Alice struggled to open her eyes, her consciousness dragging her back unwillingly to the waking world. Her body felt heavy, like it had been stuffed with lead, and her mind swam in confusion. Something was wrong—very wrong.
The mattress beneath her was soft, almost too soft, and the air carried a clean citrus scent that was completely foreign to her, yet so familiar. It reminded her of someone. She stiffened, her heart racing. This wasn’t her bed.
The realization jolted her awake. Her eyes flew open, and she turned her head sharply, ignoring the way her muscles protested. The room was spacious, pristine, and dimly lit. It was unlike any place she had ever stayed in. Panic bubbled in her chest as her memories came rushing back—the black car, the men, the syringe.
She’d been kidnapped.
Her breath quickened, and she forced herself to sit up, though her body felt unsteady. Her fists clenched weakly at her sides as the door creaked open.
A figure stepped inside, file in hand, and turned on the lights. Alice squinted against the brightness, but when her eyes adjusted, her breath hitched.
Standing before her, as poised and composed as ever, was the woman who had taken her sister from her fifteen years ago. Pricillia Malay—the name alone carried weight. The director of the largest law firm in the country, the image of power and control. And, unfortunately, the mother who had chosen Aurora, Alice’s twin, and left her behind. And Aurora had happily followed, betraying her.
She had never thought she would see her again in person outside the Tv. This kind of person belonged to the West. Not here. And definitely not in front of her.
Pricillia’s voice broke the silence. "Alice," she said smoothly, her tone firm but not unkind. "You’re awake."
Alice stared, disbelief turning into anger as the memory of her abduction hit her like a slap. She shot up from the bed, wobbling but determined, her voice shaking with fury. "What... what is this? Why am I here?"
"I apologize for the unpleasantness," Pricillia began, her tone measured.
"Unpleasantness? You abducted me!" Alice snapped, her fists tightening. "You don’t know that it’s a crime?"
For an Attorney, she definitely knew.
"I know you’re upset. And rightly so. But I had no other choice," Pricillia said, her calm demeanor faltering for the briefest moment.
Fifteen years. Fifteen years without so much as a word. No matter how hard Alice had tried to know how Aurora was, she got nothing back from either of them. And now, here she was, standing in front of her like nothing had happened.
Alice’s voice was venomous. "You didn’t have a choice? You mean you couldn’t have been civilized enough to approach me directly instead of acting like a hoodlum?"
Alice never minced her words whenever she was angry. And now, she was. Terribly.
Pricillia hesitated. For a second, anger flashed in her expression but it quickly disappeared and was replaced by a shadow of desperation flitting across her face.
"I will apologize, Alice. For everything. And I will give you anything you want—everything you’ve ever dreamed of. But I need your cooperation."
Alice could sense it. She could tell something greatly bothered the woman.
Was her sister in trouble?
Alice narrowed her eyes. "Where is Aurora?" she demanded, her voice trembling despite her anger.
Pricillia turned away, blinking rapidly as if to hold back tears. "Aurora is... sick," she said, her voice cracking.
Alice froze. Her heart raced as she watched Pricillia’s composure begin to crumble.
"She’s... battling for her life," Pricillia continued, her back to Alice. "She’s undergoing treatment abroad. It’s... it’s not a simple story to tell, but know this: what I’m asking of you is what Aurora wants. It’s her dream."
Alice’s throat tightened. She hadn’t expected to feel this way—this ache in her chest at the thought of Aurora suffering. For years, she had told herself their bond was severed, that she didn’t care anymore. But now, hearing this...
She forced herself to speak. "You brought me here to ask me to something, didn’t you?"
Pricillia shook her head, turning to look at her. "I wish it were that simple," she said softly. "I would give my life for Aurora. But this... this is a battle she has to fight on her own. I... feel so useless as her mother." A tear slid down her eyes and she quickly wiped it away.
Maybe it was because she had trust issues. This woman was just kinda...
"Then why am I here?" Alice asked, her voice rising in frustration.
Pricillia stepped closer, taking Alice’s hand in hers. "Because we don’t have time. And because this is an opportunity—for both of you. To change your life. To change her life."
Alice frowned, her mind still foggy from whatever drug they had injected her with. However, she drew back her hand.
"What are you talking about?"
Instead of answering, Pricillia walked up to the set of heavy curtains in the room and drew them back.
"Come," she said softly to Alice.
Alice’s breath caught in her throat and her legs slowly began to take her to the window. The view beyond was breathtaking—a sprawling cityscape glittering with lights, stretching as far as the eye could see.
Her eyes snapped to Pricillia, "This isn’t the North," her voice was barely above a whisper.
It was nothing like the North’s bleak streets.
The city would never look like that. They were in the trenches.
"No," Pricillia said quietly. "You are in the West."
Alice’s eyes widened in shock. The West? How was that even possible?
And even as her mind was still trying to process what she had just heard, another confusing shock came.
"Pretend to be Aurora."