Petal opened her eyes slowly, her vision adjusting to the dim light in the room.

"You're awake," a voice said.

She turned her head toward the source of the voice, her heart pounding. A man was moving closer to her. Startled, she sat up immediately and instinctively backed away.

"Petal," he said softly.

"Who are you?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"I'm Chase," he replied, his tone calm but earnest.

"How can I believe that?" she said, her eyes narrowing as she studied him.

"Petal, it's me-Chase. Don't you recognize me?" he asked, taking a tentative step closer.

"Stay away!" she snapped, scrambling off the bed.

He stopped, raising his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Okay, fine. I won't come closer."

"You...you both look the same," she said, confusion and fear clouding her expression.

"That's because he's my twin brother, Petal," he explained.

"What?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"There was trouble between us. He wanted revenge, and that's why he came today. I had no idea he was going to do this," Chase said, his voice heavy with guilt. "I'm so sorry, Petal."

She stared at him, her mind reeling. "How do I know you're not lying?" she asked, her voice shaky.

"What do you want me to do to prove it to you?" he asked earnestly.

Before she could respond, a familiar voice called out from the hall.

"Maya's here," Chase said quickly. "You rest. I'll handle this." He turned to leave.

But Petal's instincts screamed at her. Her heart raced as she pushed past him and bolted out of the room.

She rushed downstairs and threw herself into her mother's arms, trembling as tears streamed down her face.

"What happened, Petal?" Maya asked, holding her daughter tightly.

But Petal didn't answer, her sobs choking her words.

Maya glanced up, noticing Chase descending the stairs. "Chase, what's going on?"

"He's not Chase, Mom!" Petal cried, pulling away from her mother slightly.

"What?" Maya asked, her brows furrowing.

"I told you, Maya, my brother was here earlier," Chase said, his voice calm but concerned. "He must scared her. I'm sorry, Petal."

"Oh," Maya said, her expression softening. She turned back to her daughter. "Petal, it's okay. You're safe now."

"No, Mom! He's not Chase," Petal insisted, her voice breaking.

"Petal, it's me. Why are you doubting me?" Chase asked, stepping closer.

"He's pretending to be Chase!" Petal cried.

"Petal," Chase began, but Maya interrupted him.

"And why are you saying this?" Maya asked her daughter gently.

"He has a tattoo of my name! Chase never had one. Why would he get that?" Petal exclaimed.

Hearing this, Maya and Chase exchanged a glance and then burst into laughter.

"He is Chase, Petal," Maya said.

"What?" Petal asked, baffled.

"Relax, sweetheart. Come, sit," Maya said, guiding her to the couch.

"What do you mean, Mom?" Petal asked, her voice edged with desperation.

"Chase got the tattoo just today," Maya explained with a smile. "We were on our way to a friend's reception when he spotted a tattoo shop and decided to stop."

"Exactly," Chase chimed in, his voice steady as Petal glanced at him, still wary.

"But why would you get a tattoo of my name?" Petal asked suspiciously.

"You didn't look closely. Show her, Chase," Maya urged.

"With pleasure," Chase said.

He stepped toward Petal, but she recoiled slightly. Undeterred, he rolled up his sleeve, revealing the tattoo.

There, inked on his arm, were not only Petal's name but Maya's too.

"See?" Maya said, smiling. "Still don't believe him?"

"But...why my name ?" Petal asked, her voice softening.

"Because you're family, Petal," Maya said. "Chase adores you."

Chase added, "More than I do Maya, honestly."

Petal stared at the tattoo, her mind slowly accepting what her mother had said. But doubt lingered. "Where's your brother now?" Maya asked Chase.

"I threw him out," Chase replied, his tone firm.

"You should have called the cops," Maya said, concern evident in her voice.

"I didn't want to risk it involving Petal. I had to act quickly," he explained.

"What if he comes back?" Maya asked, worry flashing across her face.

"He won't," Chase said confidently, though his gaze briefly flickered toward Petal.

She looked at him, unsure of what to believe, but the weight of her mother's reassurances began to ease her fear. For now.

---

He sat on the bed placed inside the cold, metallic cage, the dim light from the bulb above flickering ominously. He buried his head in his hands, his brother's mocking words ringing in his ears.

"What would you do? Cheat on your wife with her daughter? Do you think Petal will ever forgive you for that?"

Anger boiled inside him, overwhelming his restraint. He gripped his hair tightly and let out a guttural scream, his voice echoing against the steel walls.

---

Petal jolted , her heart racing as fear crept through her veins.

"What happened?" Maya asked, concern lacing her voice .

"I think...I think I heard someone screaming my name," Petal said.

Maya frowned. "We didn't hear anything like that, sweetheart," she said, glancing toward him.

"It must've been your imagination, Petal," he said gently, though his tone carried an unsettling edge.

But Petal's instincts told her otherwise. The scream had felt too real, too raw. Something was wrong-she could feel it.

---

The room was dimly lit, the cold air carrying the metallic scent of rust. Chase was caged, in the very same place , he had once used to imprison his victims-a cruel irony that was not lost on him. His fingers ran over the steel bars, his nails scraping against the cold surface as rage simmered inside him.

His brother stood on the other side, his expression twisted with triumph, the kind of smug satisfaction Chase had never seen on his face before.

"How does it feel, Chase?" his brother taunted, leaning casually against the bars. "To be on the other side for once? To be trapped like the animals you used to play with?"

Chase rose to his feet, gripping the bars tightly. "Let me out, or I swear-"

"You'll do what?" His brother interrupted with a dark chuckle. "Scream louder? Hit the bars harder? Face it, Chase. This is your life now."

"What do you want ?" Chase growled.

His brother stepped closer, his face illuminated by the faint, flickering bulb overhead. "What I came here for, Petal. I will take your place and make her mine " he said .

Chase's heart pounded in his chest as realization dawned on him. " You can't take my place. Petal will never believe you!"

"Oh, but she will and if not did no issue , I will make her mine " his brother said, his voice dripping with mockery.

"You won't get away with this," Chase spat, his grip tightening on the bars.

His brother tilted his head, amusement flickering in his eyes. "Won't I? Who's going to stop me? You?" He gestured to the cage around him. "You're not exactly in a position to do much of anything, are you?"

"Don't you dare lay a hand on Petal," Chase growled, his voice shaking with anger.

His brother's smile widened, his tone mockingly sweet. "Oh, Chase. You should've known better than to give me the perfect opportunity. You brought her into your messy, chaotic life, and now, I'll make her mine. I'll give her the life she deserves-one without you ruining it."

"You're delusional," Chase shouted. "Petal will see through your lies. She'll know you're not me!"

His brother stepped back and laughed, a low, menacing sound that echoed through the room. " She believes I'm you, and by the time she starts doubting, it'll be too late."

Chase slammed his fists against the bars, his voice roaring with fury. "Don't you dare touch her!"

"Stop me if you can," his brother replied coldly, his smile vanishing. "Oh, wait-you can't."

Chase lunged toward the bars, his hands reaching through in a desperate attempt to grab him. His brother stepped just out of reach, the satisfaction of his victory evident on his face.

"You know, I used to wonder what life would be like if we didn't look alike," his brother mused, pacing in front of the cage. "I hated it, being mistaken for you, being compared to you. But now..." He turned back to Chase, a sinister glint in his eyes. "Now I see just how useful it is. Because while you rot here, I'll be with Petal. I'll be living your life, and you'll be nothing but a forgotten nightmare."

His brother chuckled, leaning in closer to the bars. "Enjoy your stay, Chase. This place looks good on you."

He dropped a tray of food just out of Chase's reach, the clang of the metal tray echoing in the room. "Eat up, brother. You'll need your strength for...well, nothing, really."

As his brother turned to leave, he paused, looking back with a smirk. "Oh, and don't worry. I'll take good care of Petal. Very good care."

"Come back here!" Chase roared, shaking the bars violently. "Don't you dare hurt her!"

Chase lunged for him, his hands gripping the bars so tightly they creaked under the pressure. "Don't you dare hurt her!"

"Relax, brother," his brother said, stepping back with a laugh. "I'm not going to hurt her. I'm going to make her happy. Something you could never do."

He turned on his heel, whistling a carefree tune as he left the place .

---

When he come out , Chase's brother walked down the hallway with a confident stride, the sound of his whistle filling the empty space. He paused outside Petal's room, his expression softening into a practiced smile as he peeked inside.

She sat on the bed, her gaze distant, her thoughts clearly troubled.

"Oh, Petal," he said, his voice dripping with feigned concern. "Look at what you've done. You've turned us-brothers-into enemies. But you know what?" He smiled. "You're worth it."

He stepped into the room, keeping his movements calculated and calm. "I'm so glad I kept an eye on Chase all these years. It's made it so much easier to step into his shoes and manipulate you into believing I'm the real Chase while I keep him locked away. And before you realize the truth, it'll be too late."

Petal didn't respond, her head lowering slightly, lost in thought.

"Well," he said, clapping his hands together softly. "Good night, Petal. Get some rest. It's been a rough day for you."

He stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him, and resumed his whistling as he made his way back to his room.

His plan was working, and he couldn't help but smile at his own cleverness.

.....

As Petal sat on the bed, her mind raced with confusion and doubt about everything that had happened.

"Why can't I remember anything?" she whispered to herself. "The only thing I recall is going downstairs and seeing two identical Chase."

Her fingers fidgeted nervously as she replayed the scene in her head. The faint sound of whistling caught her attention, when she went to check, she saw him walking away casually.

"Should I ask him about it?" she thought, her gaze drifting toward the door. Her heart clenched with uncertainty. "But what if he isn't Chase? What if he's just pretending to be him?if he is pretending where is the real chase? Why I not remember anything? what exactly happened?"

Her instincts warned her to be cautious, but her heart whispered that she needed answers.

......

As chase's brother was about to turn and head in the other direction, he caught sight of Petal walking back to her room.

He smirked to himself, his eyes glinting with mischief. "You must be doubting, wondering what exactly happened. Why you can't remember anything. Well, it all happened when..."

To be continued...

Author note: if this chapter not making that sense let me know, I will rewrite it .