I couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. Couldn't process what I was seeing as Alex's body floated lifelessly in the milky bathwater, her nightgown billowing around her like a funeral shroud. My hands shook violently as I plunged them into the water, gripping her shoulders and heaving her upward with strength I didn't know I possessed.
"Alex! Alex!" My voice echoed against the marble walls as I dragged her from the tub. Water cascaded across the floor as I laid her down, her wet hair forming a dark halo around her pale face.
I pressed my fingers against her neck, searching desperately for a pulse. Nothing. Her skin was still warm, but her eyes—my eyes, our eyes—stared vacantly at the ceiling.
"No, no, no..." I muttered, tilting her head back and starting CPR like I'd seen in movies. Push, push, push. Breathe. Push, push, push. Breathe.
Minutes passed. Or maybe seconds. Time warped around me as I fought to bring life back to my sister's body. But deep down, I knew. The empty pill bottle. The whiskey. That strange, triumphant look in her eyes before she slipped under.
She was gone.
I sat back on my heels, water soaking through my clothes, and stared at her face. My face. Our face. Even in death, she looked perfect. Composed. As if she'd planned every detail of her exit.
*"This is your chance. Your only chance."*
Her final words echoed in my mind as distant music floated up from downstairs. The party. Her birthday celebration. Dozens of guests drinking champagne, laughing, waiting for the woman of the hour to make her appearance.
Waiting for Alexandra Sterling.
The thought formed before I could stop it—terrible, impossible, yet suddenly so clear it made me dizzy. I looked from Alex's body to the mirror above the sink, seeing my reflection—haggard, desperate, with tangled hair and hollow eyes. The junkie sister. The failure. The witness Dominic Moretti wanted dead.
But with a few changes...
My heart hammered against my ribs as I stood on shaking legs and moved to Alex's vanity. Scissors gleamed in the soft bathroom light. I picked them up, feeling their weight in my palm.
"I'm sorry," I whispered, though I wasn't sure if I was apologizing to Alex or to myself.
The first snip of the scissors through my hair felt like severing a lifeline. Dark strands fell to the floor as I cut, and cut, and cut, matching the elegant bob Alex had worn. When I finished, I barely recognized myself. The woman in the mirror looked wild-eyed, halfway transformed.
I ransacked Alex's drawers until I found hair dye—of course she touched up her roots at home, heaven forbid anyone see the real Alexandra Sterling. Working with frantic speed, I applied it, the chemical smell burning my nostrils as I waited for it to set.
While the dye worked its magic, I dragged Alex's body to the bedroom, struggling under her dead weight. I laid her on the bed, arranging her limbs with trembling hands, then covered her with a blanket. I couldn't think about what would happen next. One impossible step at a time.
Back in the bathroom, I rinsed my hair, blow-dried it to match Alex's sleek style, then turned to her makeup collection. Foundation covered the dark circles under my eyes, the track marks on my arms. Mascara lengthened my lashes. Lipstick the exact shade of merlot that Alex had been wearing completed the transformation.
I stepped into her closet—a room larger than my entire apartment—and selected a black dress that seemed appropriate for a birthday celebration. The silk felt alien against my skin, the designer heels unsteady beneath my feet.
Standing before the full-length mirror, I hardly recognized myself. The woman staring back at me was polished, elegant, wealthy. She was Alexandra Sterling.
"My name is Alexandra Sterling," I practiced, trying to mimic Alex's refined cadence, the slight lift at the end of her sentences. "I'm so pleased you could come to my party."
The words tasted strange on my tongue. But they would have to do. This masquerade was my only chance at survival.
With one last glance at the bed where my sister's body lay hidden, I stepped out of the room, closing the door firmly behind me. I would deal with that impossible problem later. Right now, I had a performance to give.
* * *
Morning light filtered through expensive curtains, casting patterns across the bedsheets that felt impossibly soft against my skin. For a moment, I forgot where I was, reaching instinctively for the familiar comfort of chemical oblivion. Then reality crashed over me like a wave.
Alex was dead. I was wearing her face, her clothes, her life. And somewhere in this mansion, her body lay cooling, a secret that would destroy me the moment it was discovered.
I'd managed to avoid most interactions at the party, making a brief appearance with a migraine excuse before retreating. But now, in the harsh light of day, the full weight of my deception pressed down on me like a physical thing.
The bedroom door opened without warning, and I jerked upright, heart pounding.
"You're awake." Frederick Sterling—Rick—stood in the doorway, impeccably dressed in what I guessed was a suit that cost more than everything I'd ever owned. His dark eyes studied me with an intensity that made my skin prickle. "Feeling better?"
"Yes," I said, modulating my voice to match Alex's smoother tones. "Much."
He nodded, his expression unreadable. "Breakfast is ready downstairs. Join me when you're dressed."
It wasn't a request.
Twenty minutes later, I sat across from him at a dining table that could have seated twelve. A uniformed maid placed a plate of something artfully arranged before me—eggs Benedict, I thought, though I'd never actually eaten it before.
"Coffee?" Rick asked, not looking up from his newspaper.
"Please."
The maid poured a steaming cup and placed it before me. I reached for the sugar bowl automatically, spooning two heaping teaspoons into the dark liquid.
The rustle of newspaper stopped. I looked up to find Rick watching me, his brow furrowed slightly.
"Since when do you take sugar in your coffee?" he asked, his voice casual, but his eyes sharp.
My stomach dropped. Such a small detail, but potentially fatal. Alex took her coffee black. Of course she did.
"I'm trying something new," I said, forcing a smile. "The migraine last night... I read that sugar might help."
He held my gaze for a beat too long, then returned to his paper. "Interesting theory."
We ate in silence, the only sounds the clink of silverware and the occasional turn of a newspaper page. I tried to eat slowly, mimicking the refined manners I imagined Alex would have, all while my mind raced. How long could I maintain this charade? What would I do about Alex's body? And most pressingly, how would I avoid Dominic Moretti's killers?
The doorbell rang, a melodious chime that sent a jolt of panic through me.
"Are we expecting someone?" I asked, trying to sound casual.
"Not that I'm aware of," Rick replied, folding his newspaper and standing. "Clara will get it."
Minutes later, the maid appeared in the dining room doorway. "Mrs. Sterling, there's a Detective Hale here to see you. He says it's important."
Rick's eyebrows rose slightly. "A detective?"
"I'll handle it," I said quickly, standing. Whatever this was, I couldn't have Rick present for the conversation. "Probably about the charity auction next month."
I followed the maid to the foyer, where a tall man in a rumpled suit waited, hands clasped behind his back as he studied a painting on the wall. He turned as I approached, and I felt a chill run down my spine. His eyes were sharp, assessing, missing nothing.
"Mrs. Sterling?" he asked, though it wasn't really a question. "I'm Detective Logan Hale. I apologize for the intrusion, but I need to ask you a few questions."
"Of course," I said, gesturing toward a sitting room off the main hall. "How can I help you, Detective?"
He waited until we were seated, a coffee table between us, before speaking again. "Were you at Club Velvet two nights ago, Mrs. Sterling?"
The question hit me like a physical blow. Club Velvet. Where I'd seen Evan murdered. Where Moretti had seen me.
"Club Velvet?" I repeated, playing for time. "I don't believe so. Why do you ask?"
"We have a witness who places someone matching your description near the club around the time a murder took place." His eyes never left my face. "A young man named Evan Cole was killed."
My fingers found Alex's wedding ring—my wedding ring now—and began to twist it nervously. "How horrible. But I assure you, Detective, I was home that evening."
"Can anyone confirm that?" he asked, his tone conversational but his gaze unwavering.
"My husband, of course." The lie came easily. Too easily.
Hale nodded, making a note in a small notebook. "The witness was quite certain, Mrs. Sterling. Said they saw a woman who looked exactly like you running from the scene, clearly distressed."
I forced a laugh, though it sounded brittle even to my own ears. "Detective, do you know how many women in this city have shoulder-length dark hair?"
"Not many with your... distinctive features." He leaned forward slightly. "The witness was very specific."
I realized I was still fidgeting with the ring and forced myself to stop, folding my hands in my lap. "Well, they're mistaken. I have no reason to be in that part of town, especially at night."
"No reason at all?" he pressed, watching as I shifted uncomfortably in my seat.
"None whatsoever."
Hale studied me for a long moment, then nodded and stood. "Thank you for your time, Mrs. Sterling. I may need to speak with you again as the investigation progresses."
I walked him to the door, maintaining what I hoped was Alex's composed demeanor. As he stepped outside, he turned back.
"One more thing, Mrs. Sterling. The victim, Evan Cole—did that name mean anything to you?"
"No," I said, the lie burning my throat. "Should it?"
"Just checking." His eyes lingered on my face. "Interesting ring, by the way."
I glanced down at the wedding band I'd been nervously twisting. "Oh. Yes. Thank you."
"Looks new. Or at least, like you're not used to wearing it."
Before I could respond, he handed me his card. "Call if you remember anything that might help."
I watched him walk to his car, my heart pounding so hard I was sure he could hear it. As his vehicle disappeared down the driveway, I closed the door and leaned against it, legs suddenly weak.
Detective Hale knew something wasn't right. He'd seen through me in ways Rick hadn't. And if he kept digging—if he connected the dots between the woman running from Club Velvet and Alexandra Sterling's supposedly perfect life—everything would unravel.
And somewhere in the mansion above me, a body waited to be discovered, the final proof that I wasn't who I claimed to be.
