Chapter Ten
Chapter Ten
Chapter 10: The Double Life Begins
I woke up with a splitting headache, my body aching as if I had been thrown around in my sleep. My limbs felt heavy, an unsettling dizziness clouding my mind. I groaned, pressing my fingers to my temples as I tried to shake off the lingering fog in my head.
Something was wrong.
I sat up slowly, blinking against the dim morning light filtering through the curtains. My bedroom. I was in my bed. But last night… I had been in the hallway, desperately trying to open my locked door. My fingers had fumbled with the handle, panic tightening around my throat as I struggled to understand why I couldn’t get in.
And yet, here I was.
A cold shiver ran down my spine. My heart pounded as I clutched my head, struggling to make sense of it all.
Had I dreamed it? No. It had felt too real.
I could still remember the frustration, the helplessness, the way my hands trembled as I reached for the doorknob. The panic had been raw, clawing at my chest. I had been awake. I was sure of it. But now… now I was back in my bed, as if none of it had happened.
A sharp buzz startled me. My phone vibrated on the nightstand, the screen lighting up with a familiar name.
Claire.
I hesitated before picking up. “Hello?”
Her voice hit me like a slap. “Where the hell did you go last night?”
I frowned, rubbing my temples. “What are you talking about?”
Claire’s voice was sharp, almost accusing. “Don’t play dumb, Adrianna. You were at the gala. You danced with Nicholas. You acted like nothing was wrong.”
My stomach twisted into knots. “Claire, I wasn’t at the gala.”
Silence.
Then, in a quieter, almost hesitant voice, she said, “I saw you.”
A chill spread through my entire body.
This was impossible. Claire had to be mistaken.
I swallowed hard. “Claire, I swear I didn’t go anywhere. I was here. I never left the apartment.”
Claire let out a shaky breath. “Then who the hell was I talking to last night?”
\---
At the Gala
Nicholas swirled the drink in his glass, his sharp eyes never leaving Adrianna. Something about her felt… different.
For weeks, she had been cold, distant, barely acknowledging him. But tonight, she was smiling, confident, even flirtatious. She laughed at his jokes, touched his arm lightly, and held his gaze as if she actually wanted to be there.
It didn’t make sense.
He leaned in slightly, testing her reaction. “You seem refreshed tonight.”
She tilted her head, lips curling into a soft smile. “Maybe I just needed a change of pace.”
Nicholas studied her, his sharp gaze searching for something—anything—to explain this sudden shift.
Her eyes held something unfamiliar, something calculated.
This wasn’t like her.
“You’re full of surprises,” he said, watching her carefully.
She chuckled, the sound light and playful. “You have no idea.”
A strange feeling settled in his chest, like an itch he couldn’t scratch.
Something wasn’t right.
\---
Back in the Penthouse
Claire stormed into my room, slamming the door behind her.
“Tell me the truth,” she snapped. “Were you at the gala or not?”
I sat up, still groggy, frustration bubbling inside me. “I already told you, I wasn’t there!”
Claire folded her arms, her glare unwavering. “Nicholas was with you all night.”
My breath caught in my throat. “Claire, listen to me. I was here. I don’t even remember falling asleep. One minute, I was in the hallway, and the next, I woke up in my bed.”
Claire’s face paled. She took a step back, as if realizing something horrifying.
“This isn’t normal,” she whispered.
No, it wasn’t.
A heavy silence filled the room. I could see the battle in Claire’s eyes—half of her wanted to believe me, but the other half was terrified of what that meant.
“Maybe…” she hesitated, her fingers gripping the edge of my desk. “Maybe you sleepwalked?”
I shook my head firmly. “I don’t sleepwalk. And even if I did, how would I get into the gala? I don’t have an invitation. And why would I be acting normal, talking to Nicholas like I wanted to be there?”
Claire exhaled sharply. “I don’t know, Adrianna. I just… I saw you. You were there. You danced, you smiled, you acted like yourself. But now you’re telling me it wasn’t you?”
I swallowed hard, gripping the edge of my blanket. “It wasn’t me.”
Claire ran a hand through her hair, pacing back and forth. “Then there’s only one other explanation.”
I hesitated. “What?”
She stopped, locking eyes with me. “Someone is pretending to be you.”
A wave of nausea rolled through me. “That’s insane.”
Claire didn’t look convinced. “Is it? Because tell me, Adrianna, what’s crazier? You being at the gala without remembering it, or someone out there looking exactly like you and taking your place?”
I had no answer for that.
\---
The Nightmare
Sleep did not come easily that night. My mind was a mess of questions, each one more unsettling than the last.
Who had Claire seen at the gala?
Why did she look exactly like me?
And most terrifying of all—if I wasn’t there… where was I?
When I finally drifted off, my dreams were far from peaceful.
I was standing in a dark room. The air was thick, suffocating, and I couldn’t move.
A figure emerged from the shadows.
I gasped.
She looked exactly like me.
Same face. Same eyes. Same smile.
But there was something wrong.
She was wearing my dress from last night. The one I had never put on.
She twirled in front of a mirror, humming softly. Then she turned to face me, her lips curling into a slow, knowing smile.
“You should rest more,” she said in my voice. “You have a long way to go.”
I tried to scream, but no sound came out.
She stepped closer. I could feel the air shift, cold and unnatural.
“Don’t worry,” she whispered, tilting her head. “I’ll take care of everything.”
I jolted awake, my breath ragged, my hands shaking.
My heart pounded so hard it hurt.
Was I losing my mind?
Or was someone—something—living my life?