Curious and baffled, Philip’s legs moved almost by instinct, his body compelled to approach the woman who, for all appearances, seemed like his sister, Rose.
Each step felt heavier as if his mind was trying to pull him back, reminding him that Rose was gone. Yet there she was—or rather, someone who looked exactly like her—standing in front of him.
And then, as if the universe wanted to complicate his already tangled emotions further, Willow emerged from the house. His heart skipped a beat. He wanted to find her but didn’t expect to see her like this.
’What is the relationship Willow has with this woman?’ he wondered, curious.
He paused in his tracks, watching them with questions in his mind.
Willow also froze when she saw Philip. The memories of the passionate night they had made her blush furiously.
"Hi," she beamed, waving at him. "I didn’t expect to see you here." She laughed awkwardly. "Are you following me?"
Philip chuckled. He had indeed asked his assistant to look for her, but he wasn’t there for her. He struggled to find words to reply. His gaze flicked from Willow to the woman beside her, still grappling with the unsettling similarity.
"Do you know him?" Bella asked, curious.
"Uh, yeah!" Willow smiled, her cheeks flushing even more. "He is Philip Walton. And uh..." She gestured to Bella. "This is Bella, my..." She was about to say ’sister-in-law, but she changed the word at the last minute. "My friend."
"Bella?" He raised an eyebrow at that, but his mind was still spinning with the eeriness of Bella’s appearance.
He could clearly tell the woman in front of him wasn’t Rose, but just a look alike. How could two persons be so similar? Same blue eyes, same golden hair, same nose – it was as if Bella was the carbon copy of Rose.
Was this a cruel joke, or had he somehow stepped into a parallel universe?
But this wasn’t some illusion or coincidence. The glaring possibility that Bella and Rose were identical twins unsettled him.
Selena might have given birth to two daughters back then, but the Waltons had only known about one. At the time, the old Walton, Alan’s father had brought only Rose home. He hadn’t mentioned the other daughter.
"Hello, I am Bella." She smiled warmly, extending her hand toward him, utterly unaware of the emotional hurricane she had just stirred within him.
Philip stared a moment too long, his mind struggling to grapple with the situation. His phone buzzed sharply in his pocket, snapping him back to the present.
"Uh, yeah...Nice to meet you, Bella. But uh...I’ve got to go now." He flashed an awkward smile at them and hurried away.
Bella’s smile vanished as she drew her hand back, her gaze following his retreating form. "Don’t you think he is strange," she mumbled suspiciously.
Willow, standing beside her, was equally thrown off, her excitement of seeing him unexpectedly dying down. She had quietly hoped he’d stick around, maybe even suggest spending time with them, perhaps sharing a meal and conversation. But instead, he had bolted. It was as if he was trying to avoid her.
Willow shrugged, not wanting to think about him and the night they had spent together. ’It was just a one-night stand,’ she reminded herself, though she couldn’t ignore the ache in her heart.
"He is the Walton, one of the wealthiest families in the country," Willow explained, pointing to her surroundings. "They have a lot of companies. Their businesses are widespread. Their construction company is building this entire complex."
"I see." Bella nodded understandingly. "I see. So he must have been here for an inspection."
"Maybe." Willow forced a sigh and gave Bella’s arm a gentle tug. "Let’s go eat something. I’m starving." Linking her arm with hers, Willow took Bella toward her car.
On the other hand, Philip dialed his father’s number, his mind spinning from the encounter he just had. The phone rang only a few times before Alan’s hopeful voice answered.
"Is there any update on Selena?" Alan asked, brimming with impatience.
"I haven’t gone there yet," Philip murmured apologetically. "There were issues at the construction site that kept me busy, but there is something you need to hear."
"Philip!" Alan’s voice sharpened immediately with irritation. He thought Philip was going to discuss work-related problems. "I don’t care about business right now! Mason can handle those issues. Your priority is to find Selena."
"Dad, listen to me!" he cut in with urgency. "I met someone today who looks exactly like Rose."
"What did you say? Philip! Are you drunk or something?"
"No, I’m not drunk!" Philip hissed. "This woman, her name is Bella. She was right here with her friend. She looks just like Rose—same eyes, same hair, even about the same height. A carbon copy."
Alan’s breath hitched on the other end. "Where is she? Did you speak to her? Did you ask about her mother?"
Philip sighed heavily, regret creeping into his voice. "I didn’t get a chance to talk to her properly. I was too shocked to think straight. And then I got an urgent call that I had to take."
Alan’s voice grew more insistent, almost trembling with the weight of his emotions. "Find out everything you can about that girl." He paused for a moment. "I thought Selena died in childbirth. But this pendant..."
Alan’s hand shook slightly as he pulled out the pendant from his pocket. "This pendant tells me she might still be alive and, that girl could be Rose’s twin sister."
Philip had been thinking the same thing ever since he saw Bella. It was impossible to dismiss the eerie resemblance. "I’ll get to the bottom of it, Dad," he promised. "Just give me a few days. I’ll find out everything about Bella."
"Do it fast," Alan urged. "I’ve already wronged them enough. I can’t bear to delay this any longer."
Philip understood his father’s pain and restlessness. "Don’t be concerned, Dad. I’ll bring them home."
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bella and Willow had lunch at a restaurant. As they finished eating, Willow thanked Bella for coming with her.
"I enjoyed it today," Willow said. "Thanks again, Bella."
"Don’t keep thanking me." Bella chuckled. "I enjoyed it too. The time flew away with you."
Bella had a nice outing with Willow. It was as if, for a few hours at least, the heavy clouds hanging over her had lifted.
"Come meet me whenever you want."
"Of course." Bella nodded, pushing her chair back and rising from the table. "I need to use the restroom."
"Go ahead. I’ll wait for you in the reception."
"Sure." With a small nod, Bella turned and walked away.
As soon as Bella turned the corner and disappeared from sight, Willow’s hand instinctively reached for her phone. With a quick swipe, she dialed Theodore’s number, her fingers trembling slightly. She knew he had been waiting, counting on this moment.
An hour ago, while she had been alone at her new house, Theodore had called her to inquire about Bella. Willow had told him everything: how she had brought Bella to see her new house, and that they had planned to have lunch together.
It was then that Theodore had urged her to bring Bella to this particular restaurant, where he had a luncheon scheduled with a client. He had intended to talk to Bella.
Willow knew Theodore might be waiting for her call. Now, as the phone rang, she could feel the tension building inside her.
The phone clicked, and Theodore’s voice came through, tight with anticipation. "Willow? Have you reached?" Theodore, who had just finished the meeting with the client, asked, walking out of the private room.
"Yes, we have just finished lunch," Willow replied. "Bella has gone to the restroom. You should go there if you want to talk to her."
"Thanks, Willow." Theodore’s heart swelled with gratitude. "I’ll reward you."
"I don’t need your reward, Theo," Willow snapped. "You should take care of Bella and clear up her misunderstandings. She is very upset with you – doesn’t want to see your face. You hurt her deeply. So be ready to face her wrath."
Theodore knew how much he had hurt Bella. But he was determined to talk to her. "I understand. I’ll go see her now."
Ending the call, Theodore walked up to the restroom.
Willow sighed as she looked at the phone. "I hope you won’t mess up," she mumbled, feeling somewhat restless.
As Bella stepped out of the restroom, she froze at the sight of Theodore waiting in the lobby. His tall figure was familiar yet daunting, and her heart skipped a beat. She had been avoiding him, but now that he was right in front of her, she felt an overwhelming rush of emotions. Every part of her ached to run into his arms and forget the hurt, but doubts clouded her mind.
What if he was here with Gina? The thought made her hesitate.
"Bella!" Theodore called out, his voice softening as he approached her. Guilt radiated from him, and he could feel the weight of everything he had done. He wanted to explain, to make things right, but at the same time, he feared dragging her into the chaos of his life.
"What is it, Mr. Reid? Are you upset to see me alright?" Bella shot back with bitterness in her tone.
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