My palms were sweating as I smoothed down my dress for the hundredth time. The restaurant’s dim lighting couldn’t hide the anxiety radiating from the other speed daters around me. At 30, I never thought I’d be here, but my best friend Lily’s persistent nagging had finally worn me down.

“You’ve got this, Selena,” I whispered to myself, taking a deep breath. The bitter scent of wine and the soft clink of glasses filled the air, doing little to calm my nerves.

The bell rang with a shrill sound that made me jump. It signaled the start of our first round.

I plastered on my best smile as a tall, dark-haired man slid into the seat across from me. My breath hitched as our eyes met.

“Hi, I’m Robin.”

I felt an instant spark, like electricity coursing through my veins. “Selena. Nice to meet you.”

I found myself leaning in as we chatted, captivated by his stories and wit. He spoke of his work as a software engineer, his love for rock climbing, and his dreams of traveling the world.

With each word, I felt myself falling deeper under his spell.

When the bell rang again, Robin stood up, hesitation brimming in his eyes as he gripped the back of the chair.

“Listen, I know this is unconventional, but would you like to grab a coffee after this? I’d love to continue our conversation.”

My cheeks flushed, and my heart raced. “I’d really like that. Tomorrow? I said, feeling the heat creep into my cheeks as he kissed the back of my hand.

“Sure! Will be waiting for you in the café downtown!”

As we left the restaurant later that night, I couldn’t shake the feeling that my life was about to change forever.

The next afternoon, I couldn’t stop smiling as I recounted my evening to my mom, Daisy.

“He sounds wonderful, honey,” she said, her eyes crinkling with happiness. “I haven’t seen you this excited about someone in years.”

“I know, Mom. There’s just something about Robin. It’s like… like I’ve known him my whole life.”

“Well, don’t get ahead of yourself. But I am happy for you. Do you have a picture?”

“Oh! Yeah, we took a selfie.” I pulled out my phone, swiping to find the photo. My heart fluttered as I looked at Robin’s smiling face. “Here he is!”

The moment I turned the screen towards her, Mom’s face turned pale.

“Mom? What’s wrong?” I freaked out.

Her eyes were wide with panic, fixed on the phone screen. “Selena, oh my God… it’s HIM. The man who robbed my friend Janet! CALL THE POLICE RIGHT NOW!”

“What? No, that can’t be right.” I shook my head, confusion and disbelief warring inside me.

“I’m telling you, it’s him! He conned Janet out of her life savings. Promised to marry her, took every penny she had, and then vanished! We need to call the police right now, honey!”

My stomach dropped, a cold dread seeping into my bones. “Are you sure?” I asked, desperately hoping she was mistaken.

“Positive. Janet showed me his picture a hundred times when we were trying to track him down. I’d never forget that face.”

I stared at Robin’s smiling face on my phone, feeling sick. The warm brown eyes that had seemed so kind now looked calculating. The charming smile now seemed sinister. How could I have been so blind?

Mom reached for her phone, her fingers shaking as she started to dial 911. Without thinking, I grabbed her wrist, stopping her. “Mom, wait!”

“What do you mean, wait? We need to turn him in!”

“If we call now, he might get spooked and disappear again,” I said slowly, a plan forming in my mind. “But, what if we set a trap?”

Mom’s eyebrows shot up. “What are you thinking?”

“I have a date with him tomorrow night. What if I go, act normal, and you call the police to meet us there?”

She hesitated, worry etching lines across her forehead. “I don’t like the idea of you being alone with him. He’s dangerous, Selena.”

“It’ll be in a public place, Mom,” I assured her, even as my heart raced at the thought. “And think about it. This might be our only chance to catch him. To get justice for Janet and who knows how many others.”

After a long moment, she nodded, fear still lingering in her eyes.

As we began to plot our plan, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was balancing on a knife’s edge. One wrong move and everything could come crashing down.

The next evening, I sat across from Robin at a cozy café, my nerves on edge. He looked as handsome as ever in a blue shirt that brought out his eyes.

But now, his charming smile made my skin crawl. Every compliment and every gentle touch of his hand on mine felt like a lie.

“You look beautiful!” Robin said, reaching for my hand across the table.

I forced myself not to flinch away, plastering on a smile that felt more like a grimace. “Thank you. You look nice too.”

As he launched into a story about his day, I discreetly texted Mom under the table, “Now!”

“So, tell me more about your family,” I said, desperate to keep the conversation going.

A shadow seemed to pass over Robin’s face so quickly that I almost missed it. “It’s complicated,” he said after a moment.

Before I could probe further, I saw two uniformed officers enter the café.

They approached our table, and Robin’s easy smile faltered. “Is there a problem, officers?” he asked, his eyes darting between them and me.

One of them stepped forward, his hand resting on his belt. “Sir, we need you to come with us for questioning.”

“Selena, what’s going on?”

“I’m sorry, Robin. But we know what you did to Janet. And probably to countless other women.”

I thought this was it. But what happened next left me reeling.

After a tense conversation with the officers, during which Robin vehemently denied knowing any Janet, they released him. And he walked back to our table.

“Selena, I don’t understand. Who’s Janet? What’s this all about?”

I blinked, utterly lost. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. He was supposed to be led away in handcuffs, not standing here looking at me like I’d betrayed him.

“The woman you conned. My mom’s friend. You… you took everything from her.”

Robin shook his head, running a hand through his hair. “I’ve never met anyone named Janet in my life. But, wait a minute, I think I know what happened here.”

He pulled out his phone, his fingers flying across the screen. After a moment, he turned it towards me. I gasped, my hand flying to my mouth.

The photo showed two identical men — Robin, and another who could have been his clone. Same eyes, smile, and same everything.

But while Robin looked relaxed and happy in the photo, his double had an edge to him, a hardness in his eyes that sent a chill down my spine.

“That’s my twin brother, Adrian,” Robin revealed. “We haven’t spoken in over six months. He’s had some trouble with the law. I’ve been trying to help him, but he disappeared. I think he might be the one you’re looking for.”

I felt the blood drain from my face, shame and horror cloaking me in equal measure. “Oh my God. Robin, I’m so sorry. I thought—”

He held up a hand, cutting me off. “It’s okay. I understand. Anyone would have done the same thing in your shoes.”

But I could see the hurt in his eyes. I’d accused him of being a criminal and had the police come after him. Would he ever forgive me?

As if on cue, Mom burst into the café, her eyes wild as she scanned the room. When she spotted us, she rushed over, stopping short when she saw Robin still sitting there.

“What’s going on? Why isn’t he in custody?”

I stood up, placing a hand on her arm. “Mom, we made a mistake. A big one.”

Robin stood as well, offering his hand to my mother. “Mrs…?”

“Daisy,” Mom said, frowning.

“Mrs. Daisy, I understand there’s been a misunderstanding. I’m not the man who hurt your friend. But I think I might know who did.”

He showed her the photo, and I watched as the same shock I’d felt played across Mom’s face.

“I can’t believe it,” she murmured, looking between Robin and his brother’s picture. “They’re identical.”

“Adrian and I… we’ve always been close. Or we were. But lately, he’s been making some bad choices. I’ve been trying to help him, but he disappeared a few months ago. I’ve been worried sick.”

I reached out, touching his arm before I could stop myself. “I’m so sorry for putting you through this, Robin. I feel terrible.”

He gave me a small smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Don’t. You were trying to do the right thing. To protect others from being hurt.”

Mom shook her head, sinking into a chair. “I can’t imagine how hard this must be for you, dealing with your brother’s actions.”

Robin’s smile faded completely. “It’s been challenging. But I’m not giving up on him. I can’t.”

An awkward silence fell over the table. I fidgeted with my napkin, trying to find the right words to fix this mess I’d created.

How do you apologize for accusing someone of being a criminal? For bringing the police down on an innocent man?

Finally, I took a deep breath, steeling myself. “Robin, I know this isn’t how either of us imagined this evening going. And I completely understand if you never want to see me again. But, if you’re willing, I’d love to start over. Maybe we could try another date? One without any police involvement or mistaken identities?!”

He looked at me for a long moment. My heart raced as I waited for his response. Finally, he broke into a genuine grin, the warmth returning to his eyes.

“I’d like that, Selena. I’d like that a lot!”

As we left the café, walking into the cool night air, I couldn’t help but feel that despite all the chaos and misunderstandings, this might just be the beginning of something wonderful.

And terrifying. Because now, somewhere out there, was a man who looked exactly like the one beside me. A man who was everything I’d feared Robin to be.