The Silent Game

Chapter 1

Raina woke up feeling like she'd been hit by a truck. Her whole body ached, and her head was pounding like crazy. She tried to move, but her arms and legs felt weird-too light, like they weren't even hers. And the smell?

The air was heavy with some fancy perfume, way too strong for her little apartment. This wasn't her lumpy bed. This wasn't her place. Something was seriously off.

She forced her eyes open and looked around. The room was huge-fancy ceiling, silky curtains swaying in the breeze, and a bed so big she could roll around in it. It was like something out of a movie, not her cramped life with secondhand furniture. Her heart started racing. Where was she?She pushed herself up, her muscles wobbly, and that's when she saw her hands. They were small, soft, with perfect pink nails-not her hands at all. She stared at them, breathing fast, then glanced at the big mirror across the room.She gasped when she saw her reflection. It wasn't her face staring back.The woman in the mirror was gorgeous-long blonde hair, smooth skin, and big blue eyes that looked freaked out. Raina stumbled out of bed, her legs shaky, and got closer to the mirror. She touched her face-wait, this face?-and the reflection copied her."No. No way," she whispered, but her voice sounded wrong-soft and light, not like her own. She stepped back, bumping into the bed as her head spun.

This had to be a dream, right? Maybe she'd passed out on set after a long shoot. But the headache felt real.

The silky sheets felt real.Her heart was thumping loud when the door clicked open. She spun around, and a guy walked in. Tall, broad shoulders, wearing a dark suit that screamed money.

His sharp face and dark eyes made him look like he owned the place-and he wasn't happy to see her."Oh, you're finally up," he said, sounding annoyed. "I thought you'd sleep all day."Raina stared at him, her pulse going wild. Who was this guy?

He acted like he knew her, but the way he glared made her stomach twist-like she was some stranger he didn't even like. She tried to speak, but nothing came out.He frowned and stepped closer, slow and careful. "What's wrong now? Don't tell me you can't talk either.""I... I don't feel good," she said, her voice shaky. It was all she could think to say.His frown got deeper, and for a second, she thought he might care. But then it was gone. "The doctor said you're fine. You passed out at the party last night, remember?"She shook her head, eyes wide.

"I don't remember."He sighed, muttering,

"Of course you don't,"and ran a hand through his hair. "Typical."Raina's panic kicked up again.

She didn't know this guy, this room, or this body, but he acted like she should. Her brain scrambled to figure it out."Look, Celeste," he said, his voice sharp, "I don't have time for this today. The big party's in two days, and you better not mess it up again."

Celeste?The name hit her hard. That wasn't her. She was Raina-Raina, who waited tables and chased acting gigs to pay the bills. Raina, who took care of her little brother, Sam, and their mom after Dad bailed. Not some fancy Celeste with a life like this.But here she was, stuck in Celeste's body, with Celeste's problems. She looked at her delicate hands again, feeling sick.

How did this even happen? And how was she supposed to convince this guy she wasn't her?He-Adrian, she guessed-was already walking out. He stopped at the door and looked back, his face cold.

"Rest up. You'll need it."Then he left, and Raina was alone, her hands shaking as she sat on the bed. This wasn't Celeste Hayworth was obsessed with Adrian Langford. Too obsessed. Too desperate.

Now, she's gone.

And someone else has taken her place.

Raina wakes in a stranger's body, surrounded by a life that isn't hers-a name dripping with scandal, a man who despised the woman she used to be, and a world teetering on the edge of something she doesn't yet understand.

So she changes the rules.

And Adrian, who never looked twice at Celeste Hayworth, suddenly can't stop looking at her.

But as Raina carves her path in Celeste's dangerous world, whispers follow her footsteps. Secrets lurk beneath polished smiles. The woman she replaced may have been foolish-but she wasn't just obsessed.

She was afraid.

And Raina is about to find out why. dream. It was real-way too real.She didn't know who Celeste was or why she was in her skin, but one thing was obvious: this life wasn't simple.

And Adrian? He wasn't just some fiancé. He was trouble, and she was stuck with him.Raina glanced at the mirror again.

Those big, scared eyes stared back. She didn't know how to deal with this, but she couldn't lose it. Not now.If Celeste was weak, Raina wouldn't be.

If Adrian thought she'd lean on him, he'd see she didn't need him. She had no clue why she was here, but she wasn't about to let anyone control her.She'd handled worse. She'd figure this out. She had to.