Chapter 1 Imposter

The hammering of the rain against the window drowned all outside noise, so complete was its roar that it swallowed any trace of breathing, enclosing two figures within a world for two.

Caught up in a feverish rush, Rosanna Yates froze when she heard Christopher Harvey whisper a name that wasn't hers.

"Yoli, don't let go..." Christopher's voice rasped, hands locked firmly around Rosanna's waist.

A shock ran through her, cold as a winter river. For a moment, her heart nearly stopped.

"No... you're wrong..." she stammered, her words slipping away on a trembling breath.

Christopher, however, either didn't hear or didn't care, pulling her closer, his movements growing even more desperate.

Every brush of skin left her burning, sweat sliding down her back as she lost herself to another crashing wave.

Lightning split the sky, painting the room with fleeting brightness, and the storm's fury slowly faded to a gentle patter.

The intensity between them finally eased, warmth draining from her body bit by bit.

"Did you like it?" asked Christopher, lifting a velvet box and placing it in Rosanna's hands. Inside, a delicate amethyst necklace caught the dim light.

"Tomorrow's your birthday. Your dad let it slip that purple happens to be your favorite."

He clasped the necklace around her neck.

Rosanna let her fingers linger on the amethyst's cool surface before quietly pulling her clothes back on and turning away from him.

She managed a steady voice. "You're probably starving. I'll go make something for us."

Before he could get a good look at her face, she left the room, quickening her pace as she reached the door.

That rich shade of purple-the necklace's centerpiece-had always belonged to someone else. Yoli was short for Yolanda Holt, her twin sister.

Everything had changed a year ago, when hospital bills piled up and Rosanna had no choice but to marry Christopher in Yolanda's stead.

Ashley Yates and her ex-husband Marshall Holt had two daughters-twin girls who looked identical to everyone but themselves.

When her parents divorced, Rosanna took her mother's last name and moved in with her.

Ashley spent years working grueling shifts at a cotton mill to support them, and all that hard labor left her health in ruins.

Since she was little, Rosanna juggled odd jobs and school, doing what she could to help keep them afloat.

Yolanda, meanwhile, enjoyed a life Rosanna only dreamed about. She lived with their father, who married into money, and with his new wife's backing, became a powerful company chairman.

Their faces might have matched, but everything else about the sisters was different. Rosanna kept to herself, always plagued by insecurity, while Yolanda was consumed by her own sense of entitlement.

For more than two decades, their lives never crossed-until Ashley's lung disease demanded a 200, 000 dollar operation. Desperate, Rosanna reached out to her estranged twin.

Yolanda finally agreed, but only if Rosanna agreed to walk down the aisle in her place.

Hearing Christopher's name as the groom sent Rosanna's heart racing.

He had been the boy she kept tucked away in her thoughts all through high school. Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine that one day she would call him her husband.

So, even knowing the whole thing was nothing more than a charade-built on lies and conditions-Rosanna clung to the chance fate handed her.

......

Stepping into the kitchen, Rosanna was surprised to see dinner already waiting on the table.

A moment later, Christopher's low voice drifted in from behind. "The housekeeper took the day off, so I tried my hand at making dinner tonight. It's a first for me."

With a teasing glint in her eyes, Rosanna said, "The legendary tycoon, famous for closing deals and never missing a beat in the boardroom, actually knows how to cook? That's front-page material. I bet the financial press would love to see this."

"Alright, enough jokes. Eat while it's hot." Christopher laughed, moving closer as he filled her plate.

Rosanna's gaze lingered on the seafood now sitting in front of her. The playful smile faded from her lips.

She'd always had a bad reaction to seafood. But after their wedding, Christopher only knew what Marshall had told him-Yolanda adored it.

Rosanna knew she couldn't let her real identity slip. Pretending to be Yolanda meant echoing every habit, every preference, down to the smallest detail.

"Why are you hesitating?" Christopher nudged a piece of lobster toward her mouth. "Go ahead, try it."

She accepted the bite, doing her best to appear unfazed.

Rubbery and almost tasteless, the lobster was hard to swallow, but she forced it down and managed an awkward smile. "I think I'm not hungry tonight..."

Of course, her stomach betrayed her by rumbling just as she finished.

Christopher's gaze lingered on her, but she kept her eyes on the table.

He sampled the lobster himself and frowned. "Looks like I left it on the heat too long."

"Let me take over in the kitchen. You should put your feet up for a bit," said Rosanna as she let out a breath and started to stand. When she rolled up her sleeves, a patch of red rash caught her eye, blooming across her skin.

"I need to step out for a moment," she said, making her way to the bathroom as quickly as she could.

Inside, she examined the spreading rash in the mirror, cursing her bad luck. Spotting a familiar bottle on the shelf, she stretched up and grabbed the allergy ointment, feeling a wave of relief wash over her.

At least the itching would fade soon. Luckily, she hadn't eaten enough for it to get any worse.

Her phone buzzed suddenly, breaking the quiet.

Yolanda's name flashed across the screen. Rosanna hesitated before answering, "Yolanda, what's wrong?"

On the other end, Yolanda sounded completely undone, her words tumbling out between tears. "I messed up. I gave up on Christopher for someone who just used me, and now I've lost everything. Love's a lie! I just saw what Christopher posted-he got you an amethyst necklace, didn't he?"

Touching the cool pendant at her throat, Rosanna's voice softened. "Yes, he did."

For a moment, Yolanda went quiet, as if weighing Rosanna's mood. Then her voice turned cautious. "You always said you hated purple. He must've picked that color to spite you. This marriage can't be making you happy. Why don't we just switch back and go back to how things used to be?"