The Twin Face That Haunts Me Chapter 01

The Twin Face That Haunts Me Chapter 01

I’d been sent to the countryside to recover from an illness when I crossed paths with a stunning boy who quickly became my only friend.

He was cold and quiet, barely uttering a word most days. Yet the night before he left, his eyes flooded with tears.

He looked like a soaked stray puppy, fingers twisted tight in the hem of my shirt, voice cracking. “I’m leaving. Promise you’ll wait for me to come find you, okay?”

Eight years stretched by before we met again.

Back in the city, my older sister Selena Carter was set to enter a marriage with the heir to York Group, and my parents finally brought me home.

Mom couldn’t stop bragging about her wealthy future son-in-law to every acquaintance she ran into.

“Thomas fought tooth and nail against this engagement at first,” she’d gush. “Then he laid eyes on Selly, and he agreed instantly. It’s plain as day he’s been secretly head over heels for her for years.”

The night before the engagement party, I was pushed forward by Dad to make the rounds with the guests, draped in an ill-fitting secondhand evening gown.

The man before me had sharp, handsome features, his smile distant and practiced—until I lifted my head. His entire frame locked up.

“Are you and Selena twins?”

……

I’d been living back at the Carter house for a full week, and there was no bedroom waiting for me.

Selena’s engagement loomed, and the whole household buzzed around her, too busy to clear out a spare room.

They stuck me in a tiny maid’s quarters right next to Selena’s suite. There wasn’t even an air conditioner.

I sat by the window, fanning myself uselessly while Mom rambled on to my aunt about the York heir.

“Goodness, the list of engagement gifts is endless—luxury homes, diamond jewelry, more extravagant gifts than I can count.”

“Everyone knows how reserved Thomas is, never wastes a breath on anyone. But around Selena? He’s a completely different person. The way he stares at her, it’s dripping with love.”

I’d memorized every single one of Mom’s glowing speeches about Selena’s fiancé over these past few days.

I sighed, then glanced up to see a Maybach roll to a stop at the front gate.

Selena stepped out first, teetering on eight-inch stilettos in a tiny Chanel two-piece that accentuated her slim waist and long legs, cheeks still flushed pink.

The passenger door swung open next. Thomas York climbed out slow and unrushed—broad shoulders, narrow waist, striking features, standing a full head taller than Selena even with her heels on.

A soft breeze ruffled the dark strands falling over his forehead. He tilted his head to glance at Selena, deep, shadowed eyes fixed on her.

The fan slipped from my grasp. The hum of wind faded, and Mom’s chatter blurred far away.

I stared at his face, my gaze dragging slowly over his eyes, the bridge of his nose, the familiar beauty mark beneath one eye. My heart sank, heavy and cold.

Thomas adjusted his tailored blazer, then reached out to lace his fingers through Selena’s, tugging her hand up to brush gently against his cheek, tender and reluctant to let go.

“We won’t see each other for hours. Let me just look at you a little longer.”

Selena rolled her eyes playfully, her perfectly made-up cheeks burning bright red.

“Thomas, you’re so clingy. You’re just like a lost little puppy.”

A faint smile tugged at his dark eyes, clearly endeared by the nickname. They lingered downstairs, wrapped up in each other, before finally parting.

Thomas leaned against the car frame, watching her walk inside, twisting his phone lazily between his fingers. A small fabric charm dangled from the case, swinging with every movement.

Eight years had passed, and it was still the crudely stitched trinket I’d made for him out of dry grass and old scrap cloth. The red cord had frayed thin, the tassels split and worn, yet he carried it like it was the most precious treasure in the world.

A lump swelled tight in my throat. Thomas’s brows twitched, as if he’d sensed my gaze, and he suddenly turned his head toward my window.

I jolted back to reality and ducked behind the curtains at once.