chapter 1

The dim room carried the faint scent of expensive perfume. Sharp. Familiar.

So Alex was here.

Sara tightened her grip and hugged the pillow closer to her chest, as if the soft fabric could protect her from the man who owned the house… and her life. The curtains were drawn, leaving the room drowned in shadows. Only a thin streak of moonlight slipped through the window, falling across the marble floor.

He was the great Alexander Knight.

A business tycoon admired by the world. Powerful. Untouchable. The kind of man everyone wanted to impress, to please, to stand beside.

But for Sara, he was nothing less than a nightmare.

They had been married for three years.

Three long years of silence and distance.

Yet in the eyes of society, Alexander Knight was still single. Their marriage was hidden, private, a contract signed behind closed doors. No wedding celebration. No public announcement. No love.

It had never been a love marriage.

At least, not for him.

Sara closed her eyes tightly.

She didn’t know when her heart had betrayed her. She had promised herself she would never fall for him. But somewhere between the quiet dinners and the lonely nights, she had started loving a man who never truly saw her.

Because his heart belonged to someone else.

Her younger sister.

Zara.

It was too late when she realized the truth — his love was never meant for her. It was always meant for Zara.

Before she could stop her thoughts, she heard it.

The door opening.

Footsteps.

Slow. Heavy.

“Hey…”

His deep voice filled the darkness.

Sara’s body stiffened.

A long arm suddenly wrapped around her waist from behind, pulling her against his chest. His touch was firm, almost desperate.

“I’m sorry…”

Before she could react, cold lips brushed against her neck. The kiss sent a chill down her spine — not because it was affectionate, but because it wasn’t meant for her.

“Sorry… sorry, Zara… I’m sorry for everything.”

The name pierced her heart like a blade.

Zara.

Not Sara.

For a second, she forgot how to breathe.

But then she snapped back to reality. She had lived in this lie for three years. She knew how to play her part.

Pretending to be Zara, she softened her voice.

“Why are you sorry?” she asked gently.

His grip tightened slightly.

“For the wedding… for the child…” His voice trembled with guilt. “I promise I’ll take care of our baby. Don’t be mad at me.”

Her heart pounded wildly.

The child.

The child he believed belonged to the woman he loved.

Not to her.

Sara swallowed the pain rising in her throat. He was apologizing. Promising. Caring.

But none of it was meant for Sara.

She stood there in his arms, feeling both close to him and impossibly distant at the same time.

In a marriage built on silence and mistaken identity, she had become nothing more than a shadow.

And tonight, once again, he proved it.

She was not the woman he loved.

She was only the substitute.

And loving him had become her greatest mistake.

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