Emma's POV Amme pointed at Adam, clearly amused, saying he looked like a child. Sure. A very problematic child. One I was dealing with even though I wasn't his mother, his friend, or his girlfriend. "Emma, why do you think he's like this? Look at him. He's even wearing pajamas… and ew. He smells like alcohol." Amme leaned closer to Adam, and I followed her. She was right. He reeked of vodka. He was wearing pajamas, his hair was a mess, and he looked dirty. Where the hell had he been? What had really happened with his parents? While I was inspecting him, he opened his eyes. Right when my face was inches from his, his lips far too close to mine. I startled and stepped back, nearly falling, but he was faster and caught me by the waist with both hands. "Emma. You almost fell. Idiot. You scared me." "I'm sorry…" Keller spoke slowly, slurring his words. He let out a heavy sigh, said nothing else, and closed his eyes again. Amme and I exchanged confused looks. Half an hour l

Emma's POVThis was getting completely out of control. First he said we were both his fiancées, and now he was saying he was going to marry me. What the hell was going on inside Adam Keller's head? And also… when exactly had I agreed to get engaged, and why was I supposedly out of options? Another thing. What was this nonsense about my destiny being to marry him? And why did he keep calling himself a bastard? They'd probably think I was incredibly stupid, but all of this was too much for me. Nothing made sense. My head started to ache, and honestly, the only thing I wanted right now was to sleep. I hoped everyone would leave soon and give me some peace. This definitely wasn't a good day to go to my bakery. "Mr. Adam, perhaps we should discuss this somewhere else," Mr. Joseph said carefully. "You're making the ladies uncomfortable, and you're behaving quite aggressively. Don't you think?" "Making them uncomfortable? Me? In my own apartment?" he scoffed. "Yeah, right. Besides, Emm

Adam's POVEmma was blushing, breathless, flustered, and incredible. No woman had ever reacted like that to me before. And honestly, I had never felt this hard for anyone either. We stared at each other for a moment, and then it happened again. She kissed me. Emma kissed me. Her lips were soft and warm. I kissed her back. How could I not? My mouth moved against hers, slow at first, then deeper, more urgent. Her taste, her warmth, everything about her pulled me in. I wrapped my arms around her, holding her close. Because of how we were positioned, I felt every curve of her body against mine, her softness, her heat. My hands slid over her back, up to her neck, into her hair. Our kisses stayed in sync, unhurried but full of need. Emma felt different, special, like I was floating somewhere unreal. I shifted slightly, unable to ignore how much I wanted her, and she noticed. I expected her to pull away. She didn't. Instead, a soft sound escaped her lips. That sound went stra

Emma's POV"Because…" Adam swallowed. He barely opened his mouth when Amme cut him off. Interrupting people and finishing their sentences with her own conclusions was my sister's favorite habit. It annoyed most people. She couldn't care less. She lifted a hand in front of Adam's face, stopping him from speaking. "No. Don't tell me. I already know why. They chose us because my parents already knew the truth, and telling anyone else would cause a scandal. On top of that, it would be insulting for anyone else to find out the real intentions behind this. And besides… my parents are desperate to marry Emma off." She looked straight at me. "Isn't that right? That's why Emma was their first option. At first, they presented the marriage as a possibility, but because of her resistance, and also because of Emma's appearance and the rumors about you, it became imperative for everyone to make this marriage happen." "…That's right," Adam admitted. "What?" I burst out. "That can't be

Emma's POVI was in shock. We all were. How… how could Adam say something like that? Amme was beautiful. She was sweet, kind, affectionate, attentive. He didn't really know her, yet he had described her in such a horrible way. And on top of that, he compared her to me and said I was more beautiful. That was completely false. Amme was more beautiful than me and— "You're right," Amme said suddenly. "About everything you just said." "Amme…" "No, Emma. Please don't interrupt me. "Adam is right. I am all of that, and I'm not ashamed of it, because I don't need to be different to be approved of or accepted. This is who I am. I've always been like this. My parents raised me this way, and this is how I grew up. "The only person I show real affection, empathy, and genuine concern for is you. Because I love you, Emma. You're my twin sister, half of me. And that's exactly why I don't want you to marry Adam Keller. "He will hurt you. Everyone around him will. And I'm not willing to