The Billionaire’s Duplicate Wife

Homecoming

Elena POV

I stepped my foot into the city I once couldn't live without, I couldn't cope without. I was back again, standing there, breathing a different air, Elias behind me.

"I've missed you so much, Texas. I can't believe I am back here even after everything, even my exile. My parents brought me back," I said as Elias gently pressed my shoulder, a way of reassuring me.

I smiled back at him.

"I'm fine. I promise you. I'm perfectly okay. I just don't believe it. I'm still scared. I'm still wondering why exactly they want me back home. What if it was something stupid the moment I find out it's something I can't do? I am getting the hell out of here," I said to Elias.

He nodded immediately.

"Of course I won't let you stay in their torture. I know how they acted toward you, how they threw you back and forth, made you seem like a useless figure. And I won't let them do it again. I already made a promise to you. I plan on keeping my word," he added.

I smiled again, knowing he was the only backbone supporting me at this moment. The only reason why I am still doing this. I would have given up a long time ago, let go of everything instantly. But I will not let anybody win over me.

I soon took a taxi back home. One thing I did not do was respond to my dad's email or anything. I wasn't going to give them that hope or that choice or thoughts to think that I would be coming back. I am going to make my own appearance when I want to, and I plan on keeping it that way.

I got to the front of the mansion, and of course, I wasn't as stupid as anyone could think I am. Elias had already booked an apartment and wasn't going to follow me back home. I was going to face them head-on, and if anything goes wrong or if they have any ulterior motives towards me, I will not give them that opportunity.

I rang the bell, and although it took a while, the door was slowly opened. I noticed my mom's face. She wasn't excited, neither was she healthy. She looked drained, tired, and like a woman who hasn't been able to sleep for weeks.

"Mom," I said, my voice shaky, not knowing how to react.

It seemed as though she realized I was the one and quickly came to hug me.

"Elena, oh my God. I am so happy. I wasn't expecting you. I thought you wouldn't accept your dad's email and come back home. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I did not get in touch with you. You know how your dad is. You know how crazy he goes. He wanted us to stick to his rules, which was to leave you in exile. We thought you would come back to beg," she blabbed out.

"Mom, it's okay. You don't have to start explaining things to me or explaining what happened. I am here because I just have to. Because I was persuaded to. And I hope you guys are not about to play anything smart on me again," I said, dragging my luggage into the building, only to see my dad slowly make his way down the stairs, his gaze fixed on me, not a smile on his face.

But this time around, at least he wasn't frowning. I smiled awkwardly at him and waved.

"Hi Dad," I muttered.

"I thought you wouldn't come. I thought you were going to refuse my offer. I was already imagining worst scenarios," he said, and I was stunned immediately.

"Worst scenarios? Something isn't right. My dad won't cheesily tell me things like this. He's acting like he loves me so much, like I am the only thing that matters to him, and it's not right. It's not even making any sense at all."

"Oh, you are my dad after all. And it's not like I ran away from home. You threw me out. I have waited every day for you to finally tell me I was welcome home," I lied. Even though I had no plans of coming back home and thought I would finally be free from them. I always believed I had no family anymore. Not until this stupid email that I know has something else hidden within every word my dad wrote, every apology. All of it made no sense, and I'm going to find out what exactly they want from me.

"Where is Sloane?" I asked. Immediately I realized she was not out. She had no job, no career, no talent, nothing. That she would be out doing something. So clearly, she is somewhere, and she's not ready to welcome her sister.

"I don't know. She ran off. I don't know. She's busy. She will come back at her own pace," my mom stuttered. I could tell she was a bit out of words, and when I talked about Sloane, she had this panic gaze on her face like she did not know what to tell me. But I clearly needed an answer.

"Yeah, whatever it is, I'm here now. Why do you want me back? That’s the only reason why. I mean, I want to know exactly why I am even back in Texas," I asked.

"Are you going to be asking me that now? Go. Shower, eat, sleep, rest. There is more than enough time for us to have this discussion. Not now. Not now at all," he said.

His last sentence gave a different tone. I know something is up. Everything from the moment I knocked at the door is different. Or was it because I have been away from home for over eight years and now I feel like I'm in a different environment with different people?

It is how it feels to be far away from home suddenly and then suddenly coming back. Unexpected, unplanned.

Yeah, whatever. I was about to go up the stairs when I noticed my dad wasn't reading the newspaper as usual, but instead, it was a magazine.

"When did you start reading magazines?" I asked my dad as he slammed it shut and placed it down, giving me more view of the front cover. It was like a CEO biography or something. He looked handsome, though.

I shrugged it off, and since I got no response from them, I went up. I was already used to it, being slow in shadow, hiding while she enjoyed the world, and now she gets to travel wherever she wants. No complaints from my parents.

But I dare to do something of that sort, and I will lose my head immediately. Whatever.

I took a shower, came down for dinner, and of course rested, having one FaceTime with Elias, assuring him that nothing had gone wrong and they had not tried to play smart with me in any way, which gave him a sense of peace.

But then I wasn't just going to lay around and wait for the truth to come walking towards me. I stood up late in the night and decided to take a stroll around the house. It's been eight years. I need to be familiar with things I lost. Familiarity.

I first began from the little garden. It was still the same. My mom never changed her habits, the flowers, everything. Her precious old kids, which I hated, were still there, though they had lost a little of their life, but they were still there.

Another thing I noticed was the decals were different. Her expensive paintings were vanished, missing, and I couldn't understand why because she did not even change the house. She just removed a few of her paintings, and they were quite expensive.

"Wow. I can't believe my mom would actually change her lifestyle. She could die for those paintings. Even when she goes broke, she will still keep them."

I strolled into the living room and found the so-called magazine he was scrolling through, because from the looks of it, I did not think he had much interest in it.

And then I glanced at the cover to see the name written boldly: Julian Vane. The Ice King.

"Wow. It must be one rich bastard to be called the Ice King."

I glanced at his face closely. He just looks like a jerk who wants to be worshipped. With that, I threw it back on the table, only for a letter to slip out of it.

Picking it up, the words written almost threw me into shock.