At that time, I wasn’t sure if I was ready to show Anthony how things were between my parents and me. It was probably troubling enough for him already that he had to marry me instead of my twin sister. With that in mind, I decided to act like a loving daughter, just like how Diana would have acted.
Anthony wordlessly led me to the living room of the mansion. Just like all the other parts of the mansion that I had seen, the living room was luxurious and decorated in tones of navy with a large sparkling chandelier hanging from the high ceiling. My parents were seated on a long sofa where the guests were supposed to be seated. Although their presence seemed to blend in with the surroundings as they stood to the side and corners of the spacious living room, it didn’t take me long for me to realize that there were almost ten men dressed in black suits there with us.
A little too many bodyguards if you ask me...but...
“Father...Mother...” I said as I sat down on another sofa opposite the one that they were sitting on.
Anthony sat down next to me on the sofa while leaving a respectable distance between us. I forced a smile that I hoped looked natural to my lips as I waited to see why my parents were here.
“Have you heard about your sister? Anything at all?” my mother asked.
I pursed my lips together as I wondered what I should do. For my sister’s sake, I never told my parents that she got in touch with me. I also didn’t tell them the truth behind my sister’s disappearance. My parents would never believe that my sister had abandoned them and her planned wedding to elope with someone who used to work at their mansion.
If that was the case, I thought that it might not be all that bad to tell them. I was just scared that they might find a way to track my sister down. Before I knew it, I was biting the inside of my lower lip as I hesitated about what I should do. My father let out a loud frustrated sigh at my silence.
“You know something, don’t you? You know something and you’re keeping it from us,” my father said accusingly.
Unfortunately for me, he was spot on correct. I knew quite a lot that they didn’t know, in fact. The tone that my father used with me was the usual tone that I had gotten used to. I glanced at Anthony who was sitting next to me, but I was unable to read his expressionless face. His eyes were blank, and his face betrayed no emotions at all. It felt like he was there, yet he wasn’t truly there. Since it was clear that my father didn’t intend to put on a loving family act even in front of Anthony, I didn’t hesitate to drop my act as well.
“You need to stop looking for her,” I stated bluntly.
“What on earth do you mean?” my mother asked after gasping in shock.
“Exactly like it sounds. You need to stop looking for her. Diana doesn’t want to be found,” I replied before letting out a soft sigh.
“Where is she? You know where she is, don’t you?” my father demanded to know as he glared at me.
When I was younger, I used to be so scared of the way that he looked at me. Sometimes not having anything to lose can feel quite liberating. I didn’t need to worry about losing my parents’ love for me or the peaceful family that I had anymore. I smiled a little to myself as I thought that I couldn’t possibly lose something that I never had to start with. Their stares no longer scared me but that didn’t make me hate it any less than before.
“I don’t know where she is. She simply...relayed her will to me,” I replied while picking my words wisely.
“Did you meet Diana? Where is she now? You have to tell us. We need to find her...” my mother said, and I could see her eyes getting teary.
I wondered what would happen if they found my sister. What would happen to her and what would happen to me?
If my sister returned, what would happen to my marriage to Anthony? Would she simply take her rightful place away from me just like how it was supposed to be since the beginning?
I cocked my head to the side in wonder as that thought ran through my mind as I pondered how I would feel about that. If she came back, I could go back to live my life away from my rotten parents and this place. However, that would mean that I would most likely never see Anthony again, let alone play the role of his wife. In the end, I didn’t think that I would have any real choice in the matter. If my sister returned, Anthony would clearly prefer her over me as his wife.
How would I feel about that exactly?
“Seriously, how many times do I need to say it? Diana is not coming back. Even if you manage to find her, she’s not coming back. She doesn’t want to come back. My sister has finally found the life that she wants for herself, so don’t you dare ruin it for her...” I retorted as I stared back at them without backing down.
I had no idea if the choice that Diana had made was the best one for her or not. On top of that, I had never met this Gordon guy to judge whether or not he was a good guy. However, if that was what my sister wanted to do then I had decided to respect her choice.
“What life could she possibly have that is better than what we have to offer? We gave her everything that she ever wanted. There is no place on this earth where she will be happier than back here,” my father declared with extreme confidence.
--To be continued...
My other works: Forbidden Heat, Love Slave to the Mafia Boss’s Passion, Love Slave to My Devil CEO Boss, Conquering the Emperor, The Alpha Prince’s Purchased Maid and Lust Contracts.