The Billionaire’s Duplicate Wife

The Ties That Binds

"Elena, the wedding is meant to happen in 20 days. I don't care, and I don't want any delay, or you will pay me back every cent I give to you." I read out and then signed below. Julianne Vain.

This makes no sense. The same jerk CEO is threatening my dad and calling it a wedding. Why is he even sending an email? Who sends an email in the 21st century? Who does this?

At first, I threw the letter back, knowing definitely it was for slowing. And of course, I didn't even think twice about it. But just when I was about to go back upstairs, I remembered my mom's words. “Slowing ran off,” was her first sentence. Until she changed it and lied. She was just traveling around. She never said she was coming back.

“A week or a few days' time, huh? No. What does this mean?” My dad is under some sort of debt. Is that why Mom's painting disappeared? I rushed to his locker and tried opening his safe. And of course, he never changed the password, even though I never said a word about knowing the key to his safe.

I opened it, brought out all his documents, and scattered them on the desk, trying to find answers. Answers to my questions. And of course, I got it immediately. He is stuck under a debt, not just any little debt—a two million dollar debt. A four million dollar debt. How would he ever be able to pay this? Even his net worth didn't cover this much. I ran my hands through my hair, frustrated.

Until I heard footsteps.

As the old Elena, I would have already hidden in every document, pretended to run off, hide somewhere. But now I didn't. I was bored. Because I needed answers too. I wanted to know why I was called back home. And of course, it was my dad, with a glass of milk in his hand. He looked sleepy for the moment he saw me and the documents on the table.

“Elena, when did you have the audacity to go through my documents?” he said as I laughed.

“You know what? I became smarter. These eight years without you. I saw the magazine with you, and nothing sat right with me. I decided to make my own investigation. You are under a four million dollar debt. Not just any kind of debt. You promised your daughter out. But where is the win you want to give to this Jack CEO?”

I asked, slowly vanishing from me. At that minute, she ran off. I searched everywhere. I couldn't track her down. I have just a week left to find her.

“I thought you would not come. You are the only one who can help us out of this situation. Julianne is not someone you can play smart with. And I have already tried ways, and of course, I am still acting like I can play smart with him. He will not just want his money back, but he will make everybody in my life pay for it. Please, Elena, just help us this once,” he said.

I laughed loudly, stepping away from his desk.

“Dad, you begged me. It makes no sense. With all your ego and pride, you actually think you could beg your daughter? Was this why you sent me that email? Acting all nice, Mom hugging me, you guys telling me to rest? You thought we had enough time? We have just six days. You have six days before this CEO makes life a living hell for you, and you act like it's something easy. We have to find Slowing, no matter what.”

I said, immediately directing the question. One part of me knew they were about to play a stupid trick on me, but I wouldn't let them.

“I don't know; I would ask around. She has friends, I know. Her friends I will find Slowing for you. Or don’t you know about this marriage I asked for?” I questioned.

My dad was speechless. At that moment, my mom came running down the stairs. She looked sleepy, but I could tell she heard the commotion and also wanted to chip in.

“We can't find her. Don't you understand?”

“Elena, we have tried everything. We can't find her. Just help us, please,” her mom added.

“And who told you I want to help you? What am I even helping you with exactly?”

“There is nothing I can do to help the situation. Slowing vanished. I tried finding her. The only thing I got was camera footage of her leaving the airport. We don't even know which state she went to or where she went. We couldn't track her down. She was pretty smart about her part because she knew we would try to find her.”

“Elena, what don't you get? Is it that you don't get it? Or you just want to pretend like you don't understand what I am pleading with you to do?” My dad tried to explain.

“I don't understand. It's not like I don’t get it. I don’t f*****g understand what you want me to do. And even if I do, I wouldn’t do a dime for you. All because you exiled me for no reason. All because you wanted to keep all this Chloe by your side, and now you want to change everything. Suddenly I am your favorite daughter that needs your attention.”

“Fine. I've seen what happened. You guys are in debt. I'm going back to the States. I don't even need your money. I will do it on my own. I was independent on my own day,” I said, turning around.

I was about to go up the stairs, but my dad did not give me the chance as he pulled me back.

“You are going to represent your sister. You will take your sister's position. I don't want questions; I don’t want you to drag it with me. That is the final decision. That is why I brought you here. No matter what you do, you always know you have to help your sister. Right?” he said.

I laughed. At that moment, I couldn't control myself, my thoughts. I became like a maniac, someone crazy. I had alias. I had a perfectly normal life in the States. They brought me back to Texas, and now they're trying to control what I do, how I live. And now who I am going to be with.

I flung his hand off.

“No, Dad, I will not marry this weirdo that I don't know. For my sister. She should come and do it herself. After all, you guys loved her more.”

But I cried. She was always the crazy b***h. And now you guys have seen it.

I said and left, thinking it was going to be over—or it wasn't.

Five days later, and I am standing right in front of the church with a weird wedding gown, about to be married to Julian Vane.

All my efforts failed. I am about to be stuck with a man who doesn't even want to know who I am.

I'm just about to marry a stranger. A man who hits my face even when he thought it was Sloane.

A billionaire with a lethal smile and a hat made of jagged glass. I knew from the investigations I made.

Julian doesn't want a wife; he wants a trophy he can ignore. And now I am stuck here, unable to make a decision for myself.