He was about to speak. But then, just like that, he became mute, and before Briella could react, he turned and dashed away, leaving her standing there, unanswered.  

"Where are you off to?" She yelled. But he was already gone. Briella exhaled, running a hand through her hair. "Am I losing my mind?"

A few minutes later, Briella caught sight of a black G-wagon driving in.

Hayden came down and opened the passenger door. 

When Briella saw he was wearing the same clothes as the person she had just spoken to. Her heart raced, She didn't know what to make of this. Was she hallucinating?

Then when she saw the way Hayden smiled at Hilda, soft and affectionate, his hand placed on her back. Briella dug her fingers into her palms. 

From across the driveway, Hayden's gaze moved to her. His face suddenly became cold as he guided Hilda inside the mansion, his eyes still locked on Briella without a word.  

Briella felt the urge to barge into the mansion to deal with Hilda for stealing her man. 

But he wasn't her husband anymore.

She left, and headed back to her apartment, her mind in a mess.

Could that be Hayden's twin, or doppelganger? Something wasn't adding up.

After contemplating her next action. She pulled out her phone, dialling a private investigator. " I need information on the Linford family," she demanded. "Especially any hidden relatives."  

One week passed without Briella experiencing any weird thing.

One morning Briella got a call from her brother that he was leaving for Paris to finally live the life he had always dreamed of.

At the airport, she pulled him into a crushing hug, the scent of his cologne filling her nose. Tears threatening to spill.

"I'm gonna miss you," she whispered.  

Lex chuckled, ruffling her hair. "You didn't want Dad here because of his health, and now you're the one being a crybaby."

She poked his arm, laughing despite the ache in her chest." Just promise you'll visit." 

"I promise."  

Briella hugged him tightly again. She just got back to her family after years of being married, and now her brother was leaving.

After saying their goodbyes, Briella walked back to her car. Even with being a billionaire's daughter and an heir, she wasn't a public figure who paparazzi followed, and that's the way she wanted her life to be, Private.

Briella was halfway to her car when a sudden yank nearly pulled her arm out of its socket.  

"Hey....!" Her bag was gone, the thief running.  

F**k.. she cursed, an important document was in there.

There were no security personnel around. She took a deep breath. It was just morning, and she didn't want to start her day like this.

She entered her car and was about to drive off when someone knocked on her car window.

"This must be yours."  

Her bag dangled from the stranger's hand. "Oh my God, thank..."

Her words died.  

Hayden?  

But not quite. The same sharp jawline, same piercing eyes, yet something was off. His gaze darted around like he was running from someone.

This wasn't Hayden.

Seeing the look on her face, he slipped a note into her hands and disappeared. 

Briella read the content on the note. It read Meet me at Diamond Park by 5pm tomorrow. 

A week ago, when she encountered him and asked for a detective to investigate, it fell on a dead end. No news of Hayden having a twin or another brother 

Briella stared at the note, and her pulse increased. 

But this man? He was real.  

And she would get answers.  

From the airport, Briella drove to work. She had a board meeting and it spanned for like an hour.

After that, she got a call from her father that he wanted to see her.

At the Milton Mansion.

Briella found her father in the courtyard. His face was distant, his hands trembling slightly around his teacup.  

"Hey, Dad," Briella said softly. " Are you okay?" Briella noticed he wasn't his usual self.

He pulled her into a hug, his grip tighter than usual. "Promise me you won't tell Lex." 

Briella arched her brows. "What's going on?" 

He took a slow sip of tea, the cup clinking against the saucer. Then said quietly 

"I'm dying."

 Briella froze. She didn't expect it all. 

I have a serious Ailment and I'll be frequenting the hospital regularly.

I want you to take care of your brother.

This scene felt like deja vu

When her mother died 10 years ago.

Briella tried to hold her tears, but they fell.

She forced a nod, her vision blurring. "I need a minute."

She went into her room in the mansion and shut the door. She slipped down to the ground and cried till she couldn't cry anymore.

She didn't realise how long she'd been there till there was a knock on the door 

"Come in," she said in her coarse tone. 

Mr Milton enters the room, seeing Briella state made him weak.

It reminded him of how she was when she lost her mother. 

If there was anything he could do, he'd do it just to live very old and even see his grandchildren.

***

At a high-end club

Hayden was with a group of friends. With loud music playing in the background. Girls dancing around them. 

Only Hayden was sitting in a corner, downing alcohol, the whiskey burning his throat with every swallow.  

"What's up, bro? You've been awfully silent," Michael shouted over the music.  

Leslie smirked, slinging an arm around a blonde. "Let's find him a girl. Warm him up now that he's divorced"  

Michael leaned in, grinning. "Speaking of... mind if I shoot my shot with Briella? Since you divorced her and all."

Hayden shot him a glare, hit his cup on the table and it made a crack sound, he stood up and left them.

"Where are you off to, man?" Leslie shouted. After seeing that, Hayden had left. The duo burst into laughter.

"That just confirms it," Leslie said as they continued drinking.

Outside, the cold air did nothing to clear the alcohol fogging Hayden's brain. He fumbled for his phone, intending to call his driver, but his fingers betrayed him.  

The line rang.  

Then her soft voice. "Hello?"

Hilda was so happy to hear Hayden's voice because he had been busy with work lately. After agreeing to pick him, she hung up.

After a while, Michael came out to find Hayden smoking outside. 

"Damn bro you can't just leave, we're having dinner later remember we need to discuss something important."

"Why didn't we discuss it earlier?" Hayden muttered without sparing him a glance.

****

At Milton's mansion 

Briella lay her head on her father's lap lying on her bed as her dad stroked her hair like he did when she was younger.

She had been crying since and it left her eyes a bit swollen. That moment her phone rang, breaking the silence.  

She sat up, her brows furrowed as she saw an unknown caller on the screen.

She picked it up at once.

"Hi. Who's this?" Her voice sounded brittle, even to herself.  

A stranger's voice came up with urgency "Can you come pick your friend up? He's extremely drunk."  

Her pulse increased. All her female friends were not in the country, so the only person who came to her mind was Brian.

Before she could ask for the club or bar name

"BOOM." It sounded like an explosion and then screams and shattering glass followed and then nothing. The line went silent.

 Briella's heart skipped a beat. 

"What was that? Hello, are you there?" But still no response.

Her hands trembled as she dialled the number again but no response. 

Mr Milton gave her a puzzled look. "What's going on?"

"I think something bad happened at the club Brian is in. I need to go now" Briella said, wearing a coat.

"What is the name of the club? I'll have Dalton check it out."

Dalton was Mr Milton's trusted personal aide.

"I didn't.. Get the name." Briella stammered.

Mr Milton stood up and pulled Briella into a hug and rubbed her back. 

"Calm down, Breathe. Brian would be fine. I'll make some calls and get the name of the club."

Briella nodded, she suddenly felt like she was freezing, she rubbed her hands rubbing against each other praying silently that it wouldn't be anything serious.

After a few minutes, Mr Milton ended the call. There was an explosion at Central club. I would...

"Dad, I'll get going now. I'll call you when I get there. Please don't worry about me." She said immediately she heard the club's name.

Before Mr Milton opened his mouth again Briella had already breezed out like air. 

Her dad huffed. She must really care about the boy. But why hasn't she introduced him yet? Mr Milton thought.

Briella drove past the speed limit and got to the club.

She swerved into the parking lot. Red and blue lights pulsed against the night, with a crowd outside. The Police tape surrounded the wreckage of a car, the stench of gasoline and burnt rubber filled the air. It looked like the car exploded.

Her breath fogged in the cold as she pushed through the onlookers. Paramedics loaded a stretcher into an ambulance. 'Please, not Brian' she said silently.

And then she saw them.

 Hilda, pressed against Hayden's chest, her manicured fingers clutching his shirt. His arm around her waist- protective, possessive.  

Briella's nails bit into her palms. She forced herself to turn away, scanning the crowd for Brian.

"Excuse me sir, have you seen this man?" She shoved her phone toward an officer, the screen displaying a photo of Brian grinning at a cafe.  

"No ma'am. He's probably in here somewhere. And don't worry there were just two casualties from the explosion and he doesn't like any of them." He answered confidently.

Briella breathed a sigh of relief.

She tried calling Brian again and fortunately, he picked up. 

"Brian where the heck are you?"

"Hi, Brian is asleep" came a female's voice.

"And who are you?" Briella's lips twitched.

"I'm Violet, Brian's friend."

 Brian never mentioned any friend, but since he was safe, that was all that mattered.

But why would Brian drink to that point? What was he going through? she was definitely going to pay him a visit the next day.

She looked at the spot where Hilda and Hayden were but they weren't there. 

She retreated to the car park 

As Briella got to the park and was about to enter her car, a voice rang out.  

"Isn't that Briella?"

Michael. Hayden's oldest friend blurted out.

She froze and turned back to find a group of people staring at her. And there stood Hilda and Hayden. Hayden gazed at her coldly while Hilda smirked.

"Hey, Leslie. Michael." She forced a smile, extending a hand.  

Michael ignored her hands and hugged her tightly, same with Leslie. 

"Are you okay? Your eyes looked puffy." Michael uttered.

"I'm fine, didn't sleep well last night." Briella lied.

"You should really take care of yourself. 

Well, we are heading out for dinner now, you should join us."

Dinner? Us? Briella was stunned. From the corner of her eyes she could feel a cold gaze on her but she completely ignored it. 

Briella wondered how Hayden made friends with these people, they were the opposite of him.

 When she was still married to Hayden, even with Hayden's cold behaviour, his friends always welcomed her and treated her well. So she owed no offence against them.

"Don't tell me you're going to say no little one." Leslie asked, looping his arms through hers. "And by the way you look as stunning as ever." Briella chuckled.

Hayden's jaw clenched, his fingers tightening around Hilda seeing Leslie's actions.

Briella didn't want to give hilda the satisfaction that she had won, so if Hayden's friends still welcomed her she wasn't going to say no. 

"Okay," she said sweetly. "I'd love to." 

Hayden's icy voice rang out almost immediately. "I'm leaving with Hilda."  

"The hell you are," Michael snapped. "We planned this." 

"You can't just cancel on us." Leslie flared. 

"You f**king suggested this dinner and I cancelled an important meeting for this." Michael added. 

They knew he was trying to bail out because of Briella and they weren't having it.

Briella stood there amused. 

"Fine.." Hayden said coldly.

At magnicious restaurant.

The group pulled over at the restaurant and entered to their private section 

After ordering food. During the wait. Briella suddenly remembered she hadn't called her dad to give him an update. He must be worried.

As she stood up all eyes moved to her direction. 'I need to use the restroom."

After making the call. She stared at herself in the mirror. She looked so pale. A lot has happened over the past few hours. She rinsed her face and headed out. 

Only to bump into someone.

He pushed her back into the restroom and locked the door.

Briella wanted to shout but he covered her mouth with his hands.