Substitute Bride: Marrying Dark De'Longhi

I was exhausted by the time I got home from work. As soon as the taxi stopped in front of my house, I paid the driver, stepped out, and headed toward the gate. Just as I reached it, I froze. A man was standing in front of my house. He wore a black long-sleeved polo shirt and leaned casually against an expensive black car parked by the curb. I cleared my throat, drawing his attention. He looked up from his phone, then immediately straightened when our eyes met. "Miss Rivera," he greeted. He knows me? "Who are you?" I asked, frowning. I had never seen him before, and it was strange for someone to visit me this late at night. "My name is Calil Abruzzo," he replied in accented English. "I'm Signorina Dianna's personal secretary." His foreign accent caught my attention, but what truly made my heart skip a beat was the name he mentioned. Dianna. My twin sister. How many years had it been since I last heard her name? Fifteen? The last memory I had of her was when she left the Philippines to live abroad with our father. We were only ten years old then. "Y-You know my twin sister?" I asked in disbelief. A faint smile crossed his face. "You look exactly like Signorina Dianna." My eyes immediately shifted to the luxury car behind him. Was Dianna inside? As if reading my thoughts, he spoke. "Your sister isn't with me. If you want to know what happened to her... let's talk inside." The seriousness in his voice told me this wasn't something he would discuss outside. Against my better judgment, I invited him in. It was the first time I had ever allowed a complete stranger into my home. If this weren't about Dianna, I never would have done it. "Please, have a seat," I said, gesturing toward the couch. As he sat down, he gave a small smile. "And don't worry. I understand Tagalog... just not perfectly." His grammar was slightly awkward, but I understood him well enough. "I see." I forced a polite smile. "Would you like something to drink? Coffee? Juice?" "I'm fine, thank you." He settled into the single sofa while I took the seat across from him. "So..." I said, unable to hide my anxiety. "Why are you here? And where's my sister?" Calil let out a slow breath before answering. "Fifteen years ago, Signorina Dianna went to Sicily to live with your father. She told me everything about her family." "Can you please get to the point?" I interrupted. Every second he delayed made my heart race faster. He nodded. "It's been over five months since Signorina Dianna became engaged to Signore Damon De'Longhi, a multi-billionaire businessman in Sicily. But one month after their engagement... she suddenly disappeared." My stomach dropped. "No one has seen her since." "W-Why did she disappear? Did she tell you where she was going?" He slowly shook his head. "No. She vanished without telling anyone. Even your father was shocked." I stared at him, struggling to process everything. "Why would Dianna agree to marry someone she didn't love?" "She accepted the engagement to save your father's failing business." I lowered my eyes. I had never imagined my sister would sacrifice her own happiness just to protect our family's wealth. "Maybe... Damon De'Longhi knows where she is?" "He doesn't." Calil's answer came without hesitation. "He's been searching for her ever since." I frowned. "Then where could she possibly be?" His expression darkened. "We believe... she may already be dead." The words hit me like a punch to the chest. Dead? No... That couldn't be true. "Y-You're joking..." My voice shook. "I wish I were." "B-But how?" "We believe someone murdered her." I felt all the color drain from my face. "Who would want to kill her?" He sighed. "I don't know. But whoever did it... is probably still out there." A chill ran down my spine. "Why would anyone want Dianna dead?" "The only motive I can think of... is money." "Oh God..." I whispered. Calil looked away before continuing. "Before she disappeared, Signorina Dianna ran away from the De'Longhi mansion after a serious argument with Signore Damon. I eventually found her staying at a hotel." He paused. "She asked me to accompany her to a hospital." I swallowed hard. "Why?" "She wanted to terminate her pregnancy." My eyes widened. "W-What? She was pregnant?" "Yes." "Was Damon De'Longhi the father?" "I don't know." He shook his head. "She never told me. After we arrived at the hospital... she disappeared." Silence filled the room. I couldn't even begin to understand what my sister had gone through. Finally, I found my voice. "Why did you come to me?" "Because Signore Damon believes Signorina Dianna is still alive." "And?" "He refuses to stop searching for her." Calil met my eyes. "I'm not trying to drag you into this... but I need your help." "What kind of help?" He hesitated before speaking. "I want you to pretend to be Dianna Rivera." "What?!" I shot up from my seat. "Are you insane? How am I supposed to pretend to be my own twin sister?" "No one will suspect a thing," he replied calmly. "The two of you look exactly alike." "But—" "I'm not forcing you." His voice softened. "I only want to find Signorina Dianna." I clenched my fists. Of course I was worried about my sister. But pretending to be her? That was far too dangerous. "I'm worried about Dianna," I admitted, "but I can't risk my life just to look for her, Mr. Abruzzo." "I understand." A bitter smile appeared on his face as he stood. "But you should prepare yourself." My heart skipped. "For what?" "Signore Damon De'Longhi will come here." My eyes widened. "W-Why?" "Because he'll believe you're his fiancée." I stood as well. "But I'm not!" Calil looked at me quietly. "Do you think he'll believe that?" "Of course! There are documents proving I'm not Dianna." He slowly shook his head. "You're mistaken, Miss Rivera." My chest tightened. "I forgot to mention one important detail." "What is it?" "When Signorina Dianna lived in Sicily..." He paused just long enough to make my stomach knot. "...she used your identity." My mind went blank. "What...?" I couldn't believe what I had just heard. Why would Dianna use my name? And why would our father allow something like that? Before leaving, Calil placed a calling card on the center table. "If you need my help, call me." Then he quietly walked out of the house. I remained standing in the middle of the living room, unable to move. Everything I thought I knew about my sister had just been shattered.