Claire’s POV

“I’m sorry,” Dr. Williams says, his voice heavy with fake regret as he steps away from her lifeless body. The words hit me like a physical blow, and I let out a blood-curdling scream. “Noooo!”

“Doctor, please!” I grab his collar, shaking him desperately. “Please save my sister. I beg you.”

He simply shakes his head. “I’m sorry.”

Overcome with deceitful grief, I throw my arms around Nate and bury my face in his chest. His warmth offers the comfort I have always longed for, but I feel a disturbing wetness between my legs. As Dr. Williams walks out, I manage a furtive wink and a smirk. He mirrors my expression, a silent agreement that this secret will die with us.

“Oh, Nate, please tell me this isn’t true,” I plead, rubbing my body against his. “I didn’t mean to. She’s my sister, and I love her dearly. I was just angry because she was trying to hurt my child.”

“I know,” he says, pulling me closer. “I know…”

“Oh, Daphne, what am I supposed to do now? Why did you have to lie to us? Why were you so jealous of my life?” My sobs turned into anguished cries and I was trying to make this charade as believable as possible. “We need to do something about her.”

“The least we can do is give her a proper send-off,” Nate suggests, his voice heavy with resignation and it hurt me to see him, hurting for her. Gosh! I just despise her. Even after death, I still do with no remorse whatsoever.

“But what do we do now?” I ask. “Burying her ourselves could put us at potential risk and you know that. Who knows if the watchman sees us and decides to snitch on us later in life?”

Nate releases me, his face solemn. “What can we do then?”

“I have an idea,” I say, a hint of desperation in my voice God knows I just wanted this to be over with. “What if we took her car, dropped it in the middle of nowhere, and disposed of her body in the woods?”

“Absolutely not, Claire,” Nate says firmly.

“Think about it,” I press on. “What will people say when they find out about her death? We’ll be the prime suspects. Who else would have access to her house? They won’t believe it was an accident mostly with the bruises and miscarriage. How can the daughter of a business tycoon be murdered in her own home? They would declare it a double homicide, don't forget News travels fast here in Florida.” I watch him closely, noting his troubled expression.

He sighs, his voice cracking. “Damn it… this is hard.” He runs his fingers through his hair, clearly anxious. This is what I wanted after all, but this man here is making it very difficult. How frustrating?

He pushes me aside, kneeling by her body, and repeats, “I’m sorry. I failed you,” over and over. The hatred in my heart feels like an inferno. Even in death, he still chose her over me. I loathe her more than ever. And watching him in this state, knowing she was the reason for it, my hatred ran even deeper.

“We need to act quickly,” I say, but Nate is too shattered to respond.

After a moment, I moved closer, looking at her unmoving and pale. I study her features. We look strikingly similar, which is why I was adopted when she disappeared. Father had the resources to hire people across the region to find someone who resembled her or even came close, to cover up the buzz because that would raise alarm across the globe.

I was fortunate enough. I grew up in poverty; my biological father exchanged me for some quick cash, eager to let me go. Looking back, I’m relieved he made that choice—I can’t bear to imagine how different my life would have been otherwise. I guess he’s not completely useless after all.

We were both brunettes, nearly the same height, though she was slightly curvier than I am. I dyed my hair a metallic red because I could and because I loved it, on my 23rd birthday. While she had soft, delicate features, mine were fierce and striking. She was ice, and I was fire; she was calm, and I was a storm. We were polar opposites but you wouldn’t know if you didn’t study us closely.

I have always loved Nate. I met him first at a family event, long before he met Daphne, and we clicked immediately, there was an unspeakable chemistry between us. My greatest mistake was ever letting him go without exchanging contact information.

At that time, Father had ordered Daphne to dye her hair because I was busy with a modeling gig and couldn’t be in two places at once. We had always managed to evade suspicion when Father juggled us but with Daphne’s arrival, She remained in my shadow, unseen and unacknowledged, not until she met Nate.

...Not anymore, now she is nothing but my lost shadow!