BETWEEN LOVE AND RUIN

009

Alexander POV:

The sharp c***k of it slamming against the wall made us both flinch.

I shot to my feet instinctively, my heart racing as I turned toward the intruder.

Maria stood as well, confusion and alarm etched into her features.

And there he was.

Leonardo.

His presence filled the room like a storm, his blue eyes blazing as they locked onto me. He looked exactly as I did—every feature identical—but the anger in his expression made him seem more dangerous, more powerful.

Maria’s sharp intake of breath broke the moment. “What… what is this?”

She looked between us, her gaze darting from me to Leonardo, her confusion turning to something darker. Her fists clenched at her sides.

Leonardo’s eyes flicked to her briefly, but his focus stayed on me. “Leave us,” he said coldly, his voice cutting through the tension like a blade.

Maria took a step back, her chest heaving. “Leave? No. Not until someone tells me what’s going on!”

Leonardo’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t address her. “Now, Alexander.”

The use of my name made her freeze. Her eyes widened as the pieces began to fall into place.

“Alexander?” she repeated, her voice trembling. “You’re not… Leonardo?”

I turned to her, my stomach sinking. “Maria, I—”

“No,” she said, stepping back again, shaking her head. “No, you don’t get to explain. You lied to me.”

“I didn’t have a choice,” I said quickly, my voice pleading.

She laughed bitterly, the sound sharp and broken. “Of course you didn’t. No one here ever does, right?”

Leonardo stepped forward, his presence commanding. “Maria, leave,” he said, his voice low but firm.

She turned to him, her eyes blazing with anger. “Who are you to order me around?”

“Your husband,” he replied coolly, his lips curling into a faint smirk.

The words knocked the breath out of her. She stared at him, then at me, realization dawning in her expression.

“You’re the real Leonardo,” she whispered.

Leonardo inclined his head slightly. “The one you married? Yes.”

Her gaze snapped back to me, fury and betrayal swirling in her dark eyes. “And you? Who the hell are you?”

I swallowed hard, my throat dry. “I’m his twin,” I said quietly.

She laughed again, but there was no humor in it. “A twin. Of course. Why wouldn’t there be?”

Leonardo stepped closer to her, his expression softening slightly. “Maria, I understand this is overwhelming—”

“Overwhelming?” she snapped, cutting him off. “I’ve been lied to, manipulated, and traded like property. And now you want me to calmly accept that the man I thought was my husband isn’t even the right brother?”

Leonardo’s face hardened. “You’ll calm down because you don’t have a choice.”

Her hand shot out, slamming against his chest. “Don’t you dare tell me what I can and can’t do!”

The force of her words made even Leonardo falter.

I stepped between them, raising my hands in a placating gesture. “Maria, I swear, I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

Her glare pinned me in place. “You didn’t mean to? You lied to me. Every smile, every word—you pretended to be someone else!”

“I was trying to protect you,” I said desperately, knowing how hollow the words sounded.

“Protect me?” she said, her voice breaking. “From what? From knowing the truth? From making my own choices?”

The silence that followed was unbearable. She looked at me one last time, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. Then she turned and walked out, slamming the door behind her.

Leonardo watched her go, his expression unreadable. Then he turned to me, his blue eyes narrowing dangerously.

“You’ve made a mess of this,” he said coldly.

I sank back into the chair, my head in my hands. “I didn’t mean for her to find out.”

“But she did,” he said sharply. “And now we have to deal with the fallout.”

I looked up at him, my chest tight. “She hates me.”

Leonardo smirked, his tone biting. “Good. Maybe now you’ll stop thinking with your heart and start doing what’s necessary.”

His words cut deeper than I wanted to admit.

But as the door closed behind him, the only thing I could think about was the look in Maria’s eyes—the betrayal, the anger, the pain.

And the fact that I had been the one to put it there.

The door slammed behind Maria, the sound reverberating through the room like a gunshot. I stared at it, the weight of her departure settling heavily on my shoulders.

Leonardo stood across from me, arms folded, his expression unreadable. The faint glow of the fire cast long shadows across his face, making him seem even colder.

"You handled that well," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

I didn't have the energy to argue. I sank into the chair Maria had just vacated, dragging a hand down my face.

"She wasn't supposed to find out," I muttered, my voice barely audible.

Leonardo scoffed, pacing slowly across the room. "She wasn't supposed to do a lot of things. But now she knows, and it's your fault."

My jaw tightened, but I didn't respond. He wasn't wrong.

Leonardo stopped in front of the fireplace, his gaze fixed on the flames. "You're getting sloppy, Alexander," he said, his tone sharper now. "You've let this… infatuation cloud your judgment."

"It's not—" I started, but he cut me off with a glare.

"Don't lie to me," he said coldly. "I see it all over your face. You care about her."

The accusation hung in the air, heavy and unspoken.

I looked away, unable to meet his gaze. "What do you want me to do?"

"Focus," he said simply. "We've secured the alliance. Now it's time to prove your worth to the family. To Father."

I frowned, the unease in my chest growing. "What are you talking about?"

Leonardo turned, his expression unreadable. "You've been summoned for a mission."

The words sent a chill down my spine. "When?"

"Tonight."

I stood abruptly, my fists clenching at my sides. "You expect me to leave? Now? After everything—"

"This isn't a request," Leonardo interrupted, his tone final. "It's an order. Father wants you gone before dawn."

I stared at him, my heart pounding. A thousand thoughts raced through my mind, but one rose above the rest: Maria.

"What do I tell her?" I asked, my voice low.

Leonardo smirked, the expression cruel. "You tell her nothing."

Maria POV

The house was too quiet.

I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the door as if willing Alexander to walk through it. But he didn't.

The clock on the wall ticked loudly, each second stretching longer than the last. My thoughts raced, replaying every moment since the revelation.

Why had he lied? Why had he played this role so convincingly, knowing it would all come crashing down eventually?

The silence outside my room felt wrong—too heavy, too deliberate.

I stood slowly, wrapping a shawl around my shoulders before stepping into the hallway. The air was cold, the faint scent of candle wax lingering from the evening's dinner.

I walked carefully, my bare feet silent against the stone floors, heading toward his room. The door was ajar, and the faint glow of light spilled into the hallway.

I pushed it open cautiously, my breath catching in my throat.

The room was empty.

The bed was untouched, the wardrobe open slightly, clothes missing. A single suitcase sat by the door, packed but abandoned.

My heart sank.

Something was wrong.

Alexander POV

The night air bit at my skin as I stepped into the waiting car, my suitcase shoved into the backseat. The estate loomed behind me, its dark silhouette stark against the moonlit sky.

I clenched my jaw, forcing myself not to look back.

This was necessary. That's what I kept telling myself. This mission was more than an order—it was a reminder of who I was, of where my loyalties were supposed to lie.

And yet, as the car pulled away, I couldn't shake the image of Maria's face—the anger, the betrayal, the pain.

She deserved an explanation. She deserved the truth. But truth had no place in this world, and neither did what I felt for her.

I stared out the window, my fists clenching tightly in my lap.

This was for the family. For the alliance. For survival.

But as the estate disappeared into the distance, I realized that leaving her behind felt more like a betrayal than any lie I'd ever told.