Episode 1

Jasmine and Jade are identical twins, but their parents made a dark agreement at birth: each would raise one child in opposing worlds. Jasmine lived simply in a modest neighborhood of Belo Horizonte, while Jade grew up surrounded by luxury in Italy, spoiled by her father Alessandro Moretti—a powerful and feared man.

Despite the distance, Jasmine always knew her sister and father—but contact was limited to cold, sporadic video calls that made it clear she would never truly be accepted. Jade, on the other hand, was ashamed of her mother and sister, viewing them as ignorant bastards and a reminder of the humble origins she desperately wanted to erase.

When Marlene, the twins’ mother, dies suddenly, Jasmine must travel to Italy to live with the father she has never met in person. It is then that Jade sees the perfect opportunity to free herself from an arranged marriage to Dimitri Volkov, the pakhanof the Russian mafia: by forcing Jasmine to marry in her place. After all, they are identical twins—who would notice?

But Dimitri is no ordinary man. He is cold-blooded and unforgiving of betrayal. When the charade is exposed, Jasmine, the substitute bride, is forced to fight for survival amid deadly alliances, lies, and a dangerous desire that often blossoms in the most unexpected places.

The Veil of Lies: The Swapped Bride

Discover how far cruelty can go… and whether a monster’s heart can know mercy.

Jasmine

– The Final Farewell

I always knew who my father was. I also knew I had a sister who looked exactly like me, living across the ocean in a completely different world. Every birthday, my mother Marlene would place my cake on the humble kitchen table and say, “My flower, you are never alone. Your sister is blowing out candles on the other side of the world.” I clung to these words like a lifeline, a flicker of hope to keep from drowning.

Our home in the unassuming São Felicidade neighborhood of Belo Horizonte was not luxurious, but it was filled with love. Mother worked miracles with the little we had. Though many criticized our simplicity, she taught me that wealth isn’t what you buy but what you build inside. And that made me prouder than any mansion or jewel ever could.

Marlene was like a pillar: steadfast, resilient, and incredibly generous. Whenever I came home from school crying over a fight or harsh words, she would brew me chamomile tea and say in her uniquely calm voice, “Daughter, the truth is, those with empty hearts are the ones who care about those who have light.” She never lied to me. As a child, she told me my father was Alessandro Moretti, an influential man in Italy who sent money every month but never once hugged me. She also told me my twin sister Jade lived with him—and I could only see her through the cold screen of a phone.

Those video calls were always strange. Jade smiled at the camera, but her eyes said it all: disdain, disgust, shame.

When her mother came over to say hello, Jade rolled her eyes as if speaking to two “ignorant bastards” was a burden—words I later heard her say in an audio message she sent by mistake.

Even so, Mother never let me hate my sister. “Resentment destroys you more than it does others,” she said. She taught me to be strong but fair, sharp-tongued when necessary but never without compassion.

Yet that gray morning, nothing seemed enough to keep me standing. The walls of the wake echoed with muffled sobs. Wreaths emitted a sickly sweet fragrance. Each condolence hug felt heavier than the last. In the center of the modest funeral home hall, Mother’s coffin seemed unreal. As if she might wake up at any moment to scold me for messy hair or ask if I’d eaten.

But she didn’t wake up. For the first time in my life, I felt truly alone.

I leaned against the edge of the coffin, my hands trembling. Looking at her peaceful, pale face, my vision blurred with tears. I whispered in a frail voice:

—I’ll be strong, Mom. I promise… but how?

The priest finished his final words, but I wasn’t listening. Every syllable seemed to echo in a universe far removed from my grief. Friends and neighbors came to say goodbye, holding my hands as if that could staunch the撕裂ing pain in my chest.

After everyone left, I stood alone before the closed coffin. The funeral staff waited, and I needed courage to take the final step. I touched the coffin one last time, took a deep breath as if to absorb the remaining strength Mother left in the air, and silently vowed never to betray the example she had taught me.

The next day, my suitcase was packed. My passport hastily issued, Alessandro bought my ticket—his first direct contact with me, cold and bureaucratic. “You will come to Italy. Everything is arranged.” The text felt like an order, leaving me reeling.

At the airport, neighbors and colleagues from my nursing technician course came to see me off. Amid hugs and words of encouragement, I felt the pressure to stay strong, not to break. But deep inside, a knot tightened. I was going to live with a man who knew me only through phone screens and a sister who hated me. In another country, another language, another life.

As the plane took off, Belo Horizonte’s sky turned golden in the dusk. Through the window, the city I grew up in grew smaller. With every cloud we passed, my heart cracked.

I remembered those afternoons when Mother and I sat on the worn-out living room sofa, drinking coffee and eating bread with margarine, talking about my dreams. She told me the world was vast, but I shouldn’t shrink before it. My courage should be greater than my fear. Now, it was time to prove I was worthy of every lesson she left me.

I closed my eyes, clutching the cross pendant Mother had left me—her final gift, now my only talisman. I knew Italy awaited me, with people connected by blood yet utterly foreign. If I wanted to survive, I had to be as steadfast as she was.

There, kilometers above the ground, I made a second promise to the most incredible woman I had ever known:

—Mom, I won’t let them break me.

***This work has been signed with NovelToon, and piracy such as reprinting without permission is strictly prohibited.***

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***