Accidentally Yours: Became His Christmas Fake Fiancé

Say it again

Leila's POV

I was still reeling, unsure how I’d even ended up in this car. Everything had blurred into a frantic haze the moment Cesar suggested we spend Christmas together. Before I could find the words to refuse, the momentum of his will had swept me away.

'April, what have you dragged me into? How do I get out of this?'

I looked down at the ring circling my finger, the cold metal doing nothing to steady my nerves. I was bound to a man who was effectively a stranger, known to me only through the disjointed fragments April had shared.

It wasn't just the engagement that stung; it was the abandonment. April hadn’t spared a single thought for my feelings when she orchestrated this deception. To save my twin from the consequences of her own life, I had been forced to slip a golden noose around my neck.

The bitterness wasn't new. I vividly remembered the first time I realized our mother viewed us not as individuals, but as a scale she could never quite balance.

I was never a prodigy. I wasn't the academic star, the gifted athlete, or the inspired artist. I was aggressively mediocre, a blurred reflection of a masterpiece. In the halls of our school, April was worshiped, while I was merely a footnote– the "other" twin.

That suffocating shadow was why I had fled. At eleven years old, I begged my mother to send me away. She hadn't put up a fight, seemingly relieved to ship me off to my grandmother’s house in the countryside.

For years, I was happy there. In the quiet of the rural hills, far from the gilded pressure of the family and my sister's reputation, people finally saw me for who I was, rather than the duller half of the "brilliant" April.

It wasn't that I hated April or had any ill feelings toward her. I merely felt low standing in front of her. I loved my twin a lot, and for her only, I agreed to come here and sit in front of Cesar.

But now, my life was unexpectedly tied to a man who had the eyes of a hawk. I looked at my phone, hoping for a message from April, but the messages were still unseen, increasing my anxiety.

“What are you looking at?” Cesar’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. I tilted my head toward him, my heart hammering against my ribs.

“Nothing,” I replied, forcing my lips into the smile that April always wore.

A flicker of doubt crossed his eyes, a brief narrowing that suggested a smile was the last thing he expected from me. I quickly lowered my gaze, softening my tone. “I’m just a bit nervous about everything. You suggested we stay together for the holidays, and I—I’ve never really done anything like this. I couldn’t find a way to say no to my parents.”

They say communication is the foundation of any relationship, even one built on a lie. I figured a half-truth might buy me some grace. “Living with a stranger is a bit daunting,” I added softly.

“We were in the same school, April. In fact, the same college,” Cesar mused, his gaze fixed on me with unsettling intensity. “How are we strangers?”

My lips quivered. Cold sweat pricked at my hairline as the weight of my blunder hit me. Cesar wasn’t just an acquaintance; he had been April’s classmate for years. How could I have been so careless?

“I—I mean, we haven't had any real contact since graduation,” I stammered, scrambling to patch the hole in my story. “Years of silence make anyone a stranger, don't you think?”

God, I’m going to ruin this. I clutched my handbag, praying for the facade to hold. Just one more day. I only have to be April until tomorrow. She wouldn't just leave me here. She’ll be back.

I clung to that hope, desperate to believe my sister hadn't traded my freedom for her own.

“How much longer?” I asked, desperate to break the tension.

“An hour,” Cesar answered shortly.

I turned away, staring out at the soaring skyscrapers of New York City. The glass and steel glowed with holiday lights, looking like a dreamscape that I was currently trapped inside.

Finally, the car turned onto the sweeping, cobblestone pavement of Cesar’s grand estate. I stared out the window, clearly awestruck. The scale of the property was staggering; it felt less like a private residence and more like I was approaching a royal palace. Every detail, from the towering iron gates to the meticulously manicured grounds, radiated a regal elegance.

The car came to a smooth halt in front of the massive entrance. Cesar stepped out. I followed suit, opening my door and stepping onto the ground.

At that exact moment, the sky began to shed its weight. White, gentle snowflakes began to drift through the air. I looked up, and for a moment, the fear of the masquerade vanished. A genuine smile, one that didn't belong to April, spread across my face.

“Snow is falling!” I exclaimed, my voice bright with pure, childlike joy. I reached my hand toward the pitch-black sky, watching with fascination as the soft flakes landed and melted against my palm. In that brief, magical silence, I was completely oblivious to the fact that Cesar hadn't moved. He was standing perfectly still, his dark eyes fixed on me, observing a version of "April" he had clearly never seen before.

I suddenly realized Cesar’s piercing gaze was anchored on me, and the magic of the moment vanished. I stiffened, my hand dropping to my side. “Let—let’s go in,” I stuttered, already moving toward the grand entrance of the palace.

Before I could take a second step, Cesar’s hand shot out. His fingers coiled around my wrist, firm and inescapable, pulling me back until I was inches from his chest.

“Say it again,” he commanded, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous vibration.

“Wh—what?” I stammered, my heart thundering against my ribs. Up close, the intensity in his eyes was suffocating, stripping away the thin layer of confidence I had left.