Eloise sat in the room, the weight of her father's words still pressing on her mind. The room was adorned with rich tapestries and gilded frames, showcasing generations of the Van Alen family. The grandeur of it all only added to her confusion. Her father, Mr. Gabrielli, had told her that the real Eloise had been promised to this family since childhood, and it was her duty, as an impostor, to fulfill that promise now that the real Eloise was no longer here. But the recent revelation had thrown her into a whirlwind of questions and doubts.
She replayed the conversation in her mind. Lady Clara Van Alen, a woman who exuded an aura of cold maturity, had just informed her that she had been chosen by her soon-to-be husband. Chosen? How? Did this mean the man knew the real Eloise? Or was it her,
