Cedric stayed quiet for a while after hearing Brione's sentiments. Meanwhile, Brione tried to sneak glances at Cedric while eating and compare the similarities of his build and face. All his physical characteristics were the same as Gavin's.
After a few minutes Cedric started speaking, "You're right and I won't deprive you of your own choices and will let you do as you please, so stop frowning and eat. I know my boundaries so you don't have to worry. I promise that I will not do anything that you would not like or anything that will be against your will."
Brione did not respond so he added, "You have to be my woman in the eyes of the public. I need your help to clear out all the rumors about me. It's getting annoying already," but at the back of his head his intention was to make Brione fall for him. He knew he had to take baby steps just like Will suggested so as to not freak her out.
So he was trying his best to rephrase the sentences he wanted to say as much as possible, making it sound friendlier and not too aggressive.
Brione's eyes narrowed. She was still not completely convinced but then recalled Berry talking about the Prince being cursed.
"You mean the curse of kissing? So you want me to pretend to be your woman?" Brione questioned in disbelief.
Cedric met Brione's eyes and replied with a serious face, "Who said I want you to pretend? I actually want you to be my woman."
"Why me of all women?! Ahh is it because you know a secret of mine so you want to use it to blackmail me?"
"Hmm, well knowing that secret of yours is kinda like a blessing in disguise for me. But to answer your question about why you, it's simply because I like you."
Brione's face reddened. The man was too straightforward, unlike Gavin who used to hesitate so much that it would become frustrating.
But then this Prince was just as annoying as he was straightforward.
"You look pretty when you blush," he commented before biting into his bread.
Thankfully Brione had nothing in her mouth yet, otherwise, she would have choked after hearing him. She immediately drank a glass of water to clear her throat. She was aware that her cheeks were burning red in embarrassment so she ignored him and put her head down to start eating.
"Since your shooting will start tomorrow, let's take a tour of the island today. I'm sure you will enjoy all the good places and the scenery here. I will also take you to places that are not open for tourists. After our breakfast, I will pick you up from your room in an hour. Wear something comfortable for walking..." Cedric said.
Brione pursed her lips and mumbled, "Do you plan to leak it? That Brione Yu is your woman?"
"Yeah… To make sure no one will covet over my person," Cedric answered.
'Did he mean I'm his person? Hmph, for all I know you just want to protect your image and wipe out the rumor!' Brione thought with a slight frown on her face. Her blood pressure was rising again so she had to inhale and exhale quietly to relax herself.
Once again, she would let things slide for now because she has her own agenda.
"You said, I can freely inspect your body if I agree to your condition right?" Brione suddenly questioned seriously for a moment before she focussed on eating.
"Yes… You can do it anytime you want," Cedric answered.
Seems like his Bri was still not convinced that he wasn't Gavin. It is a cunning move from her but he would use it to his advantage and get closer to her. He himself could not comprehend why he was willing to do so much just to have her as his woman.
'Smitten.' That was what Will said.
He was smitten by the superstar. He was not fond of watching movies or television dramas at all. He actually preferred reading books over movies but ever since he got Brione's profile and came to know about her career, he started binge-watching all her movies, tv dramas, interviews, special appearances, and her performances on stage.
She was very good at everything and he was glad he didn't see her doing intimate scenes such as kissing other men on screen. Now he understands why it's because she has a fear of kissing…
He stared at her lips which she happened to lick at that exact moment because of the sauce. Those lips, he will make sure that he would be the only one who could kiss those lips.
"Stop staring at me! It's uncomfortable. I'll get indigestion…" Brione complained, making him chuckle.
That was the first time Brione saw him smile. It was so much like Gavin's that she stared at him longingly.
Cedric noticed her change in expression and understood what she was thinking. Immediately his expression changed into a frown. He hated it whenever Brione would look at him as if she was seeing another man in him. He wanted her to look at him for who he was and not because she saw the shadow of another man in him.
"So about that Gavin. Do I look a lot like him? What part of my face resembles him for you to react that way," he asked in the middle of their breakfast.
"You're him. You're Gavin," Brione plainly answered. Cedric could not help but stare at her. She sounded very sure and confident.
Brione raised her chin and met his gaze. She lifted her brows and said, "Search Gavin Wu on the internet and you'll see for yourself."
Cedric grabbed his mobile phone and searched the name Gavin Wu on the internet. Brione drank her milk on the table as she observed the Prince's expression.
He was frowning as his finger tapped and scrolled his mobile phone. He looked dumbfounded and Brione took this opportunity to stare at his face closely. Even his dumbfounded expression was like Gavin, just that Gavin rarely does the frown but everything apart from that looked so similar.
"We really look like twins huh," Brione heard him utter nonchalantly.
'Twins? Could it be that they are twins?' Brione wondered. It did not occur to her that it might be a possibility.
But Gavin was an only child!
The Prince continued to browse about Gavin Wu who was a popular news anchor at country D, Brione's country. He did not need to ask for a separate profile check since the man was very popular as well. There were a lot of articles and information about him that were available online.
'How come the news never reached me? That there was a man who looked exactly like me?' He suddenly felt a sharp pain in his head so he grabbed his medicine from his pocket and took it instantly. His father said that he did not like the crowd so he was basically the Prince who rarely attended gatherings and would make sure that his life was too private.
His face was not allowed to be published in the media unless approved by him or the King. While he continued scrolling, he found a year-old article that reported the news about a sunken ship that carried Gavin and that his body was never found.
"He went missing and is highly suspected of being dead," he uttered.
"You're alive Gav… Could it be that you injured your head during the accident so you ended up having amnesia?" Brione questioned, her eyes filled with hope. Cedric did not respond but she clearly saw a range of expressions on his face. He was mostly confused but there was also a seed of doubt in his eyes.
Earlier, she had seen him take out a pill and drink it with some water so her eyes brightened in enlightenment.
"That's it! Do you have amnesia? Can you recall any past memories like your childhood or have any recollection from one year ago? And what is that medicine you just took?" Brione questioned non-stop, her eyes containing a fire that was ignited by this newfound hope.
Cedric lifted his gaze and looked around before he met Brione's eyes with a blank expression as he authoritatively stated, "Stop deluding yourself because I am Prince Cedric, Duke of Moore. You must stop what you are doing now or you will be punished by the law in this country. What you are doing right now is slander.
Stop addressing me as the man you think I am when I have my own name and identity. What you are doing is offensive so think before you call me by another man's name again. This is a serious matter Brione, so make sure you remember this especially when we are around other people.
I can understand where you're coming from and just because we look alike doesn't mean that I am who you think. I will personally look into this matter in a confidential manner. Again, be careful and don't let your tongue slip and call me by his name because you won't be able to bear the consequences. And about my medicine? It's for my headache. Was that enough proof to convince yourself that I am Gavin Wu with amnesia?"
Brione gulped when she heard his dark tone. He looked very displeased and scary so she had to clench her fingers to stop herself from shivering.
Brione exhaled loudly and said, "Okay… If you are planning to investigate then I want in on it too… This way I will continue to be your woman and not back down. Also, what is that medicine you just took?"
Cedric's eyebrows lifted up as murmured with narrowed eyes, "So you had plans of backing out? Don't forget that you are now my woman. I guess verbal agreement is not very reliable when it comes to you, Miss Brione Yu. "
Brione felt embarrassed and she averted her eyes from him as she looked for words to explain. Yes, she had agreed to be his woman a while ago out of impulse and was hesitating while she was eating, looking for a way to get out of it. About the medicine, she was curious to know if it was for head trauma or something.
She exhaled loudly hoping to release a lot of things inside her mind. She needed to clear her thoughts of all the possibilities that were clouding her head.
She had to get close to the Prince and join him in the investigation he mentioned. He was a powerful man with many resources. He could almost do anything and had more ways to find the truth compared to her and her brother's means. The Royal family had connections worldwide, so there were many possibilities like the Royal family hiding something related to his identity.
She could sense something different about how the Prince was acting. She must stay with him so they could both investigate the matter. She suddenly felt dizzy as her head got filled with various scenarios behind everything.
'It's like I'm in the drama series I'm often acting in!' she mused, thinking about the many plot twists that happen in the drama and movies. She was so familiar with it that she could not help but apply them in real-life scenarios like now.
"We must put things into paper. I don't like your indecisiveness…" The Prince reiterated, making Brione lower her head in shame because she was guilty of it. Gavin would often warn her of this fickle personality of hers when she easily changes her mind after agreeing to something.
She crumpled her face and no longer commented. She remained focused on observing Cedric's expression. His eyes were back on his phone as he continued browsing.
He raised his eyes to look at her and a sly smirk formed on his lips as he boasted, "I know I'm handsome but starting today I would appreciate it if you would look at me for who I am. I don't like another man's shadow lurking inside your head while you stare at me. I hate that."
Brione's face reddened. Cedric stood up and said, "If you'll excuse me for a while, I need to make a call. I will be right back so feel at home and enjoy your breakfast sweetheart."
Brione's jaw dropped as she watched the Prince's back.
"Sweetheart?! Is he for real?!" she groaned in annoyance. She had never met a scary yet tremendously shameless man like him!
Meanwhile, after walking a certain distance, making sure that Brione was not able to hear him, Cedric called Will and instructed, "Gavin Wu. I want every single detail about him. Something is going on here Will. Make sure you do it confidentially, just between the two of us. Don't let anyone know about it including my father and your father. If you can get resources without the help of the Royal family connection then even better…"
"What's going on Cedric? What is wrong? And why do you wanna keep this confidential?" Will asked with a worried tone.
"I will explain everything in person later but for now just do as I say," Cedric said and cut the call. He could feel something was off and he was determined to find what it was.
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