AN: You must forgive this part if at some point I'd interchanged Serena and Usagi… point it out and I'll get back to it when I have the time. But basically, you all know who I meant, right? Thanks for reading the recent posts.

Chapter 3 – Dangerous Charade

When they were all in the small receiving room of the two-bedroom suite that was supposed to be shared by the four girls, Haruka cleared his throat and made an unexpected announcement.

"Alain, I'm actually thinking of backing up this musical production that you mentioned earlier. I must agree, it has a lot of potential. Don't you think so, Michiru?"

"Ne, Anata. I think that's the most wonderful thing you've said this evening," Michiru conceded.

Mako tried to hid a smile but failed to refrain her eyebrow from doing an amused arch.

Usagi suddenly looked up at Alain from where she was sitting. His eyes were sparkling. He was obviously excited at the prospect of a very rich sponsor.

Mina was thinking differently. She knew that Haruka was doing this to prevent the media from speculating why the cake hadn't been cut after that showdown in the restaurant.

"If you have other appointments to attend to, don't let me hinder you," the sharp American voice interrupted authoritatively. He had no plans of being ignored. He was very tall, his wide shoulders apparent in his flawlessly cut dark suit.

"Just who the hell are you?" Alain demanded.

The clean, handsome head turned to face the other man. For a moment there was a slight tension among all the occupants of the room accompanied by a priceless silence.

'I am Darien Shields. I am engaged to that woman you call your fiancée but I know her by the name Serena Reid.'

'Is there any shred of truth in what he is saying?' Alain intently looked at Usagi, searching her blue-violet gaze.

In fact, both of the men's eyes were on her, but Darien's stare seemed to bore into her, body and soul.

She looked appealingly at Alain. 'I don't know him. How would I? You heard him saying he has no invitation. Have him thrown out. I don't care." She glared at the man.

She stood up and took Alain's arm. 'Let's go back to our guests, okay? We have our engagement to—"

"I don't think that's a good idea right now, Koneko-chan," Haruka interjected softly.

Darien smirked upon hearing the endearment. His little rabbit will pay. He did not appreciate hearing her being called as someone else's 'kitten'.

"Besides, we have the production to talk with to the press, don't we, Alain?" Haruka continued.

"Yes, of course." It was as if Alain had forgotten all about Usagi's distress in the face of one of his future successes. He looked at Darien confidently. "I have nothing to discuss with you. Please leave if you don't wish to be escorted out. My girlfriend doesn't know you and I'm sure that she's telling the truth."

Usagi could have applauded, but Alain's reason for dismissing the other man so lightly somehow disappointed her.

"If you'd take a second to look at this?" the man called Darien insisted. There was a single picture atop the thick yellow envelop. Obviously, there were more inside.

Alain grew furious at what he saw. Usagi had to let go of his arm. Her face was still blank. Alain showed the picture to her. It was of… her… and of the man called Darien. Darien had his arm around her waist, possessively so, and both of them were smiling for the camera. Usagi was sure that the girl's eyes in the picture were anything but happy. But it was without any doubt— Usagi.

"Why not take a look at what's inside the envelope. There's more evidence inside," the man taunted.

"Explain," Alain suddenly ordered Usagi.

When she could not speak, Alain once again turned to face the man.

"I don't care if you were lovers before. She is mine now. She has obviously forgotten you, has no wish to remember you or recognize you at all. You don't matter. She is going to marry me. Usagi is—"

"Serena is mine," the man confidently stated, not even blinking. "She will not marry you."

It was then that Usagi took the picture from Alain's hand and decided to give the man a piece of her mind.

"This woman looks like me, but she is not me. You must agree, Sir, she is so much younger!"

The man simply laughed. "Because, my dear, that engagement party of ours happened about seven years ago. Should I be flattered that you don't think I've aged a single year based on that picture?"

She pretended not to have heard him and turned to Alain again. "You must believe me, Alain. I don't know him." When her boyfriend did not answer readily, she turned to the other man. "I'm sure that you… that you feel concern for this girl—"

"How dare you reduce my feelings to mere concern?" Suddenly his cool seemed to have left him. "You have no idea what I've been through."

"I'm sorry, sorry if you've lost her in any way," she answered sincerely. "But I really am not your fiancée. I admit I look so much like her and for that your mistake is forgiven—"

"Forgiven?" the man scoffed. "I'll show you forgiveness, girl, once you're married to me. Are you sure that you want to continue this conversation in front of your friends?"

"As you say, they are my friends. I trust them explicitly. They won't talk about this, about me behind my back. And as I'm telling the truth—"

"You have no right to say that word." His tone was hard now and his blue eyes were cold. He collected the single photo and the others that were inspected by Alain, and inserted them once more in the silky envelope. "I will leave on one condition."

"Tell us," Alain commanded.

"My fiancée, if you must know, is a very wealthy lady. Her family is quite rich and her father dotes on her very much. It is his utmost wish to see her. You see, he hasn't heard a word from her or any news for seven years. Her mother misses her very much. May I know how long you've all been friends with this woman?" He was referring to Usagi. "It's really selfish of her not to think of her family, preferring your company to that of her parents'."

Everybody was silent. Mako was quietly computing the years and days. When had she first seen Usagi? When did she transfer here to Japan?

'I just want Serena to admit that we were once engaged.' He sat in a vacant armchair as if he was suddenly tired. His face was grim as he looked at Usagi. 'I want to know just why she left me, her friends in the States, her parents and brother.' This time, there was a hint of emotion in his baritone, and Usagi could feel the silent anger seeping in it. His face however, remained hard and unfeeling.

'You're really mistaken,' she tried to reason. 'I honestly don't know you. She is someone else, your Serena, someone who looks like me.'

'Why did you leave me?' It seemed that he had forgotten that they were not alone, and that she hadn't given any suggestion that she knew him, or was once engaged to him.

Suddenly, she noticed that his serious face was older… older than the smiling one on the photograph she had just seen. His furious eyes instilled a fear in her and her voice wobbled. "Please, you're wrong. Don't make this difficult for any of us. I am Usagi Tsukino. I am Japanese. Ask my friends, my boyfriend; they'll tell you."

The man called Darien simply stood up, strength and authority in his eyes and stance once again.

"I don't need their testimonies. I can prove that you're my betrothed."

'How can you be so sure?' Alain demanded.

With a sudden jerk Darien pulled her up against him and tugged on her hair to obtain a single, golden strand. "Ever heard of DNA?"

Usagi gave an outraged cry and Alain instinctively caught hold of her free arm to pull

her away from Darien, but then stopped as they both looked over her shoulder.

'Just go away, please!" she begged.

'Do you still deny that you're Serena Reid?'

Before she could answer the Alain's secretary came in. "Alain, the European millionaire is asking for you. He wants to back up one of your future productions. He's in a hurry so I suggest you don't think twice. He wants you to accompany him in his private jet tonight."

Alain was annoyed, impatiently so. 'I cannot let this one slide. Haruka-san, let's talk of your plans when I get back. Thank you for the party. It was still a success.' He turned to face Usagi, frustration in his eyes. 'Solve this problem. I don't care how you do it. It's immaterial if he's telling the truth or not. Just sort this out!'

Alain turned to go but Usagi tried to delay him. 'Alain! You can't leave me here alone with him.'

He shook her off. 'Your friends are here. You're hardly alone.'

'No, I'm coming with you.'

She went to follow him but Shields took hold of her arm in a grip that was as strong as a

vice, as strong as the embrace of a lover. 'I think not. You still have a lot of explaining to

do.'