Exact carbon copy

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Elina was startled for a moment as she looked at the man standing before her. She couldn't believe that this was the same person who had saved her life—the one she had thought of as a god just a while ago. But now, the same man seemed nothing less than a devil to her. It felt as if she had not escaped trouble but had walked straight into it.

Elina (thinking to herself):

"Calm down, Elina! You can't be scared like this. You have to take charge of your own fate. Accept whatever he is saying for now because you need a new identity to take revenge on your enemies, and this is your chance. Once I have a new identity and face this world anew, no one can stop me from avenging myself. But if I make the mistake of defying this man, forget revenge—I might lose the very life that was given to me as a gift."

As Elina was still lost in thought, Eric raised his eyebrow, tightened his grip on her face, and said in a sharp tone—

Eric: "I'm saying something. Answer me, dammit!"

Elina quickly nodded her head in fear.

Eric tightened his grip on her cheek even more, causing her jaw to ache. A small whimper escaped her lips.

Eric: "Baby, I want to hear words, not just see you nodding!"

Struggling to form words, Elina finally managed to stammer—

Elina: "Y-yes… I-I understand."

Only then did Eric release her face, gently patting her cheek as he smirked.

Eric: "That's my girl. Good."

Saying this, he stood up straight and snapped his fingers.

As soon as he did, a man in a well-dressed uniform entered the room, holding a file. He handed the file and a pen to Eric before quickly exiting.

Eric threw the file and pen in front of Elina and ordered—

Eric: "Sign this."

Elina picked up the file, looked at Eric, and hesitantly asked—

Elina: "W-what is this?"

Eric: "This is our marriage contract. In legal terms, our official marriage papers. From today, you are my legal wife, and you will never be able to leave me."

Saying this, Eric leaned toward her, resting his hands on the bed. Already terrified, Elina panicked even more as he came closer.

Eric (in a serious tone):

"And listen carefully—if you try to act smart, betray me, or run away, there is only one punishment—death. And listen well, Elina D'souza, in the eyes of the world, and in the eyes of your husband, you are already dead."

Elina was shocked. This meant that Eric knew everything about her!

Elina (trembling voice): "You… you know about me…"

Eric leaned in even closer, looking directly into her eyes.

Eric: "Everything. A to Z. Did you really think Eric Johnson would hire someone to be his wife and not dig into her truth first? No, baby. I know everything about you… and I don't care."

Elina: "Even after knowing everything, you're not willing to help me…?"

Before she could finish, Eric cut her off, placing the pen in her hand.

Eric: "Sign it. There's no need to read the papers, because whatever the conditions are, you have no choice but to accept them."

Elina, with tears brimming in her eyes, looked at Eric. Then, without arguing further, she opened the file and signed it.

As soon as she signed, Eric snatched the file from her hand, leaned toward her, and his gaze fell on her lips.

Eric: "You have exactly ten minutes. I've promised my son that I would bring his mother to him today. We have to reach the airport in an hour. If you're not ready in ten minutes…"

Before he could finish, Elina swiftly jumped off the bed and ran toward the bathroom, calling out—

Elina: "I-I'll be ready in just a minute!"

Eric smirked at her reaction, straightened up, and slightly tilted his head toward the closed bathroom door.

Inside the Bathroom:

Elina locked the door and took deep breaths, trying to calm herself.

Elina (muttering to herself):

"Oh my God! What have I gotten myself into? This is literally an 'out of the frying pan and into the fire' situation! But no matter what, I won't be foolish this time. This time, I will fight for what is mine, even if I have to use this lunatic to do so!"

Saying this, she gave a devilish smile but then suddenly smacked her forehead, realizing something.

Elina: "Oh God! How could I be so stupid? I came here, but… my clothes!"

Just then, she heard Eric's voice from outside—

Eric: "Don't come out wearing a hospital gown after your shower. There's a packet on the table with everything you need. And just so you know, you have only eight minutes left!"

Saying this, Eric walked out of the room.

Elina quickly peeked outside. Eric was gone, but as he had mentioned, there was a packet placed on the table. She grabbed it and rushed back into the bathroom.

Six Minutes Later:

Elina emerged from the bathroom, fully dressed. She wore a white, knee-length off-shoulder dress paired with long boots and a white overcoat. Her hair was left open, and she had skipped any makeup.

As she moved toward the door, a guard opened it before she could touch it. He stood with his head slightly bowed and said—

Guard: "Ma'am, sir is waiting for you in the car."

Elina was taken aback. So even the guards were monitoring her every move. Without wasting time, she quickly exited the hospital.

Elina didn't think much and quickly walked out of the hospital because she knew only two minutes were left to reach Eric. Meanwhile, Eric, sitting in the car, was noting down all of Elina's movements through the hospital's surveillance footage.

In the front driving seat, Eric's assistant and friend said, "You've decided to keep her as your wife, but what will happen if her truth and Emma's truth come out?"

Eric smirked, glancing at his only friend William, and with a dangerous smile, he replied, "There's a surprise for you on the way."

William, hearing Eric's words, felt both confused and scared because Eric's expressions were anything but normal.

On the other hand, Elina was walking briskly outside the hospital, with a guard following her at a normal pace. Elina's running speed was equal to the guards' normal walking speed.

Elina stopped for a moment as the parking area was crowded with several cars. Eric's guard signald her to move toward the private area. Without wasting time, Elina quickly reached the lone Rolls Royce parked in that area and got inside.

Her heartbeat was racing, and her breathing was fast. Eric was working on his laptop without any expressions. As soon as Elina sat down, William started the car.

Taking deep breaths, Elina mumbled to herself, "Finally, I made it on time."

Without lifting his head, Eric said, "No, Mrs. Johnson, you're not on time. You're two seconds late."

In her hurry, Elina had forgotten that the very monster she was afraid of was sitting right beside her. She glanced at Eric, who was busy on his laptop, and muttered to herself in a bored tone, "Why just seconds? Why not calculate milliseconds too?"

Without missing a beat, Eric replied, "Yes, that's calculated too—two seconds, 284.5 milliseconds."

Elina's eyes widened in shock. First, she wondered if Eric could read her mind, and second, how he was even calculating milliseconds.

Eric, sensing her gaze on him, kept working and said, "It would be better if you focused on the task I'm taking you for rather than staring at me."

Looking around awkwardly, Elina responded, "Y-Yes, I was just about to ask... could you tell me about your wife's past?"

Eric answered coldly, "You don't need to worry about that. I've already told my family that Emma had an accident, lost her memory, and was in a coma for two months. Now that you're awake, all your memories are gone, so you won't face any difficulties."

Eric then handed her a small box.

"Emma's eyes were dark brown, so you'll need to wear these lenses all the time."

Elina took the box and silently put on the lenses.

Though Eric appeared focused on his work, his sharp eyes never left Elina. William, sitting in the front seat, was shocked because Elina was the exact carbon copy of Emma. With the lenses on, she looked just like her.

However, there was one major difference—Emma carried an attitude heavier than a kilogram, while Elina seemed completely opposite—innocent and naive.

Silently, William prayed for Elina, thinking, "Oh God, she looks so innocent. I wonder what this monster will do to her."