Chapter 127: Twin Reflections

A cold shiver ran down my spine as I opened my eyes and found myself in a cozy, old-fashioned room. I shot up from the bed, my heart racing, my head still pounding from whatever they had injected into me. The soft pink curtains fluttered lazily by the window, catching my eye. My body ached as though I’d been running for days.

I stumbled to the window and pushed it open, gulping down the fresh air. The same dense forest surrounded the house like a cage. A chill gripped me when a guard below glanced up; I quickly backed away from the window, my mind racing. How long had I been lying here? What exactly were Armand’s plans? Was it sending me back into Lily’s domain? Why hadn’t he made his move yet?

I turned toward the door when something stopped me in my tracks—my reflection. I caught a glimpse of myself in the wide mirror on the dresser. I froze, stepping closer. My reflection was wrong. I was dressed in a sleek, sleeveless black dress that hugged my body, my face perfectly painted with makeup. I looked just like Lily Brinson.

Panic flared in my chest as I rushed toward the door, but then—there she was the mirror image of me, standing just outside the door, grinning—it was Lily Brinson. We were identical, down to the last detail, except for one thing—the necklace. The necklace Jacob had given me, the only marker of my true identity, was dangling around Lily's neck.

“You know,” she said with a smile, her voice cool and mocking, “I love how we look exactly the same.”

Lily’s remorse from earlier had vanished, replaced by a chilling confidence as she stepped forward, standing beside me, facing her armed men like a queen addressing her court.

“What difference do you see between us? ” she asked, her voice dripping with smug satisfaction.

One of the men responded without hesitation, “Only the necklace around your neck, Madam.”

“You can’t deceive people forever, Lily,” I said, my voice cold and steady. “The truth always comes out.”

Lily’s lips curled into a smug smile. “Not for me, Rose. You already have everything about me—every alias, every secret,” she purred, stepping closer with a glint in her eyes. “You even have my lily tattooed on your neck now,” she said with a low, mocking laugh. “But I’ll survive this disaster. And when I do, I’ll have Jacob under my control. Completely.”

I met her gaze, unflinching. “You tried before and failed miserably.” My words were sharp, laced with sarcasm. “Jacob can’t be fooled. He knows exactly who’s who between us.”

Her eyes darkened, and without warning, a fierce slap cracked across my face, sending me stumbling to the ground. Pain seared through my cheek, but I refused to show weakness.

Lily stood over me, her voice a venomous hiss. “I’ll find a way, Rose. I always do. And you know it.”

“You can’t always have everything you want, Lily,” I shot back, my tone sharp with defiance. “That’s reality—one even you can’t escape. You’ll always be the wicked villain in this story, and I’ll always be the one who wins in the end.”

I could see the anger flash in her eyes, and I pushed further, aiming to cut deeper. “Being queen of a gang of lawless thugs will be your downfall. You’ll rot from the inside, just like spoiled fruit.”

Her face twisted in rage at my words. Without warning, she grabbed me by the hair, yanking me off the ground, her grip like iron. “I could kill you right now,” she growled, her voice low and threatening.

“Then do it,” I spat, locking eyes with her. “Without our mother, none of this matters anyway.”

Her breath was hot against my ear, her voice a venomous whisper. “She’ll rot in hell, and you’ll die for her.”

But that threat—those words—struck something inside me. Our mother... She was alive. A surge of hope flared up within me, even as Lily's grip tightened.

“Get her into the van,” Lily ordered coldly, striding ahead as her men carefully hauled me out of the house. Just as we reached the door, gunfire erupted, sharp and sudden. Her gang scattered for cover, ducking into the shadows. Instead of rushing me to the van, the men holding me panicked, shoving me back into the house as the chaos unfolded.

Lily stood near the wall, gripping a pistol, her eyes blazing with fury. “You will die here! ”She hissed, her voice trembling with rage.

“Not today, Lily.” A calm, familiar voice called out from behind us. Mike stepped into view, his face steady despite the chaos. “Let me take her.”

The gunfire outside rattled on, the shots ringing louder, and I could see Lily’s composure starting to slip. She hesitated, disoriented by the barrage of noise. “Fine,” she growled, nodding sharply. “Take her. I’ll meet you at the beach house.” Without a second glance, she turned and fired out the window, her shots echoing through the house.

Mike didn’t waste a second. He grabbed my arm, pulling me through the living room toward the back exit. Lily and another man followed closely behind, their footsteps quick and urgent.

A black van was waiting just outside, its engine already running. Mike shoved me inside, slamming the door shut, and we sped off into the dense forest. The van bounced violently over the rough terrain, the trees blurring past as we made our bumpy escape. My heart raced, but for now, I was out of Lily’s reach.

The was wild, but somehow, we made it to the highway without being followed. No sign of Lily’s van behind us—they must have taken a different route. The relief I felt was surreal, but it was quickly overshadowed by the nagging question of why I was with Mike again. He’d rescued me from Lily’s rage, but... why? What was his endgame?

Mike hadn’t said a word since we left. He sat across from me, his gaze fixed on me, unreadable and unnerving. His silence made me uneasy, though there was something solemn about him now, something I couldn’t quite put my finger on.

“Are we going to the beach house?”The driver asked, glancing at Mike in the rearview mirror.

Mike’s answer was calm but firm. “No. We’re going to my house in the mountains.”

That was all he said. His tone gave no room for questioning, and the van continued its climb up the steep, winding roads. The city below slowly faded from view, swallowed by the thickening trees. I caught a glimpse of the distant skyline, and my mind drifted to Jacob. Somewhere down there, he was searching for me. He had to be.

I wanted to ask Mike a hundred questions—about Lily, about the beach house, about why he’d saved me. But something told me now wasn’t the time. His silence wasn’t just exhaustion; it was heavy with purpose.

So I sat in the van, watching the road twist upward, waiting for the right moment to break the silence.

After an hour of silent travel, the van finally came to a halt. I glanced out the window, and my breath caught. We halted in front of a glass mansion situated on the edge of a cliff. The view was staggering—a sweeping panorama of the city below, stretching all the way to the distant ocean. The sun was setting, casting the landscape in hues of gold and deep blue.

“You can come out now, Rose.” Mike’s voice was unexpectedly gentle, as if we hadn’t just fled a war zone. The softness in his tone felt out of place, but somehow comforting.

I stepped slowly out of the van, my eyes drawn immediately to the house. It was beautiful, almost unreal. The sleek glass walls reflected the fading light, blending seamlessly with the breathtaking surroundings. It was the kind of house I’d once dreamed of, long ago.

A memory stirred—back at the orphanage, I had found a picture of a glass house in a magazine. I’d stared at it for hours, imagining a life far removed from the harshness of reality. I told William about it once, and my voice filled with childish hope. Someday, I’ll have a house like that, I’d said with conviction. He had smiled at me, promising that he would build it for me one day.

But that promise, like so many others, was broken. Yet here I was, standing before a glass house that seemed plucked straight from my childhood fantasy. The strange mix of beauty and bittersweet memories weighed on me, and I couldn’t help but wonder if this place was safe—or a trap.