The Substitute Twin Bride

The cab pulled up to a towering gate surrounded by stone walls. Rose stepped out and took a deep breath, staring at the imposing entrance. Beyond it was a long driveway leading to what appeared to be a secluded estate.

She hesitated before approaching the guard. A middle-aged man with a stocky build stepped out, his tight black uniform clinging to his stomach. His name tag read Andy.

The moment he saw her, his eyebrows furrowed.

"I thought you weren't coming back! So you really plan on milking this family dry, huh?" he said bitterly.

Rose didn't even have to ask if this was the Cavanaugh residence-she had already been greeted with sarcasm the moment she arrived.

She didn't argue. Rose simply remained silent as the guard reluctantly unlatched the smaller side gate and let her through.

As Rose stepped inside, her thoughts turned to Romilda. What had Romilda done to make these people hate her so much?

Romilda had always been challenging, but hadn't always been so heartless. Rose remembered when they were younger, Romilda was the one who always stood up to their father.

Rose's steps were slow as she followed the long path to the manor. It was about a quarter of a mile to the front door, lined with towering trees and elegant black lampposts. The whole place had a classic, almost dreamlike beauty.

"How did Romilda end up with this family?" Rose muttered to herself.

As the mansion came into view, she took a deep breath.

It was a massive two-story mansion, old but immaculately maintained.

Then her eyes fell on the driveway, where rows of luxury cars were parked on the neatly paved lot.

"So this is how billionaires live?" she whispered in awe.

When she reached the grand entrance, she pressed the doorbell and waited. Minutes passed before the door finally swung open. A maid stood there, her eyes wide with shock.

"What are you doing here?" the woman hissed.

Another warm welcome.

"Well, I..."

Before Rose could finish, a deep male voice rumbled from inside. "Who is it?"

The door opened wider, and a man in his early thirties stepped into view.

He was tall and broad-shouldered, his sculpted body highlighted by a fitted black t-shirt.

His chiseled features were undeniably handsome-a sharp jawline, well-defined cheekbones, thin lips tinged with natural color, and a perfectly straight nose. His deep blue eyes were piercing, framed by wavy dark brown hair and a faint stubble along his jaw.

Rose's breath caught.

"Sorry, I... I-"

The man cut Rose off before she could form a sentence. "Go around to the back entrance. We're not officially married yet."

Then, without another word, he slammed the door in her face. Rose stood there, stunned, her body shaking.

"That... was Matteo Cavanaugh?" she whispered in disbelief.

Rose had barely spent an hour at the Cavanaugh estate and already wanted to run away. The maids who worked there stared at her with pure hatred as if Romilda had committed some unforgivable crime.

And Matteo's attitude was equally cruel.

Rose doesn't understand why Romilda is so determined to marry Matteo when they don't even know each other, especially when Romilda is despised in this house. Rose didn't have to guess; she could feel it from how everyone treated her.

Even when Romilda was escorted to one of the bedrooms, the maids whispered behind her back, loud enough for her to hear, "Lucifer has returned!

How terrible had Romilda been in this house?

The room itself was recently vacated. No personal items were on the vanity or closet, and Romilda had left nothing behind. How was Rose supposed to change clothes if there were none?

Uneasy, she sat on the edge of the bed and read Romilda's notes.

Four people with the last name Cavanaugh were present; one was Matteo. The others were women, but Romilda had not indicated whether they were his mother, sister, or some other relative. The names of the maids weren't mentioned either.

How was Rose supposed to figure out without any useful clues?

Suddenly, the door opened, and Rose jumped. Two women burst into the room, and they had similar brown hair to Matteo. One looked younger than Rose, while the other looked older.

"What? Did you expect us to knock?" the younger one sneered.

"No... that's not it." Rose shook. "I was just surprised, and..."

Before Rose could finish, the older woman lunged and raised a hand to slap her. Instinctively, Rose grabbed the woman's wrist in midair. Rose's grip was too tight, out of sheer reflex, making them both freeze.

"You bitch! Let me go!" the woman screamed.

Rose immediately let go of the grip, guilt washing over her. Even though she hadn't practiced martial arts for a long time, the basic techniques were still ingrained in her.

"I'm sorry," she said sincerely.

The woman scoffed and turned to her younger sister. "Did you hear that, Nicole? She's apologizing! What kind of act is this? Another trick to trick us?"

"You know better, Letty! Romilda is nothing but a shameless viper!" Nicole spat.

From this exchange, Rose pieced things together. The older one must be Letizia Cavanaugh, the oldest sibling. That meant Nicoletta Cavanaugh was the youngest. Matteo was the middle child.

"What is it, Romilda? What are you pretending to be now? You've already cheated our family, and now we have to deal with the consequences of your actions! Haven't you done enough damage already?" Letty accused.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know what's going on!" Rose began to panic. "Forgive me, and I will make things right."

Letty and Nicole exchanged confused glances, taken aback by the sudden change in Romilda's demeanor. Nicole scoffed and crossed her arms.

"You want to make things right, huh? Then leave our house and never come back!" Nicole snapped. "We don't want a sister-in-law like you! You don't belong in our world, Romilda. Stay in yours!"

Letty's patience had clearly run out; she grabbed Rose's arm and yanked Rose toward the door. Nicole joined in, dragging Rose down the hall as a commotion started.

Rose had no choice but to endure this because of her deal with Romilda. If she failed to keep her end of the bargain, her mother's life could be in danger.

Even though the surgery had been successful, Rose's mother still needed intensive care. And the cost of that treatment was just as expensive as the surgery itself.

But Letty and Nicole had crossed the line.

When Nicole yanked her hair from behind, Rose acted on instinct. She spun, grabbed Nicole's arm, and pinned it. Nicole screamed in pain.

"Arggghh!!" Nicole squealed.

"STOP IT!"

A deep, commanding voice echoed down the hallway.

Rose immediately let go of Nicole, only to be roughly grabbed by the arm. She finds herself face-to-face with Matteo.

"Are you crazy?" Matteo's cold voice sent shivers down Rose's spine.

"I was defending myself!" Rose shot back. "I don't know what's going on here, but if I'm going to keep getting attacked, I have to defend myself!"

"Attacked?" Matteo scoffed. "Romilda, you stabbed us in the back! You already hurt this family, and now you want to play the victim?"

"What exactly have I done to all of you?"

"I'll give you an option. I'll pay you whatever you want so you can live your life in peace." Matteo pointed at the window. "Just leave us alone. Stop leeching off our family."

Rose shook her head. "I can't. I have a promise to keep."

Matteo exhaled sharply, closing his eyes a split second before turning on his heel. Without another word, he led his sisters away and down the stairs.

Rose hurried back to the bedroom and slammed the door. She pressed her back against it and slowly slid to the floor.

Tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Oh, Romilda... Why did I have to get into this mess? What have you done?"

She buried her face in her hands and sobbed softly.