I Accidentally Married My Father's Enemy

##Aliyah’s POV##

The first thing I registered was the taste of copper in my mouth. The second was the stranger breathing beside me.

I tried to sit up, but a spike of pain drove through my skull. A wet, sore ache pulsed beneath me. I threw back the sheet. My breath hitched. No.

This wasn’t my room. 

Beside me, a naked man slept deeply, his chest rising and falling in oblivious rhythm. Reality crashed down like a physical blow. Rage ignited in my gut, hot and blinding. My fists clenched until my nails bit into my palms.

“What did you do to me?” I screamed, the sound tearing from my throat. I slammed my palm against his shoulder. “Get the fuck up!”

He stirred, groggy and confused. Before he could speak, a familiar voice cut through the haze.

“Sister, sister, no need to shout.” Aurora leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. A cruel smile played on her lips. “Didn’t you enjoy your little moment with him?”

My blood turned to ice. “You.”

“Tomás,” she said without looking at me, “did you satisfy her well?”

“Yes, my lady. As you asked.” Tomás sat up, pulling the sheet around his waist. He didn’t meet my eyes.

“Alright. Leave now. I’ll call you.”

Tears burned behind my eyelids as I stared at my twin. “Why? First you steal my boyfriend, and now this? We’re twins, Aurora! For God’s sake—”

“Oh, spare me the ‘twins’ bullshit.” Her voice was flat, devoid of anything resembling sisterhood. “You deserve it.”

“How can you sleep with Gabriel and expect me not to go after him? Yeah, we were sleeping with the same man. Get over it, Aliyah.”

“Since Mother left us, I’ve tried to be there for you. But you’ve had this sick scenario playing in your head. Why?”

“You made a stranger take advantage of me. You drugged me.”

Aurora stepped closer, her heels clicking against the floor. “You haven’t seen anything yet. This is just the beginning. I have enough clips and pictures of you. Let’s see what Father says when I show him your sex tape. Or better yet—I send it directly to Gabriel.”

Helplessness clawed at my throat. “What have I ever done to you?”

She crouched to my level, her perfume cloying and sweet. “You think making me feel like shit wasn’t enough? I had to share Father’s love with you. Always comparing me to you. *‘Aurora, please, I need your sister’s number. Can’t you be just like Aliyah?’*”

Her voice cracked, just for a fraction of a second. Then the mask slid back into place. “Aliyah this, Aliyah that. I was left in the dark. A shadow. Hated by peers, ignored by teachers, invisible to Father. While you—the daughter of a respected wealthy man—were treated like royalty.”

She stood abruptly. “But everything ends now. I will destroy your reputation. You will feel exactly what I felt.”

My phone sat on the nightstand. I lunged for it.

Aurora snatched it before my fingers grazed the screen. “What are you trying to do? You won’t use this phone or call anyone. You’ll get it back when you’re home.”

“Aurora, please—”

She walked away, then paused at the door. “I might not post it. I’m feeling kind today. I’ll think of a better punishment.” She glanced back, her eyes cold. “Goodbye, sister.”

The door clicked shut.

I pulled the sheets around myself, knees drawn to my chest. The sobs came without warning, raw and uncontrollable. If Mother were here, none of this would have happened. She would have stopped Aurora before jealousy consumed her. Before she became this.

That evening, I returned to the Gómez Mansion late. Margret intercepted me in the hallway.

“Greetings, Miss Aliyah. You seem hurt. Are you staggering?”

I brushed past her without a word. All I wanted was to wash the filth off my skin.

In the shower, I scrubbed until my body ached. The water scalded, but I barely felt it. I dressed in clean clothes, swallowed two painkillers, and stared at my reflection. The girl in the mirror looked hollow.

A knock sounded at my door.

“Miss Aliyah, it’s Margret. Dinner is ready. Your father is joining you and your sister.”

I’d forgotten about Father. Diamond investors were coming tonight. Aurora knew. That’s why she’d orchestrated this—to humiliate me in front of them.

When I entered the dining room, Julian and Aurora were already seated.

“Good evening, Father.”

“Aurora.” I glared at her across the table.

Father’s expression hardened. “How could you miss such an important meeting? If you knew you’d disappoint me, you shouldn’t have agreed to speak to the investors. Your secretary had to come to me. Thank God my meeting was nearly finished, or we would have lost them.” His gaze pinned me. “Where were you?”

I looked at Aurora. She winked, daring me to speak.

“Yes, Aliyah,” she chimed in, voice dripping with false concern. “Where were you?”

Rage surged, but I forced it down. “Father, I’m sorry. I had complications and lost track of time. It won’t happen again.”

“It better not.”

“May I be excused?”

“Yes. Before I forget—you have a meeting tomorrow. You’ll receive details in the morning.”

“Is he buying wines or investing in our company?”

His expression remained unreadable. “You’ll find out tomorrow.”

Aliyah

~

Morning arrived with a knot of dread in my stomach. Who was the mysterious stranger Father had mentioned?

Margret met me at the bottom of the stairs. “Your coffee, Miss Aliyah. Just as you like it—little milk, no sugar.”

“Thank you, Margret.” I took three quick sips of the bitter caffeine and headed for the car.

“Good morning, Miss Aliyah.” Marco opened the rear door.

“Your father gave me a location. He said you have a meeting there.”

“Drive.”

The East Wing Restaurant gleamed in the Cartagena sun, its crystal chandeliers visible through floor-to-ceiling windows. Only the elite dined here. Who could Father possibly be sending me to meet?

Inside, the hostess greeted me. “Good morning, ma’am. Your name?”

“Aliyah Gómez.”

“Ah, finally. Your table is three ahead. Your guest is waiting.”

I approac