The Plaything Plays Them All

Chapter 6 Seeing Him Again

The ancient Silverwind Castle, beloved by the aristocracy since the 18th century, was once again the site of a lavish wedding.

This time, though, the groom had done something different—he had bought the castle outright, making it his own.

Florists worked around the clock, decorating the grounds, and servants bustled back and forth, preparing for the extravagant ceremony set to take place tomorrow.

On the terrace, Lorenzo, the twin brother of the groom and the one who had actually paid for the castle, stood watching. Though he wasn't involved in the wedding preparations, he had stayed behind to ensure everything went smoothly.

"Excuse me, Mr. Louis." A voice cut through the quiet night air. It was Madison, the castle manager. "We found an injured woman on the road just outside the castle. She seems to need help..."

Lorenzo turned to her.

"I'm not Louis. You've got the wrong brother."

Madison's face flushed with embarrassment. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Lorenzo. You two really do look so alike."

Lorenzo just gave a small shake of his head.

"Happens all the time. People have been confusing us for years."

It had happened a lot recently—servants at the castle wishing him a happy wedding, completely unaware that he wasn't the groom. Not that it mattered. He didn't even have a girlfriend, let alone plans for marriage. The last time he'd been with someone...

Lorenzo pushed the thought aside, irritation rising in his chest.

The one woman who had managed to slip past his defenses—the one he couldn't forget—was still a mystery. All he knew about her was her name: Catherine. She'd been playing games at the bar the night they met, but beyond that, he knew almost nothing about her.

He hadn't even seen her face properly, the lighting too dim to make out her features.

But he remembered the feel of her soft skin, the intensity of her passion.

'She's a ghost,' he thought bitterly.

"About this injured woman," Lorenzo said, trying to redirect his thoughts, "just call the police. They'll handle it."

He was not going to waste time on some stranger.

Madison hesitated, "The thing is... she specifically asked us not to."

Lorenzo raised an eyebrow, but Madison continued, "She's in bad shape. I've already treated her wounds, but she's burning up with a fever. With the wedding tomorrow, the last thing we need is a scandal..."

She wasn't wrong. The event had to be perfect. No drama. No chaos.

And she knew Lorenzo thought the same.

He sighed and drained the rest of his wine.

"Fine. Let's go see her."

As they made their way to the guest room, Madison filled him in. "Security found a car down the hill—there's blood inside. We're still figuring out who the owner is. Her injuries seem to be from glass cuts, but the fever is strange. I've already called for a doctor."

They reached the room just as Lorenzo's assistant, Peter, appeared at the door.

"Sir, we have a situation. Several women are claiming to be Louis' girlfriends. It's getting out of hand."

Lorenzo's jaw tightened. This was exactly what he'd been afraid of—Louis' past catching up at the worst possible moment.

"I'm sure the girl will be fine. Just take care of her tonight and send her on her way in the morning," he said.

But then a faint voice from inside the room interrupted him.

"Catherine... my name is Catherine..."

Before she passed out, memories began to flood back into Catherine's mind. Slowly, she pushed herself up and looked around the room, spotting the two figures standing nearby.

And then, a wave of pure shock hit her.

The man standing just a few feet away from her, by the marble windowsill—the one she had been trying so hard to forget.

"Catherine?"

Lorenzo froze. That name.

He turned toward the woman in the bed, pale and feverish, struggling to sit up. And then his heart skipped a beat.

He dismissed Madison with a wave. "Handle the women outside, please," he said, his voice steady despite the storm of emotions churning inside him.

Now it was just the two of them in the room.

He walked toward her slowly, his gaze fixed on her. "Have we met before? You seem... familiar."

Catherine's heart soared.

"You remember me?"

She couldn't stop herself. Before she knew it, she'd thrown herself into his arms. "You don't know how much I've wanted to see you again. This feels like a dream!"

Her body, still feverish, felt too hot against him, and Lorenzo's concern deepened.

He gently eased her back onto the bed, his voice dropping low. "You're always so passionate, aren't you? But this might not be the best time..."

"Don't go!"

Her grip tightened on him, her mind fogged by the drug Brayley had given her.

She didn't care about anything else. She only wanted him.

She pressed her lips to his.

Lorenzo hesitated and then felt the warmth of her skin against his.

The scent, the touch—it all came rushing back. That night. That impossible-to-forget night. The way she had looked at him, the feel of her body pressed against his.

But now wasn't the time for this.

He gently pulled away from her.

"You need to rest. I've been looking for you ever since that night. Why did you—"

The door swung open abruptly.

A doctor stood there, clearly uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but Ms. Madison said a lady needed medical attention. And sir, Ms. Madison could also use your help outside."