The mansion felt quieter than usual, Irina moved silently as she slipped away from the buzzing chaos around Liam's entourage. The confrontation she'd witnessed between Liam and Sylvia had unsettled her more than she expected. Questions churned in her mind, begging for answers. If the truth was hidden here, then she had to find it.
Her fingers brushed along the polished walls as she wandered toward the private study, the one Sylvia often used but rarely mentioned. The door was slightly ajar. She pushed it open just enough to slip inside. The room was lined with shelves overflowing with books, awards, and framed photographs. Her eyes immediately caught on a cluster of old pictures pinned on a corkboard. They were different from the glossy press shots she was used to. These looked personal.
One photo froze her breath.
Liam, younger and less guarded, stood beside a woman who could have been his twin except for the way her eyes mirrored Irina's own, the same sharp intensity and haunting beauty. The resemblance was uncanny.
Irina's heart went racing as she stared at the woman's smiling face. Who was she? And why did she feel so familiar?
Before she could process more, the study door creaked open and Liam stepped in, his expression was unreadable, but his gaze zeroed in on the photo in her hand. For a moment, neither spoke.
Then his voice broke the silence. "That's my mother's sister. My aunt." He paused, watching her carefully. "She died years ago."
Irina swallowed, forcing herself to meet his eyes. "She looks a lot like me."
Liam's brow furrowed. "Yeah, people say that silently but you're the first to say it out loud."
His tone wasn't hostile, but it was loaded with suspicion and curiosity.
Something in Liam's gaze made Irina's carefully constructed mask tremble. She wasn't just Samantha Ludona here anymore. The walls she'd built to hide behind felt suddenly fragile.
Liam stepped closer. "Who are you, really?" he whispered.
The question hung in the air, Irina's mind raced because every lie she'd told, every carefully crafted detail of Samantha's life flashed before her, she couldn't even find her voice.
Could she hold it together? Could she keep Liam from seeing through her?
She met his gaze squarely, and with a steady voice but pounding heart.
She replied. "Someone trying to find her place, just like you."
Liam's eyes searched hers a moment longer before he gave a slow nod, but the intensity in his stare didn't fade. Whatever Irina's secret was, it had just been pulled into the light and they both know that nothing could stay hidden for long.