I had been sleeping with Kellan Greyson for three years, only to find out the man I clung to every night wasn't him at all. It was his brother.

The day I got my pregnancy test results, I overheard Kellan and his twin brother, Rylan Greyson, chuckling in a private room.

"Have you had enough of that girl yet? It's time to switch back."

"What's the rush?" Rylan replied. "I'm still enjoying it. You think she'd lose her mind if she found out it wasn't you she's been holding at night?"

Kellan's voice was slurred with alcohol. "She can't leave me. Just remember, don't get her pregnant."

I said nothing. As usual, I stayed gentle and affectionate to "Kellan."

But I secretly scheduled the abortion and booked a flight to Northern Europe.

When Kellan cornered me outside the operating room, he grabbed Rylan by the collar and snarled, "Who said you could touch her?"

***

The day I found out I was pregnant, the rain was pouring heavily.

I ran through the storm to the art gallery Kellan often visited, rain soaking my hair and chilling my fingers.

Just as I reached for the heavy door, his unmistakably cold voice cut through the crack. "Have you had enough of that girl yet? It's time to switch back."

Rylan let out a lazy chuckle. "What's the rush? I'm not done having fun."

Kellan's voice dropped a notch. "Don't forget the rules. You didn't touch what you weren't supposed to, right?"

There was a pause from Rylan, and then his tone lifted, light and casual, like he was talking about the weather. "Of course not.

"But... If I had touched her, you wouldn't mind, would you, Kellan? After all..." He deliberately dragged out the last few words.

He was silent for a moment before replying, "I wouldn't mind. I'd just think it's dirty."

A wave of suggestive laughter followed in the private room.

"Mr. Rylan, seriously? Even your brother's kept woman caught your eye?"

"Come on, with a body and face like Alyssa's, who wouldn't be tempted? Damn, that waist-to-hip ratio...

"Only Mr. Kellan could stay that cold with a woman like her right next to him."

The woman sitting beside Kellan—Vina Laurence—covered her mouth and chuckled. "Oh my, the way you're talking... She sounds like a bus. Just swipe a card and hop on?" Her voice was sugary, but the words cut deep.

The laughter got louder.

I knew her.

Vina—the darling of high society, Kellan's childhood friend, the girl he kept closest to his heart.

Someone was curious and asked, "Whose brilliant idea was this?"

Vina lifted her chin, her pride on full display. "Who else could've come up with it but me? That idiot Alyssa—she'd never guess Kellan had a twin who looked exactly like him.

"You all should be thanking me. Without me, how else would you get a front-row seat to such a good show?"

Kellan chuckled and said with the usual indulgent tone, "Yes, you're the clever one."

"I heard Mr. Kellan's throwing an engagement party with Alyssa next week," someone chimed in. "True or just gossip?"

He replied casually, "She wants a status. I'm humoring her. Playing along, that's all."

Vina's eyes lit up with a nasty glint. "Wait till the engagement party. That's when you tell her right to her face that in the past year, all those dinners, the movies, even... cough, were you two taking turns! I want to see her face when it hits her. Right when she thinks she's living a fairytale, rip it all away. Wouldn't that be fun?"

Kellan shook his head helplessly. "You're too old to still be causing trouble like this."

Vina clung to his arm, swaying it playfully. "And yet you always let me, don't you? Since we were kids, have you ever said no when I asked for the stars or the moon?"

Then her tone shifted, laced with scorn. "Have your fun, but use protection. Get a poor girl like that pregnant, and you'll never shake her off."

Kellan frowned slightly. "Don't be ridiculous. We never slept together."

"But what if?" Vina pressed, refusing to let it go. "What if she is pregnant? Then what?"

He laughed and said indifferently, "Kick her out, of course. Right, Rylan?"

Rylan seemed distracted. It wasn't until Kellan called his name that he snapped back. "Yeah."

I glanced down at the pregnancy test report inside my bag.

I had rushed through the pouring rain to get here, carrying a secret joy, but that joy was washed away by the storm outside.

The news I had wanted to share?

I kept it to myself. Let it rot inside.

That afternoon, I scheduled the surgery and booked a flight to Northern Europe for seven days later—the same day as the "engagement."

The sugar daddy's living expenses should come in soon. Might as well squeeze out one last bit of money.

They wanted to crush my beautiful dreams at the engagement party?

I'd rather leave first and turn their little event into a complete joke.

All these years as a kept woman, at least I saved up a decent amount.

Lately, the money's been coming in weirdly frequently.

I'd wondered why Kellan kept "forgetting" he'd already sent it and kept sending more.

Turned out, one transfer from him, then another "top-up" from his brother.

My fingers brushed over the numbers in my mobile banking app—cold, but brought a real sense of security.

I got involved with Kellan back in college.

Vina was my roommate.

She loved a game, destroying what others held dear.

In high school, she instigated a rich boy to go after an ordinary girl.

Flowers, luxury gifts, sweet talk—he went all out.

The girl fell fast.

The night before the SAT, Vina told the guy to dump her. The girl broke down, failed the exam, and later... jumped off a building. She survived but ended up in a vegetative state.

Vina went on to college like nothing happened and became my roommate.

Then she set her sights on me—the broke campus beauty juggling three jobs, with a gambling father, a sick mom, and a paralyzed grandma.

I was her next target.

Kellan was the "leading man" she picked for me—a physics genius from Columbia University, the kind of golden boy whose candid photos go viral, heir to the Greyson Group.

The script was simple. He used money and tenderness to hook me. Once I was completely hooked on that life, he'd walk away, leaving me to fall apart from the crash.

Kellan did play his role a little too well.

Gifts kept coming. He acted heartbroken over my situation, insisted I quit all my jobs, and always had some surprises up his sleeve.

But I was like a squirrel stocking up for winter.

Everything he gave, I saved.

The jewelry he gave me? I sold it for a high price on a second-hand platform.

I'd been broke too long, and I only felt safe with money in hand.

Besides, I wasn't stupid.

Every time he held my hand, I caught that flicker of mockery in his eyes.

I didn't know why he was putting on this act, but he was rich and generous, and I wasn't about to waste the chance.

We dated like any normal couple—held hands, kissed, hugged.

That winter, I even clumsily knitted him a scarf.

The day my grandma was dying, I asked him for an expensive "birthday gift" for the first time.

I remember he froze, then his eyes gleamed with wild delight, like a hunter watching his prey walking into his trap.

Everything was going according to plan.

The next day, Kellan dumped me.

Vina was waiting to see me fall apart—begging, humiliated, clinging like a fool.

But I just quietly deleted all of Kellan's contacts and picked up two part-time jobs again.

My life went on as usual, even gaining 1 kg, eating junk foods, and drinking calcium-fortified milk.

No breakdown, no drama. Vina lost interest once the game stopped being fun. She started messing with me in the dorm—tacks in my shoes, soaking my blanket in the middle of winter...

Then my gambling father racked up massive debt to the Greyson family, and he threw me to them as payment.

That's how I became his kept woman.

Honestly, I'd been thinking about settling down lately.

Kellan had always been distant, never crossed the line.

But since the start of the year, "he" changed.

"He" started kissing me.

That night, "he" came home reeking of alcohol.

I'd just made him some tea to sober up, walked over with the cup, and "he" pulled me into his arms by the waist.

"His" lips crashed into mine—hungry, possessive.

I was so clumsy that I nearly forgot how to breathe.

"He" let out a low chuckle. "So you are sweet. Next time, remember to breathe."

That night was my first.

After that, "he" became obsessed with trying all kinds of excitement.

Without any protection.

"He" liked doing it in places where the butler or housekeepers might walk by—the living room, the study... All I could do was bite my lip to not make a sound.

The more I held back, the more "he" seemed to get excited.

"He" had this quirk, right at the peak, "he" would repeatedly ask, "Who am I?"

"Kellan, you're Kellan Greyson."

"Wrong. Say it again."

"What's wrong with you? Kellan—"

There was something dark in "his" eyes, something I couldn't read.

And the clearer I said his name, the rougher "he" got.

"He" could be like a mad dog that needed to be petted, but "he" could also be sweet. "He" would pout for attention, was an excellent kisser, and knowing I had a sensitive stomach, "he" would make a bowl of oatmeal every morning.

On my birthday, "he" rented out a riverside restaurant. Outside, fireworks lit up the sky. "He" stroked my hair and said softly, "Alyssa, let's try to make this work."

When I woke up from nightmares, "he" would pull me into "his" arms, voice low and groggy, "It's okay. I'm here."

For a while, I naively thought that maybe I really could fall for "him."

A few months ago, "he" didn't want to use protection again.

I asked, "What if I get pregnant?"

"He" kissed my collarbone and said, "Keep it. I'll raise the child."

The engagement was "his" idea, too.

After "he" was satisfied that night, he leaned in, his breath warm against my ear.

"Alyssa, don't be my lover anymore. Be my fiancée."

Looking back, from the moment we first slept together, that wasn't Kellan, it was Rylan, wasn't it?

And the "engagement" was just the start of a new script.

I once genuinely looked forward to this baby.

Now? No need.

Five days left before I leave.

I could now easily tell the Greyson brothers apart.

Kellan was cold and aloof, a workaholic who rarely smiled.

Rylan was laid-back and lazy. He had a faint old scar under his right shoulder blade, visible when we were intimate.

Did Kellan have one too? I wouldn't know. He never touched me.

In the morning, I came downstairs to find Kellan on the couch reading financial reports, his gold-rimmed glasses shining coldly.

"Alyssa, put on something decent. We have guests this afternoon."

The one who read boring reports at the crack of dawn, wore gold-rimmed glasses, and talked like an ice cube—that was Kellan.

I went back up and changed into a simple dress.

At noon, Rylan showed up with Vina.

Looking at that face identical to Kellan's, I showed just the right amount of surprise.

Kellan's tone was flat. "My brother, Rylan Greyson. He just got back from abroad."

Rylan offered his hand with a warm, polite smile. "Ms. Trent, nice to meet you."

I shook it. "It's a pleasure."

My eyes lingered on his face for a moment. "Didn't expect you two to look exactly the same."

Rylan's smile didn't change, but there was a hint of something deeper in his eyes. "There's a lot you don't know."

Great acting.

I sneered inwardly.

Vina linked arms with me, all bubbly. "No need to introduce me! Alyssa and I were roommates at university!" Then she turned to Kellan. "I heard you two are getting engaged. Rylan and I already talked about it—I'll be the bridesmaid!"

The chef called us for lunch.

At the table, Vina sat between the Greyson brothers.

Resting her chin in her hand, she smiled sweetly at me. "Alyssa, have you noticed anything different about Kellan lately?"

Trying to mock me? Fine.

I set down my fork and nodded seriously. "Yeah. He's changed a lot this past year."

The air instantly froze.

The Greyson brothers both froze for a moment.

Then I suddenly gave a shy smile, cheeks slightly flushed. "He's... gotten more considerate.

"I think I like him more and more."

Kellan glanced at Rylan, his eyes turning cold.

While we ate, Rylan casually peeled a boiled shrimp and placed it in my bowl, speaking in a friendly tone, "Alyssa, your favorite shrimp. I peeled it for you."

As soon as he said it, we all froze.