Chloe couldn't breathe.
The woman in the mirror stared at her as if she had been waiting all her life for this moment. The resemblance was terrifying — the same eyes, the same lips, the same face. But where Chloe's eyes held fear, the woman's eyes burned with hatred.
The mirror went dark.
The room fell silent.
Chloe staggered backward, her legs weak. Lucas caught her before she could fall, his arms wrapping around her firmly.
"Easy," he murmured.
She could feel his heartbeat — steady, controlled. Too controlled for a man standing at the edge of chaos.
"That was her," Chloe whispered. "That was Elise."
Lucas nodded slowly.
"Yes."
Chloe pushed against his chest, stepping away.
"She looked like me," Chloe said, her voice shaking. "Why does she look like me?"
Lucas's jaw tightened.
"Because you were chosen," he said.
Chloe shook her head. "Chosen for what?"
Lucas didn't answer immediately. He walked to the desk in the corner of the room and opened a drawer. Inside were photographs — dozens of them.
He handed them to Chloe.
Her hands trembled as she flipped through them.
Photos of her walking down the street. Sitting in cafés. Laughing with coworkers. Even sleeping.
Her stomach twisted.
"You've been watching me," she said.
"Yes," Lucas replied calmly.
"How long?" she asked.
"Two years."
Chloe felt sick.
"You knew me before I knew you," she said.
"Yes."
"And you never thought to warn me?" she demanded.
Lucas met her gaze. "I was protecting you."
Chloe laughed bitterly. "By spying on me?"
"By keeping you alive," he corrected.
Chloe dropped the photos.
"You don't get to decide my life," she snapped.
Lucas stepped closer.
"Someone already did," he said quietly.
Chloe's breath hitched.
"What does that mean?"
Lucas's voice dropped. "You weren't supposed to exist."
The words felt like a slap.
"What?" she whispered.
"Elise was supposed to die," Lucas said. "But instead, she disappeared. And you appeared."
Chloe felt her knees weaken.
"You're saying I replaced her?"
"No," Lucas said firmly. "You were created to hide her."
The room spun.
"I don't understand," Chloe said.
Lucas reached out but stopped himself.
"You were given her memories," he said. "Or at least fragments of them. That's why Elise wants you."
Chloe pressed her hands to her temples.
"That's impossible," she whispered.
"You've had dreams," Lucas said. "Haven't you?"
Chloe froze.
She remembered flashes — blood on marble floors, a man screaming her name, a promise whispered in the dark.
"How do you know?" she asked.
Lucas's eyes softened.
"Because I'm in those dreams," he said.
Chloe looked up at him.
Their eyes locked.
The air between them thickened.
"You're lying," Chloe said weakly.
"I wish I was," Lucas replied.
Silence stretched between them.
Chloe took a shaky breath.
"Why do I feel safe with you?" she asked quietly.
Lucas swallowed.
"That's the dangerous part," he said. "You shouldn't."
Chloe stepped closer despite herself.
"But I do," she whispered.
Lucas's hand lifted, hovering near her face.
"Chloe," he said, his voice rough. "If you let yourself fall for me, I won't be able to stop."
"Stop what?" she asked.
"Hurting you," he said honestly.
Her heart pounded.
"Then don't hurt me," she whispered.
Lucas's control snapped.
He pulled her into him, his hand sliding into her hair as his lips crashed against hers. The kiss was deep, desperate — filled with tension, fear, and something dangerously close to love.
Chloe clung to him, her body responding despite her mind screaming warnings.
Lucas broke the kiss abruptly, breathing hard.
"This can't happen," he said.
"Why?" Chloe asked.
"Because Elise is watching," he replied.
Chloe stiffened.
Lucas cupped her face gently.
"And if she sees you as mine," he said, "she will destroy you."
Chloe's heart raced.
"Then protect me," she said.
Lucas's eyes darkened.
"I already am," he said.
He took her hand.
"We need to leave Paris tonight," he said.
"Where are we going?" Chloe asked.
Lucas opened the door.
"Somewhere Elise can't reach you," he replied.
As they stepped into the hallway, Chloe glanced back once more at the mirror.
For just a second, she thought she saw Elise smiling again.
And this time…
She was holding a knife.