Chapter 2 First Encounter

• Lucian boarded the plane with a small suitcase. In June, the temperature in Washington D.C. was quite low. He wore a white shirt, black suit pants, and shiny leather shoes polished to a mirror finish.
• The corners of his lips were slightly turned up, though his expression remained serious. He took out a business magazine from his briefcase and began to flip through it. Lucian didn't mind if someone sat next to him; he was focused on an important article that had captured his full attention.
• "Mayor Landong, hello."
• A delicate, well-manicured hand reached out to him. Lucian looked up and momentarily lost himself in the woman's face. He quickly recovered and responded indifferently, "Hello."
• "Excuse me," the woman said, her hand still extended. "Did I bother you, Mayor Landong?"
• "No," he replied, shaking her hand briefly before withdrawing his own, evident confusion in his eyes.
• The woman smiled and retracted her hand without embarrassment, a faint smile still on her lips.
• "Does Mayor Landong think I'm bold? I'm sorry. Although you have been in the city for less than a year, you have carried out drastic reforms with evident results. So, I took the liberty to greet you."
• Lucian's lips curved into a smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. He had never liked flattery and bureaucracy. "I'm just doing my part."
• "It's not easy to do it," the woman said, her smile making her even prettier. She appeared self-assured in her well-fitted skirt and white silk shirt, exuding an air of cleverness and capability.
• "You're absolutely right," Lucian nodded, his gaze returning to the magazine. He had no intention of continuing the conversation. She reminded him of a past he preferred not to remember.
• "I'm actually from New York. Our company has some projects in the capital, so I came here for business."
• Lucian didn't respond, and the woman didn't seem annoyed. "I'm sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Natalia Rinaldi, but you can call me Nat."
• Lucian turned his head politely, noticing a gleam in the woman's eyes that seemed provocative. "Miss Rinaldi," he said.
• "You're too polite to call me 'Miss.' As I said, you can call me Nat."
• Natalia was the daughter of wealthy businessmen, accustomed to relying on her appearance, connections, and status. She was her father's spoiled little girl.
• Lucian's grip on the magazine tightened, but he turned his face and calmly looked at the flirtatious smile on Natalia's face. "Miss Rinaldi, I don't believe we are acquainted."
• His tone was cold, and his eyes were even colder, devoid of warmth. Natalia remained unfazed by his demeanor.
• "Ha ha, yes, we are not acquainted," she smiled slightly, sighing with what seemed like embarrassment.
• "But I don't know why, I feel like I've seen Mayor Landong before. So, I wanted to talk to you. Just a few words, but if it bothers you, I apologize."
• "No," Lucian said, lowering his head to continue reading the magazine.
• Natalia, noticing that she was being ignored, picked up a magazine from the front seat and began to read. At that moment, the voice of a flight attendant reminded passengers that the plane was about to take off.
• Soon, the white fuselage soared into the sky. Lucian flipped through his magazine, unaffected by the plane's ascent. A faint fragrance wafted to his nose, clearly coming from Natalia. He turned his head and saw her reading the magazine with a serious expression. He averted his gaze, put his magazine back in its place, adjusted his seat, and closed his eyes to rest.
• Two hours later, a voice from the cabin announced that they were about to land, and passengers were instructed to sit down and prepare. Lucian opened his eyes and realized he had slept through almost the entire journey.
• "Is Mayor Landong awake?" Natalia observed as the plane landed on the runway. "You woke up just in time; the plane has just arrived."
• Lucian said nothing, watching as some passengers stood up to retrieve their luggage. He remained seated. It was unusual for him to fall asleep on a flight, but he had this time. He didn't even feel the plane land.
• Rubbing his eyebrows, he attributed his sleepiness to having stayed up late reading documents the previous night. He did not respond to Natalia's words. As the plane stopped and passengers began to disembark, he stood up and prepared to leave.
• He noticed a small white box on the side of his suitcase. The box's zipper had a decorative object attached to it—a miniature photo. He was astonished to see two women in the photo, identical in appearance.
• "Is the person in the photo Franchesca?" he wondered aloud.
• Natalia's voice sounded softly, almost pleading, "Mayor Landong, can you help me with my suitcase?"
• Lucian didn't speak, but he picked up the suitcase and handed it to her. As he looked closely at the photo, he realized that the women in the picture were indeed identical.
• "She is my sister," Natalia murmured. "We are twins. We look alike, don't we?"