His Perfect Wife Strikes Back

117 We'er Getting Married

Mia picked up a white bathrobe from the sofa and put it on. Her hair looked wet. I guess they were just getting out of the shower when they heard the doorbell.

I looked around the room. On the table were plates of caviar, black truffles, foie gras and toast. It looks as if the food has been tasted and thrown away on a plate. Next to it were several empty wine bottles and two goblets.

Then I caught a glimpse of white powder on the tin foil on the coffee table, and a bad feeling came over me.

Was Frade using heroin?

"Honey," Mia said to Frade in a sweet voice, "Can you go to the coffee shop and get a cup of coffee?"

"Cappuccino?" Frade looked at her with doting eyes.

"Yes." Mia looked at him. "My tastes haven't changed, you know."

"What about you?" Frade asked me with a wink. "What kind of coffee would you like?"

"No, thanks," I said coldly.

Frade went into the bedroom to change into a casual outfit and Mia gave him a kiss before he left. I deliberately looked out the window until the door closed and my eyes returned to Mia.

I looked at her as if there was a mirror before me. God, I never thought Mia would show up. Where did she go before, and why is she back now?

"I know it sounds crazy," Mia said, looking at me expectantly, "Frade told me that he had found a woman who looked exactly like me, and that she was my sister. God, you have no idea how happy I am to hear that."

"I was shocked when I found out you were my sister," I said calmly. "But Frade told me you were killed by the Moors. So what happened?"

"I actually told Frade last night, but I don't mind telling you again." Mia sat across from me, smiling the whole time.

"When I was young, my adoptive parents were not wealthy. They had a boy, but he died young. After I became an adult, I started working part-time to support my family. My adoptive father was an alcoholic and a gambler, and my adoptive mother was a spineless woman who not only had to work to support her family, but was often abused by her husband. Once, a man claiming to be Jeff came to our house asking for gambling debts. Jeff beat my mother because she couldn't pay her debts. So, to protect my foster mom, I bashed Jeff's head with an empty bottle. Then I knew I was in trouble, because Jeff wasn't just a creditor, he was a deputy to the Moors. I had to go into hiding because he threatened to have me killed. I found an opportunity to work in a nightclub, and one night I ran into Jeff. Just when I thought I was finished, Frade helped me. Not only did he pay off my debt, but he warned Jeff to leave me alone. I didn't know about Logan and the Moors until I was in love with Frade."

"Go on." I was looking forward to how she was kidnapped by the Moors and how she came back from the dead.

"Frade took me to live on the Logan family estate and at first everything was quiet. But his brother, a man named Arthur, claimed I was a mole sent by the Moors to spy on Frade. He also accused me of trying to steal trade secrets from the Logan family. Frade had a quarrel with his brother about me. Just when I thought it was over, Arthur kicked me out of the house when Frade wasn't home. I was captured by the Moors, who used me to blackmail Frade into giving up Logan's trade secrets. I wondered if Arthur had told the Moors where I was going." Mia's eyes didn't hide her hatred for Arthur when she mentioned him.

"I knew those people would come after me. To keep Frade and the Logan family out of danger, I broke free in the middle of the night while the kidnapper slept. But soon the kidnappers realized I was gone, and they immediately began to hunt me down. "Mia paused, she took a sip of water from a nearby cup.

"Then I escaped on a boat that was smuggled into Mexico. Because I didn't have enough money to pay the fees, the smugglers sold me directly to a casino in Mexico after the ship docked. I worked in casinos for years to pay off my debt, and when I finally got back to the states, the first thing I was going to do was look for Frade."

"Frade was so surprised to see me that he was so happy to know that Jeff had faked my death that he even offered to marry me."

My heart tightened. With his Mia back, he doesn't need me. I felt very sad, but soon anger took the place of sadness. He lied to me.

"Frade told me he was going crazy when he found out I was dead," Mia continued, "He said he found a woman who looked exactly like me because it was the only way to feel like I was still with him. It's hard to imagine what he's been through over the years. But I still want to thank you."

"For what?"

Mia sat down next to me and gently took my hands. "Thank you for being with Frade, for making him happy, for being my sister."

"I never met my mom, and I don't know why she abandoned me." Mia looked sad. "Frade said I should talk to you sometime. He said you'd tell me more about our parents."

"It's a long story." She didn't want to know the truth about her abandonment, so I made an excuse. "I'll tell you later."

"Fate likes to play tricks." Mia looked at me, her eyes soft.

"Thank God I was sent back to Frade. I'll never leave him again. You can rest assured."

This sentence seems to imply that I should leave Frade. Frade must have told Mia everything that happened between him and me. Is she worried that I might reconnect with Frade?

After all Mia has said, I still wonder if she's telling the truth. Because she just spoke in a calm tone, just like the TV weather host, without any feelings.

She memorized the manuscript in advance?

"Will you give us your blessing?" Mia asked gently. "If we get married."

"Of course I will." I smiled bitterly.

"Great, I want you to be my maid of honor at my wedding." Mia hugged me warmly.

I had a hard time accepting her enthusiasm. But I couldn't just push her away. Just then, the door opened. Frade came in with a paper bag of coffee.

"I think I should go," I said to Mia as I stood up.

"You're leaving?" Frade put the paper bag on the table.

I walked up to him and stared at him. An impulsive thought came to my mind.

"Actually, I just came to tell you that I'm not going to marry Daley."

"Really?" He asked, surprised.

"Yes," I said stubbornly. "I don't think it's necessary to have an extra engagement party. So I'm going to marry him directly."

Frade stared at me for a few seconds, and I saw a flash of sadness in his eyes. "Then I wish you well."

"You too." I turned away and heard the door close gently.

Tears immediately flowed from my eyes and I cursed myself. I'm such an idiot. I was a pathetic stand-in from the start. Why would I believe that?

I walked out of the hotel in tears. When I finally regained my composure, I took out my cell phone and dialed Daley's number.

"Hi, my little rose." His voice was still calm.

"It's 8:00 in the morning. Would you like to go to Las Vegas with me and get married?"