Page 35 of Sin and Deception

Xander continued to inspect shelves and drawers. His face revealed nothing but intense concentration, making me wonder if he felt the same chaotic emotions swirling inside me.

“Look at this,” Xander whispered, beckoning me to join him near the fireplace.

As I approached, I noticed Xander was staring into a small nook entirely out of view from the central part of the apartment.

I stopped beside him, following his gaze as he examined several framed photos on one of the shelves. I recognized pictures of Nerine’s mother,TheiaDelia, and her sisters, Christina, Ariana, and Fiona—each candidly showcasing different looks, from hair to eye color.

In another photo, Nerine sat on a large armchair with two young boys in her lap. She held them close, and the smile on her face radiated complete joy and utter love.

I narrowed my eyes, first focusing on Nerine’s face and then on the boys. My mind practically skipped as I recognized the resemblance. Not only did they look like Nerine, but they also resembled us.

Xander’s voice hissed beside me.

“Are those kids…?” Xander swallowed hard. “Ours?”

“I don’t know, I…” My voice trailed off into the darkness.

“Theo,” Xander whispered, his face losing color.

The room seemed to spin as I struggled to process what I saw.

They couldn’t have been more than two years old. Both bore a striking resemblance to Nerine, but the more I looked at them, the faster my heart raced.

“Theo,” Xander repeated as he grabbed my hand, squeezing it in a rare gesture. Outside of the throes of passion, we rarely touched. But lately, he’d been reaching for me more.

The boy on the left stared back at me with Nerine’s cobalt blue eyes, but his face was a replica of Xander’s. The one on the right took my breath away. It felt like gazing into my soul. Piercing gray eyes emerged from Nerine’s likeness, striking my heart like a bolt of lightning.

I squeezed Xander’s hand tightly, quickly calculating in my head.

“Did this really happen?” I whispered in disbelief.

“It sure fucking looks like it.” His voice sounded as distant and bewildered as I felt.

Maybe this was a dream like I had just stepped into some alternate reality. Perhaps we were still tangled up in bed with Nerine.

But the strength of Xander’s hand gripping mine told me we were fully awake.

“But… how? Twins? Is that even possible?” I asked, my eyes fixed on the photo.

“Damn. I’m not sure. I think it is, but it’s incredibly rare.” Xander shook his head. “We talked about it once when we were teens. She brought it up as if it were a fantasy. I wascurious, so I looked into it. It’s only happened a few times in history. But… us? No way.”

I tore my gaze away from the photo and turned to him, my eyes searching his.

“We might be jumping to conclusions,” Xander shook his head and rubbed his neck, reluctant to accept what we had seen.

“Yeah, maybe,” I nodded in agreement.

I turned to look into the bedroom where Nerine slept. My eyes fell on the curve of her hips beneath the blanket.

“Did you notice her hips? They’re fuller.”

Xander nodded. “Her breasts, too. Her nipples are a different color. Darker."

I ran my hand through my hair, continuing to watch her sleep. Her chest rose and fell as she slumbered peacefully, which was ironic. It was as if she hadn’t just rocked our entire world without saying a word.

The anger I thought had calmed only moments earlier surged forward, fierce and uncontrolled.

How could she have hidden something like that from us? Xander reached for my hand again, squeezing it more tightly this time.

---