OLIVIA

A tall man appeared all of a sudden. My jaw dropped when he marched towards me and tightly held my arm. His oceanic eyes screamed of danger and cruelty as he looked at me intently. Though it looked like I was saved from a brief episode of intense anxiety and fits of terror, I got confused about how he darted his eyes on me. Perhaps he had mistaken me for someone else? But as I looked at him longer, I couldn't help but look at his physique that was built like a Greek God.

Who is he?

"Reese, what the fuck? You ruined our wedding," he retorted, which confused me.

"W-Wait. I don't know what you're talking—"

"Shut the fuck up, and I'll take you home! You better stop this bullshit," he announced and removed his coat and covered my body with it. "Let's talk once we're at home. You have some explaining to do." I saw his jaw clenched while he whispered it to my ear.

"Liv, what's going on here?" my VIP customer butted in, but before he could stand up, this Greek-God-like man in front of me punched him in a flash.

"Hey! stop it. " I yelled and was about to attend to the old hag, but I was dragged out of the room by this man whom I don't know who he was.

"G-Get off me! H-How dare you ruin my plan!" I groaned as I kept withdrawing from his grip, but hell, his hands are so big and hard that I can't remove them by swinging away.

"So this is your plan all along?" He turned to me, and I could see the rage in his eyes. I was choking back my tears as this stupid guy destroyed my plan. "I didn't know what had gotten in your mind for the past months, Reese. But I won't tolerate this behavior of yours as your fiance."

Who the hell is Reese?

"W-What a minute! W-Why do you keep calling me Reese? My name is Olivia, not Reese! And the VIP you just punched? He's supposed to pay me three hundred thousand dollars and now it's gone, thanks to you—Hey!"

The next thing I knew, he carried me like a sack of rice on his shoulder. I screamed and punched his back multiple times, but he didn't say a word.

"This is seriously a kidnapping! I'm going to report you to the police! Put me down! Lara, help!" I screamed.

I saw the securities made way for us in the exit, and we reached the parking lot and I was stunned when I saw the luxurious car. He had just opened the door. He then put me down, and his ragged breathing was so evident that I could only swallow hard, afraid that he would do something terrible to me.

"Get in!" He dangerously yelled, which made my knees jelly.

"Again, I'm Olivia, not Reese! And by the way, I need to go back to the bar. I don't know you, and you're being mistaken!" I tried not to stutter, but my heart kept beating faster. I feel like anytime I'd collapse.

"Did you hit your head on a wall? Let me remind you in case you forgot, you're my fiancee, and we're still going to marry! So stop this crap and get in!"

"What?!" My eyes widened as if that was the craziest thing I heard.

This man is truly insane. I brought up my phone and contacted Lara, but my vision got blurry, and I felt dizzy as I tried to do so. The next thing I know, someone grabbed me and felt a warm embrace.

***

I looked at the cold-blooded face of this man sitting in the driver's seat. His piercing eyes were fixated on the road, but the unknown rage was visible on his face. His jaw kept clenching, though I couldn't help but scan his beautiful face for some reason.

Despite his grumpy aura, I had to admit that he looked ravishing. I hadn't seen such a perfect face in my entire life. His lips looked so soft, pointed nose, thick eyebrows, and those ocean eyes that would definitely make all women drawn. His blonde hair has an impeccable cut, too, just like the men in Hollywood movies. But with all of these looks, he is still dumb and stupid. I can't believe that my biggest paycheck vanished in thin air because of this idiot.

In addition, what he did was still kidnapping! I massaged the bridge of my nose and glanced at the window beside me. This guy . . . I bet he's gone crazy. He insisted that I am Reese Jones even though I had already explained that my name is Olivia Miller.

Wait, is this a new scheme that I saw on TV last week? Fuck, I'm in big trouble.

"Where the hell are you taking me, Sir? I'm warning you, if ever you want to involve me in your monkey business! My father is a police officer! He will come after you and put you into jail. Do you understand?" I said with a bit of annoyance. I would be going crazy with all these scenarios whirling through my head. My phone is also useless as my phone provider cut my service. Everything adds up in my aggravation.

He didn't answer, but I know he didn't like the tone of my voice based on how he gripped the steering wheel tightly. He then suddenly touched my neck using the back of his hand.

Does he think that I'm sick? I'm speechless.

"For the nth time, I'm going to tell you this . . . I am not Reese Jones, alright? My name is Olivia Miller, and clearly, you are mistaken and kidnapping me for no reason!" I gritted my teeth and shifted my position so I could talk to him seriously. "And what you did back there in the bar ruined my reputation as the best entertainer in town. Do you know how much you owe me? That's three hundred fucking thousand dollars!"

He still didn't speak as if he didn't hear all my whines. I can see that he slowly shakes his head. I could have sworn this guy made my veins want to explode out of anger numerous times in just an hour.

"Sir, please take me back. I don't know you. I'm not Reese . . . okay, I lied. I don't have a Dad. My father is not a police officer. I don't have a family. My only hope is my work. Please, I'm begging you. Take me back to that place." I was breathing heavily, and my chest went up and down as my tears burst out. My anger, fear, and worries merged as if I thought a second I would die of catching my breath.

"Your only hope, are you seriously ill?" His voice was menacing. "Is that the reason why you escaped without any word two months ago? To work in that filthy place?"

My forehead creased as I looked at him. My fist clenched, and I could feel the raging emotions from my chest. This is probably my fate. Who am I kidding? This is what I only deserve . . . an orphan who does not deserve to escape this shithole, does not deserve to accomplish her dreams and doesn't deserve to be loved. From this moment, waves of agony washed out my hopes and aspirations. I gave up.

I returned to my senses as he drove faster and then turned right and immediately

stopped the car.

"What the hell! Do you want us to die?!" I yelled as I held my chest nervously.

He turned to me and eyed me angrily. "We're supposed to get married two months ago, Reese! You told me you love me, but you left me like a joke, and I don't know why you did that! I was losing my mind trying to find you in every place in the world only to find you working as a sex worker in that cheap bar?! Why did you even do that?"

I rolled my eyes and shook my head.

"Your mom is so worried about you! We thought someone kidnapped you, or you ran away with another guy, but it was even more surprising seeing you strip naked in front of that old man! Jesus, Reese! What on earth were you thinking? " He then scratched the back of his neck and said, "I knew it. You know what? I fucking knew it. I should not let you hang out with Paris. That motherfucker gave you drugs."

His worried face then turned to me and then he released a big sigh as his eyes went back on the road.

"First of all, I don't have a mom, okay? Even if I wanted to, I'm an orphan. I don't have a family. Second, I worked there as an entertainer, not a sex worker. It's part of my job. Lastly, whoever that Paris is, we are not pals, and she did not give me any shit, and as far as I'm concerned, it looks like you're the doper here, not me. " I then put both my hands over my face out of frustration.

"That bitch, she ruins everything. I'll call her to stop inviting you on her trips to L.A. Don't worry, Reese, everything will be alright. But I need to tell this to your mom as she is worried sick."

Looks can be deceiving indeed. At first glance, I would not expect that this gorgeous guy could be stupid as fuck. Out of frustration, I ran my fingers through my hair.

This guy is seriously stressing me out.

"We will go to your place . . ." He looked away and started the engine of the car. "I'll take you home, and we will tell this to your mom."

For some reason, instead of countering his arguments, I can't help but laugh in this situation. Like, even how many times I tried to convince him, he was dead serious telling me that I'm Reese and he will be supposed to be married to her. Whoever Reese is, she is supposed to be thankful that she has a handsome but pesky fiancee.

I burst out in laughter. His face looked confused. Just by looking at him, he no longer knew how to react. Probably, he's thinking that I need to go to rehab. Guessing the look from this idiot, he probably is.

"Give me $300,000, and I'll play your little game," I said in defeat and crossed my arms against my chest.

He shook his head, "Even the riches of Solomon, I 'll give it to you," he said and started the engine and maneuvered his car.

I scoffed and heaved a huge breath. The waves of my agony shifted to waves of hope and uncertainty. My heart pounded faster, and I can't help to remove the wide grin from my face.

OLIVIA

I could feel the cold breeze kissing every bit of my skin as we got out of his car. My eyes landed on the huge manor in front of us. It was like a Georgian manor, too old-fashioned but speaks of elegance and nobleness.

"Where are we?" I asked curiously to the handsome-yet-grumpy man standing next to me.

"At your home," he said coldly. He held my hand and dragged me without any hesitation.

"Seriously, you need to go easy on me while I'm still in control!" I hissed as we walked through the stairs.

"Your mother is waiting for us," he said when we reached the front of the double doors.

I just shrugged and rolled my eyes. Those were good words to hear only if I had a mother. I bet Reese' mother will think he's gone insane once she sees her supposed son-in-law bringing another woman into their house.

He knocked on the door and minutes passed, it was opened by a housemaid. He was still holding my hand tightly when we entered inside.

My eyes roamed around and all I could see were luxurious furniture and interiors that made the whole living room livelier, comforting and warm. The house was undeniably spacious and truly stunning. Across the living room is a grand staircase which leads to the second floor. I gazed up there and saw a woman who seemed to be in her mid 40's and was standing in the first rung of the stairs. Her hand was caressing her chest as her eyes started to get teary.

She must be Reese' mom . . . she then ran downstairs and it somehow made me nervous thinking that she might fall. I thought she would try to hit this insane man beside me but I was stunned when she ran towards me and embraced me tight.

I blinked several times, and swallowed hard when I heard her cry on my shoulder while hugging me as if she didn't want to lose me . . again.

"Oh, God! Sweetheart, where have you been all this time . . . I was so worried to death," she said in between her sobs. She then faced me and the next thing I knew was she's caressing both of my cheeks that somehow sent warmth to my spine. "I am so happy you're safe and back, Reese. Mommy missed you so much . . ." She hugged me again.

I didn't know how to react. God knows how I wanted to burst her bubble and tell her that I am not her daughter . . . that I am not Reese Jones, but something inside me slightly pity her. I don't know why.

I still don't understand why both of them are calling me Reese. Who really is she?

I didn't manage to utter a single word in front of Reese' mom. I am still confused and definitely convinced that this wasn't a prank anymore. After the emotional breakdown Reese' mom had upon seeing me, she was sent to her room with a house nurse who's in-charge with her because apparently, she's suffering from depression.

When the grumpy guy confirmed that she's already having a good rest, he then walked me to Reese' bedroom.

As soon as I entered the room, my eyes widened in disbelief. I glanced at the portraits hanging on the wall and saw a familiar face of a woman . . . my face . . .

I shook my head, trying to get a grasp of everything but I couldn't seem to understand what was happening.

Like what the hell is going on?

Reese Jones and I have the same face? How could it be possible?

I stiffened when I felt him embracing me from the back. I was about to protest but his arms were snaking my waist tightly. He buried his face on my neck, and when I felt his mint breath on my skin. A sudden wave of electrifying sting sent shivers up to my spine.

"I forgive you for everything you've done . . . whatever you've been doing, I will forget about it. Just promise me you won't leave me anymore," he whispered, almost pleading.

My forehead creased. I know I was whining to him a while ago but after seeing all Reese' pictures, it was as if my strength faded away because unanswered questions started to haunt me.

"Don't fucking run away from me, Reese." His hands traveled on my shoulders and he made me turn around so I could face him.

My brows furrowed. The rage on his face has gone. The only things I see in his eyes are sadness and desperation.

"We'll get married tomorrow. You can't escape from me. I won't allow you to leave me ever again," he uttered with finality.

To my surprise, he leaned forward and gave me a rough kiss.

***

The next day . . .

I was pacing back and forth, biting my nails as I tried to think of a good escape plan. After what happened between me and that grumpy man last night, after how he stole kisses from me and swore that he won't let me go, it became clearer to me that I was in a big mess.

My eyes darted on the telephone on the table beside Reese' bed. I immediately walked towards it and dialed Lara's cell number. If there was one only thing I am good at, that's memorizing phone numbers of the people I care about. I heard three rings on the line and then she answered the phone call.

"Lara!" I called her name as I sat on the side of the bed.

"Olive? Geez!" She exclaimed. "What happened to you last night? Mike checked the CCTV footage and told me someone has kidnapped you. I took a closer look at that man's face and figured out it was no other than Chase Maxwell!"

My forehead immediately creased. "Chase who?"

"Chase Maxwell, Olive! He's one of the most famous billionaire bachelors in the country! How did you know him? Care to tell everything because I'm freaking out here!"

"Well, I'm freaking out too, Lara. He ruined my performance last night because he thought I'm his missing fiancee." I lowered down my voice, afraid that someone might hear me from the outside.

"W-What? Fiancee? How come?"

"I don't know but I'm here in the house of that woman. Listen, you won't believe what I found out."

"I'm all ears, Liv!"

"His fiancee, Reese Jones? We have the same face! I mean . . . we're too identical and that's the reason why that man, Chase, has dragged me into this place! He thinks I'm the woman he's been looking for, Lara!" I told her as if I am becoming more hysterical right now.

I heard her gasp. "What the— are you serious?"

"I really want to think this is just a nightmare but hell, this is real. I don't understand what's going on. I haven't been able to sleep in Reese' room. Her pictures are giving me creeps." I then turned to the wall and gazed on Reese' portrait, and instantly I felt the goosebumps all over my body. "But, I have another problem."

"Another one? What is it?" Her voice sounded so concerned.

"That Chase? He said we're going to get married today!" I said and palmed my face. "He's so convinced that I am Reese, that I left him for unknown reason and now he's not going to allow me to escape anymore and will force me to a shotgun marriage. This is insane!"

"Oh my goodness, am I hearing it all right? That famous bachelor wants to marry you? You'll be an instant billionaire's wife if that's the case then!" she said in glee.

"Let me remind you that I'm not Reese Jones, for the love of God, Lara!" I rolled my eyes. How could she get so giddy with the thought of me marrying that grumpy billionaire?

She sighed. "But isn't it an opportunity you should consider, Liv? It only takes one vow and you will get your chance to escape from the rat race. Come to think of it, you will no longer need to work as a stripper. You'll have a wealthy life, and the most good-looking husband. You'll never have to worry about money, you will get anything you want—"

"Again, I'm not Reese—"

"But this might be the chance you've been waiting for, Olive. If that girl, Reese, really wanted to marry Chase Maxwell, she should've been there to begin with. However, she's missing in action, and the only woman who gets the chance right now is no other than you."

I inhaled heavily as my chest started tightening . . . somehow, at the back of my mind, I knew Lara was right. I felt like my mind and conscience were battling against each other. My mind strongly agreed to Lara but my conscience was telling me otherwise.

"You know how impossible it is to reach a dream when you don't have the means to depend on. Liv, you only live once. Chance like this can only stumble in front of your feet once."

The memory of my younger self stealing bread in a bakery store when I was wandering on the streets flashed in my mind. It was followed by my teenager self who stood in front of the bar, and how my life changed afterwards . . . my life has changed, yes. But I had to admit that I am still at my lowest.

Silence engulfed me for a moment. If only I could see a sign that would make me decide what to do . . . something that would encourage me to go on with Lara's suggestion.

If only someone would knock on the door and tell me it's okay for me to do it . . . I was holding the telephone to my ear so tightly, and my eyes couldn't help but be teary.

"Fuck . . ." I gasped and ended the call without saying a word to my friend.

I heard two knocks on the door that made me hold back to crying. I cleared my throat and stood up. The door opened and the familiar God-like Chase Maxwell entered. Compared to last night, he looked more calm today. He was wearing a black suit that fit his body perfectly.

"Good morning," he said huskily.

I swallowed hard and just nodded at him. My eyes gazed down at the white huge box he was holding and then glanced at him curiously.

"We have to keep going, Reese. We will marry today," he said genuinely and handed me the box.

I didn't know why but I found his voice soothing . . . as if it was the sign I just asked earlier, and like he was pushing me to do it, to grab this one in a million chance.

"So, you're still going to marry me," I said with my voice on the verge of cracking.

"Yes, I will still marry you. Whatever it is that happened last night, it doesn't change what I feel for you, Reese."

Our eyes were still locked with each other. I could see the sincerity in him. I hate to admit it but it felt like Reese had missed this gem in front of me.

I inhaled and walked towards him, then tiptoed to give him a peck on his lips.

"Alright, let's get married then . . ."

OLIVIA

When I was in the orphanage, I never imagined that there would be a family willing to adopt me. Every Christmas, I recall some people who visited and gave us gifts. I was super excited especially in November, the month when we normally prepare some presentations that we would perform at the Christmas party.

Then one time, someone gave me a gift. It was a Christmas card that was given by a lovely couple, and I kept it in a shoe box. Whenever I feel sad, I would see myself bringing it out from the box and read it. Even though it had only a generic happy Holiday message with my name written in front of it, it didn't fail to give a smile on my face. It was the only Christmas present I got when I was a kid that somehow made me feel special. The truth was, I imagined that it came from my real family.

Now in a turn of events, I was sitting with my 'parents', with my 'fiance' sitting next to me and of course his family on the other side of the table.

And guess what? We were discussing the plans for our marriage— Chase and mine.

We were all here in the dining area of Chase Maxwell's house. I never imagined that I would find myself in this situation, at least not until today. Reese Jones, for God's sake, why do we have the same face? Well, let me play your role for a while then once I get what I want, they will no longer see me anymore.

I can't wait to get my three hundred thousand dollars from Chase. That money is enough for me to change my face entirely so that this idiot would no longer run after me.

"Reese, I am glad that you're able to join us today. How are you?"

I came back to my senses when Chase's father spoke. At this moment, I wasn't sure what they thought of Reese. Due to the fact that I was unfamiliar with her, I've decided to provide just plain responses to his family, just to be on the safe side. The less I say, the less likely it is that I will make a mistake, and if I can perfect the art of pretense, I will be able to avoid any suspicion on their part.

Earlier when we arrived, his father, whose name is Ernest, looked at me as if he saw a dead person, which I thought was strange. He even dropped his newspaper and then proceeded to hug me. My mind couldn't help but wonder how close he was to Reese.

"I'm fine, thanks!" I faked my smile just like how I pretend to be someone that I'm really not.

"That's good to hear, sweetheart. All of us were worried about you," Chase's father replied, still gazing at me with an odd look.

"She kinda has amnesia and forgot our wedding," Chase said to my family.

Everyone at the dining table burst out laughing. They looked at me and kept shaking their heads. Then they proceed to bombard me with a lot of questions. I was trying to be as polite as possible with them but they started to get on my nerves.

To avoid their questions, I always end up looking at Chase, giving him a look, signaling him that I can no longer accommodate and answer all their queries, especially those interrogation of his parents.

His mother had a lot to say about this swimming competition, like I didn't have even the slightest idea what she meant by that. "I'm rooting for you Reese. You're the pride of the Jones's family!"

What did she say? I don't even know how to swim!

Then, I recall those medals from Reese's room and some portraits of her wearing a one piece swimsuit holding a trophy. So the missing bride-to-be is a swimmer?

"Perhaps, you're getting overwhelmed because of your wedding, then here comes this upcoming swimming competition you must attend and you're still trying to recover." Mrs. Maxwell glanced at her son. "Chase, I guess you should postpone the wedding for this year so that Reese will have more time to prepare."

Chase's mom then reached for my hand that was resting on the table. Chase, who was seated next to me, caught my attention. I saw that he had a gloomy expression on his face. His oceanic eyes were filled with disappointment as he listened to what his mother had to say.

"Chase, I guess your mother is right. We can't force this wedding since Reese is still recovering. We don't even know what happened to her. We need a specialist to check on her."

I'm not sure whether I would be happy or not that I am hearing all these damn excuses from his family. One thing is for sure, both of his parents don't want me to marry their son. If the marriage would not push through, I wonder if I would still be able to get my money back . . .

But of course, I am already here in this madness and I already made a decision to play along with it, so in order for me to ensure that I would be getting money, I have to marry this billionaire, by hook or crook.

"I'm sorry, Uncle Ernest and Aunt Claudia, but me and Chase would like to be married as soon as possible," I uttered.

His parents were both staring at me with a blank expression on their faces before they threw meaningful looks at each other. I'm not sure whether they're enraged or just confused.

Chase, on the other hand, smiled at me. "Mom, dad, you heard Reese. We want this wedding to happen as soon as possible. In fact, I wanted our wedding to be done today but you intervened with our initial plan. If it weren't for your complaints, Reese would have been my wife by now." He then glanced at me and winked.

I rolled my eyes, but I stopped midway as her sister seemed to notice it.

"I wish you never came back," she said with her lips pouting in annoyance.

I narrowed my eyes as I threw a dagger at her. I want to give this lady a smack on the face but since she will be my sister-in-law, then I'll let it slide.

"Hey Chandria, quit it." Chase told her warily.

Reese's parents then started to persuade them with the wedding plan but for some reason, Chase's parents would always bring up my condition.

I guess the real problem here was how I would convince these people that I'm fine. Even if I'm in their position, I would also be terrified that someone who has gone missing for two months, ruined her supposed wedding with their son, would show up and have no details whatsoever about what really happened.

It is reasonable for them to think about it first. I got that I needed to be checked by a specialist, probably they are referring to a therapist or some sort. Observing how our conversations went, I already knew that it would not be easy for me to wear Reese' shoes at all.

However, even though the shoes don't fit right now on my feet, I would still work my ass off to be the modern Cinderella of this fairytale.

We exchanged our goodbyes as soon as our lunch was finished. I walked in their hallway, then went downstairs and saw Maxwell's family portrait. My eyes wandered on their walls which appeared to be magical. They had these dream-like paintings, sculptures that I only saw from the magazines and when I reached the end of the stairs, there's this old typewriter that caught my attention. I squinted my eyes as it felt like I had seen it before.

"Do you still remember that thing?" A familiar voice of Chase was heard behind me. He then tapped my shoulders and stood up right beside me.

"It's the first time I've seen it," I replied.

"You gave that to me as a gift," he said.

Oh, alright. I bit my tongue and acted as if my head started to feel a throbbing pain. I guess this is the best thing to do, to disguise that I'm suffering from amnesia so they would stop throwing questions at me.

I know Chase wanted me to share what exactly had happened to me but since I'm a different person, I don't have any explanation for it. I just need to stick with this act until they get tired of asking me a lot of things.

However, I know I couldn't pretend to have amnesia forever. If this continues, Chase' parents will not likely agree for us to get married.

"If you don't remember that's fine," he said.

His face saddened as he tried to tell me some good stories about him and Reese, hoping that any of it would somehow ring a bell to me.

As I listened carefully to him, I started to think that having a relationship with someone is truly difficult. When I was working in the bar, my goal was to earn a lot of money and that's it.

When I was still at the orphanage, every time I saw other kids being adopted, I felt so jealous. Every night, I prayed that hopefully one day, a family would come and adopt me. Now, I realized that family can be complicated too.

"Reese, please don't give up," he pleaded.

He snaked his arms around my waist and pulled me for a embrace. Surprisingly, it's a comforting, warm, tender . . . long embrace, which made my mind calm a bit.

My hands wanted to move on their own and to embrace him too, but my mind reminded me not to do it. I don't want to become too attached to him. My emotions should not have any control of me. If I ended up liking this person, then I'd be in huge trouble, especially when the real Reese Jones finally showed up.

But I had to admit that this guy is truly appealing. The way he embraces me gives me an indication that he doesn't want to let me go. I know I was mad as hell at him last night but at the back of my mind, there's a little demonic voice telling me to enjoy this moment with him.

Perhaps because I don't have any lover? I never had a boyfriend before. Even if I wanted to enter a relationship and entertain some men who showed good motives to me, I didn't have the courage to grab the chance and ended up getting away.

That's how my trauma ruined my life.

I came back to my senses when he kissed my lips. It was so passionate and enticing that even though my mind was telling me to push him, I did the opposite. I kissed him back, parting my lips and felt his tongue inside my mouth which made me moan softly.

Then I realized we were still in his house and his parents might have caught us kissing!

"Ch-Chase, not here . . ." I muttered and slightly pushed him away.

And I was correct . . . someone has caught us in the act.

I saw his sister, standing up a few steps away from our direction, watching us intently.

"Can you guys get a room?" she scoffed and rolled her eyes at me.

A sudden wave of embarrassment filled my entire system. She then walked past us and even bumped my shoulder intentionally. As I turned around, she only gave me an annoyed face.

My eyebrows furrowed with how that brat Chandria acted in front of me. I licked my lower lip and grinned bitterly. What a childish devil . . .