Silencepsed between us.


    I had so many questions swirling around in my head that it felt like it was going to burst out if I didn''t find a way to express my thoughts.


    It took me a while topose myself, but when I finally did, I cleared my throat to break the awkward silence that had taken hold of us. "I''m curious, when did you first realize that I wasn''t Alexandria?"


    As Lucas gazed into my eyes, a gentle smile formed on his lips. "The first time I saw that beautiful tattoo on your back I had a suspicion you''re not my wife. And the night I kissed you and something happened between us I confirmed my suspicions."


    Taking a moment to gather himself, he drew in a deep breath before continuing. "Be, you have been a true blessing in my life, and if anything good has happened to me, it''s because of you. I appreciate the way you care for my son as if he were your own, and I''m grateful that you came into our lives.


    Niall adores you, and I''m happy that he finally has the love of a mother that his re mother refused to give him."


    I felt a warmth spread through me at his words.


    I adored and love Niall. He was like the son I never have. And Lucas was unlike anyone I had ever met before, and I was starting to realize that I was falling for him.


    But as much as I wanted to explore these feelings, I couldn''t ignore the fact that he was still technically married to my twin sister.


    Lucas wasn''t the only one who was married – I too was married to someone else. Although it was a marriage of convenience and there were no romantic feelings between Eros Valentino, my husband, and myself, he is still legally recognized as my husband.


    I had more pressing matters to discuss with Lucas, so I decided not to delve into how I got married to Eros. While there will be ample opportunities to share this news, my priority is to first inform him about ckstone.


    Before I had the opportunity to speak, he beat me to it. "Can you tell me about ckstone? Do you know him? Are you acquainted? I couldn''t help but notice how uneasy you became when he showed up at the restaurant."


    "I better tell you everything now. It might be helpful for both of us." I paused, unsure if I was ready to relive the memories that had haunted me for so long.


    "Please tell me." Lucas asked, his voice gentle and encouraging.


    I took another deep breath before I continued. "ckstone tried to kill me."


    Lucas looked at me with concern etched in his face. "Why didn''t you tell me about this sooner?"


    "Because I just regained my memory and I never thought our paths would ever cross again."


    Lucas took my hand in his. "Tell me when this incident happened."


    As I recounted the traumatic event, I could feel tears forming in my eyes. Despite my attempts topose myself, I could feel a tight knot in my stomach. "I remember the day of your wedding to Alexandria. I tried to sneak into the church to catch a final glimpse of you, but he saw me and followed me outside and then shot me in broad daylight," I exined.


    His expression darkened. "Do you have any idea why he did that?"


    "Yes."


    He gestured for me to continue, and so I did.


    "My twin had been living a lie for years. She faked everything from having a degree in engineering to owning a chain of hotels when in truth my parents sent her to an asylum when they''re still alive and she escaped more than a couple times and pretended to be me."


    "My sister feared that I would expose her lies and investigate our parents'' death. She told me that they died in a car ident, but I have reason to suspect that they were poisoned and she may have been responsible. It was difficult to ept that she couldmit such a terrible act, but the evidence was overwhelming and pointed solely to her."


    As the haunting memories flooded my mind, he squeezed my hand, reminding me that I was not alone. I squeezed his fingers in return, grateful to have someone with whom I could share things I never thought I could tell anyone.


    "She tried to get rid of me because she wanted to be me. It was me who you dated all those years ago, Lucas, but she took my identity and had me sent to a psychiatric facility in her ce. Blissfully unaware of the truth you proposed to her, ultimately marrying her."


    Observing me, he appeared to bepletely taken aback and unable to speak for quite some time. Finally, after what felt like an eternity of silence, he spoke in a barely audible whisper.


    "The woman I married was not who she portrayed herself to be. This would exin why she acted so differently after the wedding, and I felt like I had married aplete stranger."


    His grip on my hand tightened as he turned to face me, his eyes filled with regret and pain. "I should have trusted my instincts and realized it wasn''t you," he said slowly. "There are so many things I wish I had done differently, Be. I''m sorry... truly sorry."


    "None of that is your fault, Lucas. Alexandria is the only one to me."


    "I had the opportunity to take action, but myck of awareness prevented me from doing so. I feel foolish for being deceived by her for so long."


    Lucas was as shattered as I am but everything was in the past now and we couldn''t rewrite history no matter how much we regret things.


    "It''s not toote to make things right, Lucas." I whispered, trying not to cry. I swallowed the lump in my throat and continued. "No matter what mistakes we may have made in the past, there''s always a chance to make things right in the present. Perhaps, those mistakes were meant to happen so that we could have the opportunity to meet and talk now."