started waking before dawn, slipping out of the house before anyone could ask where I was going.
It didn't matter where I ended up—coffee shops, bookstores, sometimes just driving until the city thinned into dust. Anything to stay away from Mara.
Every time I saw her, every time I remembered the way she'd looked at me, it felt like something inside me split open. She was my brother's fiancée. She had been my sister in another life. How do you face that and keep breathing normally?
So I ran. Every day. I left the mansion before sunrise and came back when the sky had already given up on the day.
Mom thought I was healing. In a way, I was. Just not from what she thought.
That morning, a knock at my door yanked me out of my thoughts. My heart stuttered—Mara?
But it was Mom, smiling like she'd been waiting for this moment.
"You're looking stronger, Ayla. I think it's time we bring you back into the company."
The company. Of course. The family empire with offices spread across continents. I'd seen the logo everywhere, but the truth? I didn't even know what half of it meant.
Still, I nodded. "Sure, Mom."
"Good," she said, relief softening her face. "You'll be taking over as COO. I'll step back. Mara will help you catch up. You two will be working closely."
My stomach dropped. Working closely. Of course.
I dressed like armor could save me.
A tailored black suit, crisp white shirt, the kind that cuts along the waist and dares the world to underestimate you. The mirror showed someone who looked composed—hair slicked back in a pixie wave, silver studs in my ears, a neck tattoo peeking just enough to whisper rebirth.
Confidence painted on like lipstick.
When I descended the staircase, she was already there.
Mara.
Also in a suit—charcoal gray, perfectly fitted, one button fastened just above the curve of her waist. Feminine, sharp, devastating. Her eyes found mine for half a heartbeat, unreadable, then she looked away.
Mom's voice floated behind me. "You two will handle things here while your father and Evan finish up in Belgium. I'll join them later this week."
My heart gave a single, traitorous thud.
So that meant—me and Mara. Alone. In this house.
I smiled tightly. "Great."
The drive to the headquarters was wrapped in silence thick enough to choke on.
Mara stared out the window; I pretended to review files on the tablet, scrolling through mission statements, financial reports—words that made as much sense to me as ancient scripture.
The girl whose body I now wore had a degree in business finance. Me? I could barely balance my emotions, let alone a spreadsheet.
Every so often, I caught Mara's reflection in the glass: calm, unbothered, perfect.
And then she'd shift, just slightly, and I'd feel that invisible thread tug again—the one I kept trying to cut.
The building towered ahead, glass and steel gleaming under the morning sun.
Inside, everything smelled like polished ambition—coffee, perfume, expensive paper. People greeted us with quick bows and polite smiles. "Good morning, Ms. Ayla. Ms. Mara."
We reached the boardroom. Dad's chair sat empty at the head of the table.
"Everyone," Mom said brightly, "this is your new COO."
Applause followed. I smiled, rehearsed and hollow.
And then the door swung open.
"Sorry I'm late," came a lilting, confident voice. A woman stepped in—tall, caramel-skinned, eyes like sunlight through whisky.
"Hey, Ayla," she said, grinning. "It's been ages."
Before I could piece together who she was supposed to be, she crossed the room, arms wrapping around me in a hug that smelled like citrus and danger. She kissed my cheek, quick and warm.
My pulse stumbled.
Who on earth—?
I stepped back, forcing a smile, licking my lip out of nervous habit.
"Hi… it's good to see you," I managed. New lives definitely came with a lot of confusion, but how haven't I met or even heard about this person right here.
Across the table, I caught Mara watching. No smile this time. Her expression was calm, but her eyes—her eyes were fire contained behind glass.
Jealousy, sharp and quiet.
And in that moment, standing between the two of them, I realized I hadn't escaped anything.
I'd just changed the battlefield.