though he would be able to pierce through her thoughts.
Tanya didn't know how long she had been staring at Leon. She got too preoccupied appreciating his looks and only snapped back to her senses when Tina tapped her shoulder. Tina said, "Tanya, Mr. Darving is talking to you. Did you hear what he said?"
"Yes, thank you, Mr. Darving. I appreciate your kindness," Tanya replied, thinking he might indeed become her brother-in-law soon.
As for what happened between them last night, no one knew about it aside from her anyway.
Leon took a business card from his inner pocket and handed it to Tanya. "You're welcome. You're Tina's sister, so if you need anything, contact me. You're no longer an outsider to me," he said.
With that, Tanya nodded and reached for Leon's business card. After that, she looked at her sister and said, "Thank you for both of your help. I don't want to bother you anymore, so I'll leave first."
Tanya didn't wait for the two to respond and left in a hurry. She walked so fast that she forgot about her badly injured ankle, causing her to trip again.
Fortunately, Leon caught her in time. If he had responded a second late, Tanya would have been kissing the ground right now.
Concerned, Tina walked toward them and asked, "What happened to your ankles?"
"I uh— I accidentally twisted it last night, but it's better now," Tanya replied as she retracted her body from Leon and fixed herself.
The latter only held her briefly, but she could feel her heartbeat accelerating significantly.
Tina was also in a hurry, so she looked at Leon and called, "Mr. Darving."
"Call me Leon," he corrected.
"Okay, Leon. Why did you come here, by the way?" Tina asked out of curiosity.
Forgetting about Tanya's presence, Leon smiled mischievously at Tina and said, "If I tell you that I missed you already, will you believe me?"
Tina, of course, didn't know what to respond, but she blushed.
Who wouldn't, though? The man who told her he missed her wasn't any random man but the unparalleled Leon Darving.