Thu. Dec 12th, 2024

Chapter 3

 

Lily’s POV

 

I waited for Dylan at the bar for our

 

dinner date. He called awhile ago that he

 

would be late, just a few minutes. He had

 

a sudden video interview in a local TV

 

Network. He couldn’t say no, especially

 

now that the next season of his

 

Telenovela, La Paśion de Santiago was

 

about to start.

 

I heard the man sitting beside me ordered

 

a drink. Something about his voice made

 

me look at him.

 

Jet black hair. Silvery gray eyes. Aquiline nose. His mouth was thin with cynical twist to it. He had a very striking attractive features. Bronzed skin, tall, lean, strong and rigid.

 

The man was already staring at me. His

 

eyes like bullets aiming at me – ready to

 

pull the trigger if I make a move. I felt

 

like I was in a trap… and there was no

 

means of escape.

 

“Hello Mia. Nice seeing you again.”

 

The tone of his voice signalled danger, like a warning – for me to face him and not to mess up with him.

 

I gasped. He looked really dangerous and

 

frightening like a devil, despite his clean

 

pure white button up shirt and pants. A tumble of confused thoughts and feelings assailed within me. I froze on my seat and got tongue-tied.

 

“I couldn’t believe you’re hiding here in

 

Colombia. Of all places, you chose to be

 

 

here. Why Mia? You think that this is the last place that I’d come looking for you?” His lips twisted with distaste. “But I guess this is your brother’s idea. Tell him that I send my congratulations. He’d done a good job fooling me.”

 

I couldn’t take my eyes off him. I felt like

 

I was in a dream – a horrible nightmare.

 

My body was shivering with fear and my

 

palms got sweaty.

 

“Aren’t you going to say anything?”

 

“I… I…” I stammered.

 

“Stop staring at me and say something.”

 

“I… I don’t know you, mister.”

 

A muscle clenched along his jaw. He shifted on his seat and turned his whole body towards me. “We’re done with hide and seek Mia. Tell me, what game are we playing now? Pretending not knowing each other?”

 

I felt the heat rose on my cheeks. He was

 

mocking me and made me so upset. I

 

straightened on my seat and looked

 

around. Where is Dylan when I needed

 

him?

 

“Why did you run away Mia. What’s

 

wrong? You didn’t even leave me a note.

 

What happened to us? I need a damn

 

explanation!”

 

“Lo siento (I’m sorry)… but you got the

 

wrong person. Mi nombre es Lily Rojas

 

and I really don’t know you, mister. Excuse me.” I stood up to get away from him – to run as fast as I could, but his hand was very quick, he clasped my wrist tightly and pulled me closer on his side. I yelped at the pain. The pain of his

 

burning touch… like fire… turning my

 

body into flame.

 

“I know, it’s you, Mia. You can’t deceive me with your fake Colombian accent. You may have dyed your hair into gold, got a sun tan skin and dress stylishly but I know you so well, every inch of your body.” “Let me go. Please señor… I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I struggled for him to let go of my wrist, but his hand was like an iron clasp.

 

“What’s going on here?” Dylan. Thanks

 

God he arrived. “Take your hand off my

 

fiancée!”

 

The man did not let go of my wrist, but even pulled me closer to him. “Correction. My fiancée.”

 

“What?” Dylan’s eyebrows furrowed. “What’s the meaning of this, Lily? We just got engaged last week and now you have another fiancée?”

 

“No! He mistook me for his fiancée. I told him he got the wrong person.” I pulled my arm and finally he let go of my wrist. Dylan held his hands up and faced the man squarely. “I don’t want to create any trouble, okay. We’ll talk and settle this in a very calm manner. I don’t need this kind of publicity. It’s bad for my image especially that I have an upcoming Telenovela season 2 series.”

 

What? All Dylan could think of at the

 

moment was his image and Telenovela

 

rating?

 

“I’m sure you know me, I’m Dylan Cooper, the Telenovela actor.” Dylan gave his usual camera smile and extended his hand to

 

the man for a handshake, but the man

 

ignored it.

 

“I’m Xander Valiente. Mia’s fiancée… or

 

Lily, whatever your name is right now.”

 

He gave me a sideway glance then shook

 

his head, disapprovingly.

 

Dylan heaved a sigh. “You got the wrong

 

girl, Mr. Valiente. Lily is my fiancée.” “I assure you Mr. Cooper that she is not Lily. Her real name is Mia Stewart. She was born and raised in New Zealand. Her brother, Tristan Latsis, brought her in Los Angeles to study when her mother died. She was fifteen at that time and that same year, I first met her. She was my sister’s best friend.” He held my eyes with no shame while talking, like we were the only person in the room. “Our relationship started two years ago. We got engaged and lived together for a couple of months.” “No tengo un hermano (I don’t have a

 

brother). I… I haven’t been to New

 

Zealand or Los Angeles. I’m a… a

 

Colombian.”

 

“Of course you are, Lily.” Dylan backed

 

me up. “I understand your situation, Mr.

 

Valiente. You know, it happens all the

 

time, having similar faces. Some people

 

even mistook me for a Mexican actor

 

Aaron Diaz. It’s very upsetting… and

 

insulting on my part. But, that’s life. We

 

have to learn to accept it.”

 

Mr. Valiente took something on his pants rear pocket. It was a small envelope. Then he handed it to Dylan. “These are proofs that Lily and Mia are the same. See for yourself.”

 

 

Dylan shrugged his shoulders and took the envelope.

 

“I’ll leave you for now, Mia. But I’ll see

 

you tomorrow.” Mr. Valiente said before

 

he spun around and left.

 

Dylan opened the envelope. It contained pictures, about ten of them. He scanned the pictures thoroughly, one by one. Then he stopped.

 

“She is you, Lily.”

 

.

 

 

 

RUNAWAY FIANCÉE

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