Seven years later.
The black Lamborghini pulled into the driveway of the company with several black cars behind it. Standing tall with numerous glass windows, a large parking area, and a billboard reading The Grey Enterprise.
A man dressed in a black suit emerged from the entryway and opened the passenger door. Another man emerges, dressed in a black suit and a black leather designer shoes. He gazed up at the building before turning towards the car and brought out his hands for the woman in the car.
The woman breathed deeply before she held his hand and came out with slow steps.
She was wearing a black pencil skirt with deep neck top and a white blouse that had a plunging V-neck with her hair flowing down in large waves, and wore beige pencil heels with a golden belt to complement and complete the outfit.
" Father, " She called out to the man in the car. Her voice was cloyingly sweet.
A man in his sixties came out, dressed in a black suit and in his right hand was holding a long brass walking cane with line patterns on its shaft. He looked old but despite this, his handsomeness still was visible.
" Don't be late mummy, please. " A young boy shouted out from the car.
" I won't. Victor will take you to the castle, okay? " She replied, and smiled reassuringly.
All eyes were on them as they entered the company and made their way to the reception area, but most of all, attention was focused on the stunning woman who was walking with grace.
She strolled on the exquisite tiles in high heels, leaving an echo on them, her rich perfume bewitching everyone who passed her. Not for a second did she go unnoticed.
Her father was standing in front of her and had already entered the boardroom when she made her way there.
'I can do this.' Before entering, she said to herself, shut her eyes, then opened them again.
" Hello everyone. I'm sorry I'm late but I would like to introduce you all to my daughter. " He announced, smiling.
Just as she majestically walked in, the people in the boardroom fell silent for a few stunned moments. None of them could believe their eyes as they stared at her in astonishment. How could this be possible? How could they look alike?
A lot of questions ran through their head as their expressions were beyond that of shock.
Adriana stared at her, no less stunned than Ambrose. She couldn't believe her eyes. This was not possible! She had pushed her and watched her fall off the cliff. But how come she is…?
Ambrose's mother, Elena, stared at her all of the memories of the past refreshing back into her head as she exchanged shocked glances with Adriana.
Wasn't she supposed to be dead? Didn't they bury her corpse and even did a befitting burial for her?
" Dear friends, I am pleased to introduce my daughter, Nova Clifford to you. " Mr Clifford broke the stunned silence.
Adriana swallowed a lump in her throat, glaring down at her as her fists clenched at her side.
"My daughter passed away when she was a teenager, but by a stroke of luck, I got reunited with my daughter's look alike. She has made me feel reconnected to life. She may be an adopted child of mine, but she is still my daughter." He smiled as he stated.
" That woman is Arabella. I'm sure of it. " Adriana whispered to Elena who still had a shocked expression on her face.
" I have a bad feeling about this but you've to think about your husband. He has the same expression as us. " Elana replied and Adriana took the opportunity to take a look at Ambrose.
" Now, I have decided that my daughter Nova Clifford would take over my shares in the company and be a shareholder as well as a partner. " He added, pointedly.
Adriana couldn't help but feel her body vibrating with outrage. How com she is still alive? And, now she was back. Back with a lot of beauty and to take everything from her. How come she was so beautiful? What if she tells everyone she was the one who pushed her off the cliff? But who was she kidding? It has been seven years and how is she even sure if she didn't have a memory loss.
" Pull yourself together, Adriana. " Elena soothed, noticing Adriana's clenched fist and flushed cheeks.
Ambrose, on the other hand, seemed to have stopped breathing. He was aware of so many sensations. Anger. Atonishment. Confusion. His head spun with them and he wasn't sure of what to think anymore.
She looked so much like Arabella but a beautiful version of her. She still had the same hair color and eyeballs but this time they were alluring.
This can't be Arabella, right? Arabella is dead. They buried her.
" I am Nova Clifford. " Her sweet voice cut through his thoughts and his dark eyes lifted up to meet hers, holding them. She stretched forth her hand for him to shake and he did almost immediately. He shivered violently at the touch of her hands.
Why was he suddenly having this kind of feelings?
" Ambrose Grey. " He replied, releasing her hand.
" Nice to meet. You must be the CEO of this company? "
" Hi, I'm Adriana Grey. I'm Ambrose's wife and also the Product manager. " Adriana said, outstretching her hand for a handshake in which Nova accepted.
She had watched Ambrose and Nova's fingers linked with one another's and that angered her.
" Nice to meet you. You can simply call me Nova. " She smiled sweetly and it infuriated Adriana the more.
" How did you become Nova Clifford? " She asked, harshly.
Nova glanced at her blinking with surprise. " I beg your pardon? "
" Isn't it weird that you're trying to avoid my question? " She hissed. Her eyes slid over her with icy contempt.
Nova's eyebrows lifted and she chuckled wryly which indicates that she doesn't care about her and her stupid question. She was not in a position to ask her such a weird question.
Ambrose's dark eyes narrowed at Adriana for asking such a stupid question but looked down at Nova quietly, his narrowed eyes lingering on her flushed cheeks and soft, pouted mouth.
She looked different. And he began having mix feelings of her being Arabella but the resemblance was just too much.
" I don't think you're in any position to ask such a question. " The side of her lips quirked up as she watched Adriana's body vibrate with outrage and embarrassment.
Elena cleared her throat trying to ease the tension in the room. " Come on, let's take our seat. "
After the discussion about Nova's introduction and other affairs in the company, the meeting ended.
" I hope this is a dream because I'm pretty sure Nova Clifford is uniquely Arabella. " Adriana rasped through gritted teeth. " I do not know how it happened or how she did it but Nova and Arabella are the same person. "
Elena glared up at her. " Don't be silly, Adriana. She may be similar to your sister but we know that she can't be Arabella. Arabella is dead. "
" This can't be a similarity. She seems to be her twin. How can this happen? How did she become beautiful? I do not understand. " She raged as anger and humiliation build up inside her.
" I'm going to my office. " Ambrose said, his face expressionless and left.
" What the hell is wrong with you? " Elena asked Adriana in a furious voice after Ambrose left the office.
" Arabella is my problem. I'm sure she came back for revenge. Why did she have to come back after seven years? " Adriana asked with fury.
" Stop it, Adriana. If you keep on behaving like this Ambrose would become suspicious of us. " Elena soothed.
" Yes, he will but not after I expose her real identity. " She said with a mocking smile.
" And how are you going to do that? " Elana asked, curiously.
" I'm going to use Arabella's weaknesses on her. "
As soon as a memory flashed back to her head, a sly smile appeared on her lips. She could remember there was a birthmark just at the back of Arabella's neck. If it is possible that Nova is Arabella then the birthmark must be there.
***
" You've overpassed the difficulty of meeting with your enemies for the first time. " Andrew said with a grin.
" After seven years of preparation and thanks to you I'm ready for anything. "
Andrew Graham was the one who saved her when Adriana pushed her off the cliff. He happened to be in the area that particular day and he had watched the scenario unfold before him. He'd carry her out of the river and saved her without second thoughts. Fortunately for Arabella, Andrew happened to be the right hand man of Mr Clifford and when Mr Clifford saw her, he was mesmerised by the resemblance she had with his dead daughter.
" Even with so much preparation, it's not easy to see your enemy in front of you. " Andrew added pointedly, studying her quietly.
" I will make every one of them pay for the pain they caused me. For playing me and for shattering my innocence into tiny little pieces. I'll pay them back. Ten times worse. Arabella could be dead but Nova is widely awake and seeking revenge. "
To be continued...