Wish you were mine

53. Forever Lies

(Hey my lovely readers,
I am back and from now onwards you all will get a regular update. I am hoping this chapter might have helped in giving you some clarity. There many readers who want me to reveal the truth but the thing is that I have a whole plot line ready I can't change it so you all have to be little patient with me and the book.

Do comment what you think about today's chapter?)

PAST

Her blue eyes lingered on the fading evening sky, as if drinking in its quiet melancholy. She sat by the window of her room, a porcelain cup of coffee cupped gently between her hands. The steam curled upward, blurring the edges of her vision, and she took a slow sip, exhaling a sigh of utter relief that seemed to melt the tension from her shoulders.

For a moment, she looked untouched by the harshness of the world outside - serene, calm, suspended between day and night. Her fingers absentmindedly traced the rim of the cup, and her posture relaxed as if she had escaped, if only briefly, from the noise and obligations waiting beyond the walls.

She had returned from school not long ago, her backpack still resting by the bed, and an untouched assignment sat on the desk like a silent reminder. But work, deadlines, and responsibility could wait. Right now, she wanted nothing more than to sink into the comfort of her own stillness - to breathe, to feel, to be.

Yet, despite her calm exterior, her eyes betrayed her. Every few seconds, they flicked toward her phone with quiet anticipation. She wasn't merely waiting for a message - she was yearning for it, for something that might bridge the distance between what she felt and what she dared hope.

Then, from the corner of her eye, the air shifted.

Something, or someone, moved through the woods near their house.

Her heart jolted. She turned sharply, eyes narrowing, following the movement toward the treeline. A pale figure glided between shadows, cautious, furtive - almost afraid of being seen. Her breath hitched as her eyes locked onto the figure's back.

That dress.

The light blue fabric flowed with the grace only someone familiar with it would wear. It was her sister - her twin - unmistakable even in the half-darkness.

Confusion rippled through her. Her brows knit together, deepening the soft curve of her forehead. What was Sophie doing there, creeping through the woods like a thief? She knew her sister loved the wild, loved wandering among trees and flowers, but never like this. Not furtive. Not hiding.

A chill ran down her spine. Why the secrecy? What secret could she be shielding?

Before she could think further, her phone chimed, sharp and sudden in the stillness.

She snatched it up, eyes scanning the message. A soft smile curved her lips, luminous and shy, as if the words had reached deep into a part of her she had kept locked away.

And just then, the doorbell rang - crisp, insistent, breaking the spell.

She quickly set the phone down, smoothed her dress, and stole one last glance at herself in the mirror. Her reflection smiled back at her - eyes sparkling, cheeks flushed, lips parted with anticipation.

Without another thought, she bounded down the stairs, skipping steps two at a time, the air seeming lighter around her as though she carried a secret delight within.

In the living room, her parents sat quietly, the soft glow of the chandelier casting warm halos around them. But it was the man standing just behind them who caught her attention.