I laughed at myself , grabbing a napkin to wipe the sticky liquid from my face . My phone rang . It was my mother . When I answered , there was only silence . My baby's voice was frantic . " Mommy , go home , quick ! Grandma's collapsed ! You have to see her one last time ! " I rushed back to the village to find my mother breathing her last . She gripped my hand , her voice a thread . " Where's ... Liam ? Why isn't he with you ? He promised ... he'd take care of you for me . " I just sobbed and shook my head . There was no Liam anymore . " Lena ... be happy , " she whispered , and then her eyes closed forever . A week later , after handling the funeral alone , I returned to the villa . The huge house was empty of Damian . The housekeeper sta- mmered , " Mr. Nordling ... went with Miss Vance for a dress fitting . T - tonight is their engagement party . " checked my phone's calendar . It was today . I also had 99 missed voice messages from Damian . His tone was softer , full of expla- nations . " Lena, I was wrong to do what I did that day . But I was trying to protect you . If I had defended you , Seraphina would have only hated you more , and she would have come after you even harder . " I didn't want to hear it . The eighteen - year - old Liam would have fought for me , bare - fisted and direct . The new Damian's way of protecting me was to help another woman humiliate me in public . Another message popped up . " My secretary said you went back to the village . It's good for you to get away for a bit . You can spend some time with your mother . " My mother ? Laughter and tears mingled on my face . The kind old woman who had treated him like her own son was gone forever . I sent the housekeeper away , retrieved the hairpin from the drawer , and went to their engagement party . It was eight o'clock when I arrived , just as the ceremony was reaching its peak . Damian , in a sharp suit , was gently sliding a ring onto Seraphina's finger . I had rushed out without a coat and stood shivering at the edge of the crowd , clutching the hairpin . The diamond on the ring was blinding , its brilliance mocking my poverty . After the formalities , Damian raised his glass with the guests , their laughter weaving a warm melody . His eyes scanned the room and then , they met mine . His smile froze . He saw the black mourning ribbon pinned to my chest . He started to move towards me , but Seraphina pulled him away to greet another guest . As he was led away , he looked back at me and mouthed the words , " Wait for me . " . I sneered . That was what I hated most about him . He was never completely evil , but his love was never pure either . I turned , handed the hairpin to a passing waiter , and said calmly , " Please give this to Mr. Nordling . And wish him a happy engagem- ent . " Damian Nordling , from this moment on , we are strangers . Chapter 2 Chapter 2 сл 5 11.57 On the surface , Damian handled the guests with practiced ease , but a growing unease churned within him . Lena had been here , shivering in the autumn wind in a thin shirt . The sight had been a physical pain . And the way she had looked at him ... he had seen something new in her eyes . He had known her his entire life , seen every expression she had : shy , happy , angry . But never this . Her eyes were hollow , a suffocat- ing emptiness that seemed to signal a complete and utter loss of hope . As his mind reeled , a waiter approached , respectfully handing him the hairpin . " Mr. Nordling , a young lady asked me to give this to you and to wish you a happy engagement. " Damian glanced at it dismissively , then froze as if struck by lightning . " Who ... who gave this to you ? " he stammered . The waiter , unnerved by his reaction , answered cautiously . " A - a simply dressed young woman . She wasn't wearing a gown or heels , and no makeup . " Lena had stood out so much from the other guests that the waiter remembered her clearly . A jolt of panic shot through Damian . He grabbed the waiter's collar . " What did she look like ? Did she have a small mole , like a teard- rop , under her eye ? " In "CEO, Those Twins Look Just Like You" by CrushReel, a single mother's life takes an unexpected turn when she crosses paths with a charming playboy who unknowingly holds a billionaire secret. As their worlds collide, secrets unravel and hearts intertwine in this captivating romance novel set in a modern office backdrop. Amidst the challenges of raising twins solo, our protagonist finds herself drawn to the enigmatic playboy, unaware of the wealth and complexity hidden beneath his charismatic facade. The juxtaposition of their contrasting lives sets the stage for a tale of unexpected love, where opposites truly attract in ways neither could have imagined. 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