Trapped as a Bird

Chapter 2

Eleanor valued bloodline and legitimacy above everything else.

Back then, Eleanor had agreed to end my engagement partly because the Hartley family had fallen and was no longer a suitable match for the Prescott family, and partly because she had learned I wasn't the Hartley family's biological daughter.

Now that Vanessa, the Hartley family's biological heiress, was back, transferring the engagement to her would be perfectly legitimate.

I took the engagement contract from my room and handed it to Vanessa.

"You have to explain this to Eleanor yourself."

After all, the engagement was between two families. The request had to come from the Hartley family for it to be proper.

As an adopted daughter, it wasn't my place to speak for the Hartley family about changing the engagement.

But if Vanessa approached the Prescott family herself, they would see it as the Hartley family taking the initiative to correct the arrangement. It would show that the Hartley family acknowledged its mistake, was putting things back in order, and respected the rules.

Eleanor would think the Hartley family had handled the matter properly and understood its position, and it would make the situation easier for the Prescott family to handle.

Vanessa took the engagement contract, still looking wary.

"Are you sure that's all it takes?"

'Of course it isn't.'

Even if Eleanor agreed, she couldn't make the decision for Adrian.

Adrian's need to control me was far too strong. He would never allow me to leave.

So I needed someone who could replace me completely, right down to my appearance, personality, habits, and mannerisms.

"You need plastic surgery. You need to look like me."

Vanessa froze.

Her voice rose sharply.

"What is that supposed to mean? Are you trying to provoke me? Do you think I'm not as good as you?"

I ignored her and continued, "That's not all. You have to imitate everything about me too: my personality, the way I deal with people, my habits, everything. You need to become another me in every possible way."

"Why should I?" Vanessa asked, clearly unconvinced.

I didn't answer. I only looked at my adoptive father.

He understood what I meant. He had seen firsthand how controlling Adrian could be.

Only by becoming a perfect copy of me could Vanessa get close to Adrian.

My adoptive father lightly tapped the ash from his cigarette into the ashtray.

"If you want this to be foolproof, listen to Claire."

For all her stupidity and malice, Vanessa asked the one question that actually mattered.

"You're telling me to go to the Prescott family and have the engagement transferred back to me, but you're also telling me to make myself look like you. Doesn't that contradict itself?"

"No."

We needed Eleanor's help to keep both the identity swap and the formal transfer of the engagement hidden from Adrian. As long as Eleanor knew the engagement had officially been restored to the rightful daughter, that was enough.

But for Adrian to accept Vanessa without realizing she had replaced me, he had to believe the woman beside him was still me.

It was the only foolproof way.

Even if Eleanor refused, I had a way to make her agree.

I left my adoptive father to talk Vanessa into the plan and returned to Prescott House.

As soon as I walked in, I saw Adrian sitting on a leather sofa with a half-smoked cigar between his fingers.

He heard me come in and looked up.

That single glance sent a chill down my spine.

"What took you so long to get back?"