I was eighteen, working double shifts at a restaurant, when four men walked in and stared at me like they'd seen a ghost.
They said I looked exactly like someone they'd lost. Vivian Bailey. Missing three years. The love of their lives.
That night, they kidnapped me. I tried to escape, but every attempt failed.
For six months, they dressed me in her clothes, made me sit in her chair at dinner, called me by her name, closed their eyes when they kissed me. I was a breathing doll, a replacement they could touch but never truly see.
But as time passed, something shifted. Martin noticed I took my coffee differently than she did. Lawrence brought me mystery novels instead of her romance books. Dennis stopped flinching at my laugh. Philip actually smiled at my sarcasm.
They started saying my name. Eliana. Not hers.
I found myself falling for the illusion of tenderness. I almost convinced myself this twisted captivity could become something real.
Until they got Vivian's call for help.
