WRONG TWIN

THE EVENT

The event hall buzzed with soft, upbeat music amidst the chatter of well-dressed guests. Every detail—spoons, curtains, wine glasses—screamed of luxurious taste, typical for the Cliffs. The Cliffs were a well-known family know for their of their successful tech company 'Cliff Future Tech Co.’ They held court at the center of the event after receiving their guests and others who had come to celebrate the return of their only son, Raynold Cliff.

Lily walked in with her family. A gaunt usher was already waiting to receive them. Vera sighed, bored. “Here we go again—another party.”

Lily looked around, nervousness clouding her form, her heart pounding rapidly, her eyes scanning the party searching for one face.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen,” Maurice Cliff began with a beam.

“I'm so happy to see you all here. I'm glad you all could make time to join me in the celebration of the return of my only son.”

He let the words land like a proud flourish: “ As some of you know, my son Raynold Cliff, a prodigy of the Cliff family, has been gone for the past 8 years to the states, where he completed his studies in the higher institution,” he boasted.

The attention of the guests was all on him. They were all men of high caliber and high status, his business partners and probably his company's rivals party crashers who would want to know what

new secret 'Cliff tech' had to offer.

Raynold sat beside his mother, his fingers drumming the table with restrained impatience. His sharp facial features stood out. His looks could compete with those of models and get a win from it. He breathed slowly, cataloguing the faces, fully aware this welcome doubled as a business stage for his father —typical.

* * * * * * *

Lily's eyes scanned the party nervously searching for Raynold's familiar figure. Though she had not seen Raynold in 8 years, the constant video calls he had with both her and Vera made her sure she would recognize him.

Meanwhile, Vera popped a grapefruit

into her mouth, slowly crushing the little

ball and savoring its flavor. She tried listening to some music on her headphones, but her dad shot her an apprehensive look; her shoulders slumped. She was bored out of her mind.

“I’ll just use the restroom,” she lied, slipping out of the party towards the garden for fresh air. Outside, the night breeze tugged at the hedges keeping her relaxed at least a little.

* * * * * * *

"Hey, dude, you've been staring at that girl for a while now!" A blonde guy tapped his friend. King paid no attention to

Jake's words, his attention was on a particular Streford — Vera Streford. He watched Vera leave the party;

he stood to his feet. “Dude ?”, Jake said. "Tell the vice president I'll be out for a little while. She should step in for me, if I'm needed."

He said dismissively, not bothering to answer Jake's question.

Jake sighed. He wasn't totally unaware of what his brother's intentions were toward the girl, but he knew messing with the Strefords wasn't something they could risk.

“I hope King knows what he's getting himself into”.

* * * * * * *

Vera scrolled through her phone, checking her social media accounts.

“I must say, it's rare to find such a beautiful flower, even in a garden”.

Vera barely looked up from her phone until the courteous, unfamiliar voice stopped her.

She turned to him with a little laugh. "Excuse me?”

“Hi, I'm Kingsley, King for short."

He extended his hand for a handshake. Vera looked at his extended hand and back at him.

"Sure, look, if it's business-related, save it for my dad,” Vera said, stepping around him. King blocked her path gently, not put off by her dismissive reply.

“ Sorry if I came off as being formal. I just want to talk.” His gaze didn’t pretend to be casual.

“You You looked…” His eyes roamed her body appreciatively, and he continued,

“…different from the rest. I’ll be blunt: you’re my type. I've been watching you, I can tell you’re not used to these kinds of parties. I wouldn’t mind keeping you company. If you know what I mean,” a mischievous smile formed on his lips.

Vera folded her arms, unimpressed. “And what exactly do you have in mind as company?”

King glanced toward his car, “I own a pretty comfortable ride” he said, letting his offer hang between them.

Vera bit her lower lip seductively, no words , she just folded her arms as she stared at him.