Slowly opening her eyes to the random footsteps outside the room, she glanced at the clock. It was only 7am, unconcerned who it could be, she went back to sleep but the noise  became loud every passing minute. 

She walked lazily to the door, still yawning to check where the noise was coming from. As she opened the door, she was pulled into an unknown darkness. The last thing she  remembered was the sound of the door closing. 

"You rascal! You should've covered her at least, the boss will be angry at us for exposing her body, get something to cover her before he comes." Jack said, instructing Noah.

Hearing two men talking so loudly behind her back, It was obvious that she was kidnapped by someone she knew. Ava's eyes covered in darkness, she felt a large hand above her shoulder, covering her cleavage.

Suddenly, everywhere became quiet, footsteps approaching,  "Welcome boss," they said in unison. "Did she get hurt?" A deep voice asked, but Ava could not recognize the voice. "No boss," Jack replied. 

"Good, get her ready for the event," he glanced at Ava before walking out. "Yes sir," Jack replied while they stepped out.

After several attempts to untie the rope binding her hands. Ava gave up, her body was weak and trembling. Though it had only been a day, it felt like two weeks lost in total darkness and she was starving.

"Untie her then take her to the dressing room," Jack instructed Noah. 

She was brought into an unfamiliar room, surprised by the set of wedding gowns and high brand heels. "Who are you and where am I?" she asked, meeting her gaze at the girls in maid uniforms. 

"Sorry Miss, but we can't disclose the location," Kate smiled. "Hmm.. You're the head maid right?" Ava asked, tapping her foot.

Kate nodded with a broad smile, unaware why she asked. Ava leaned forward with her staring deeply into her soul, she asked again, "Okay... then who is your boss?"

Kate stepped back with fear, "I can't disclose that either," "Get out," Ava said loudly, clenching her fists.

"But miss, we have to dress you up," Kate said, lowering her voice. She can't afford to offend the new mistress or else the boss will fire her. Ava gave her a warning look, Kate and other maids left the room with their heads bowed.

Ava was left in the room alone, whoever is behind all these will surely regret it, she murmured to herself. Although her mind was messed up glancing  through the mirror, she rushed towards the bathroom to freshen up, then applied light makeup on her face.

"Miss, please come down quickly to have your meal before wearing your wedding dress," Kate called out from the dining hall.

Ava walked down the stairs only to meet unfamiliar faces dressed in black with cold expressions.  All eyes were fixed on Ava, none of them touched their meal, which made her uncomfortable. After some minutes she finally relaxed. She was starving so she cared less if they kept staring at her.  

"Miss, please come up and pick one design," Kate said, breaking the silence.  Ava was not pleased by the designs, she was forced to marry with outdated designs. "Y'all leave the room, let me test the dresses, except for the lady with green eyes." 

"Okay Miss," Kate replied, giving Milly a dirty look.

Ava looked at the lady with green eyes, her hair is brown, the same height but she has a shy look.  She smirked, "What's your name?"

"Milly," She said, with her head bowed. After a moment of silence, "Are you smart?" Ava asked, glancing at the clock.

She nodded. 

Ava closed her eyes, leaning towards the chair, then smiled and said "Then, you're good to go."

As the wedding ceremony started, Ava walked down the aisle with her face beneath the veil. 

After the exchange of vows, the groom reached out to lift the veil from the bride's face but to his shock he found himself staring at his maid's face.

Meanwhile, Ava slipped away during the ceremony without being caught. 

The mansion was in an isolated area, where one can hardly find a taxi. Ava walked down to the junction to see if she could find someone who would help her. 

"Sir, you have a meeting with Dr. Matt by 10pm" Elvis said.

"Four hours left, drive to the airport," Michael said, flipping through the document without glancing at him. Suddenly the car stopped . "Why did you stop?" Micheal asked.

Sir.. Sir we have a problem," Elvis said, stuttering.

Ava stood on the road, spotted a car approaching and ran towards it, "Please help me, I need to get out of here." She pleaded, rubbing her palms together

Elvis got out of the car, looking at the lady with maiden dress, "Miss, we are not heading to the city please can you leave the road." 

But Ava was desperate. "Anywhere you are going to please...please help me" Tears formed in her eyes as she begged. 

Micheal stepped out, smirking , "Are you sure? You don't care if we are dangerous?" 

Ava nodded. Micheal's eyes darkened, "Get in."

Time flew so fast, she found herself in an unknown city with the little money she had, she went to the nearest payphone booth to call Angel, after several attempts the line was not reachable. 

She hailed a taxi to the nearby park to take a rest, people staring at her like a poor girl who was lost, while she quietly sat down on the bench under the tree.

An elderly man who sat behind her noticed how lost she looked and sighed " If you are lost, kindly go to the police station for your own safety, this city isn't a safe place, you can get robbed." 

Ava heard a voice behind her, she looked at the elderly man who was reading a book.

Ava had nothing left on her, so would rob her? She thought  then sighed,  thanking the elderly man as she asked him the name of the city. 

The man studied her before replying "Lakecity."  

What!! LakeCity. A city known for its exclusive lifestyle, high standard of living and cooperate capitals.  

This can't be happening to me! Ava inner self screamed. "Okay,  Ava , calm down. You just have to find a place to sleep tonight. By tomorrow you'll be alright," She tried to comfort herself.

With the little money she was given by the unknown man who helped her, she quickly left the park to find a cheap motel. 

The receptionist greeted her with a warm smile."Good evening ma'am."   

"Good evening, please do you have any available rooms ?" Ava asked, her eyes scanning the environment. "One minute.... The receptionist said. "Yes, we have room 103."

"Thank you," Ava smiled, collecting the key from the receptionist.  

    The room  was dusty all over, with spiders on the wall. Ava never thought she would sleep in a place like this. She slumped to the bed, so tired she drifted off to sleep.

Ava temporarily checked out of the motel in search of a job, running her hands through her hair, unsure what the future holds.  

After two hours of searching for a job, Ava sighed, fidgeting with her feet as she walked into the cafe nearby to order a cup latte as she asked the receptionist if she could speak with the manager. 

The lady worried that Ava wanted to complain, quickly asked Ava if the latte was not to her taste.  Ava explained everything to the lady, the lady sighed in relief , "Okay!! Please sit down, let me call my manager."

A few minutes later she arrived with the manager. "Good day ma'am, how can I help you?" Mr Ken asked, smiling.

Ava apologized for the disturbance and asked if he was hiring a new employee.

"Yes, please  let's go to my office and discuss," Mr Ken said, gesturing towards his office. "Come in, please.Take a seat," he offered. Once she was seated, he asked, "What's your name?"

Ava, unsure if she could say her real name, decided to use her fake name and  replied, "Nina." 

"Okay, Nina, I have a job offer for you but you have to sign a contract before you get employed." After they discussed the contract for about half an hour, she headed back to the motel.

Ava's mind wandered back to the discussions she had with the cafe manager, replaying his words like a broken record: "You can get this job after signing this contract, and you will be provided with a place to stay for a day.  After you're done you can work for me in the cafe. Although Ava doesn't know the nature of the job.

Making up her mind, she needs to start working to be able to rent a house. With a sense of determination, she called the manager to accept the offer, he informed her that she will start work on Friday, promising to send the location of the event. 

The next few days went smoothly for Ava. On Thursday night she got stopped by an old lady near the motel, she had a luxury look and a smooth skin. Ava wondered what an old lady would be doing in the street all alone, wandering in a place like this. "How can I help you ma'am?" She asked. 

"What's your name Miss?"  the old lady asked. Ava, afraid someone might recognise her she quickly told  the old lady her fake name with a suspicious look. 

"Can I borrow your phone? I need to call my grandson, my driver's car broke down on my way  and my phone is not with me." The old lady smiled.

Ava hesitated before giving the old lady her phone. After she made the call, she insisted on taking Ava's number to repay her back which Ava refused to give but she kept on insisting, which Ava finally gave in. 

Friday afternoon, Ava started preparing for the job, which she was told begins at night. 

After dressing up, she applied light makeup. Then hailed a taxi straight to the given destination. Arriving at the destination,  Ava was surprised by the entrance, which was a masterpiece in elegance, confused by the kind of work she will be doing tonight in this mansion. 

An old man approached her, "You must be the new lady ? Welcome." he said, leading her through the back door. "Miss!?" He asked. 

"Nina," she replied, still in awe about the interior inside the house.

"Okay,  we don't have much time. Go change." He said giving her a black knee length skirt, a white shirt and a pair of black low heeled shoes. 

Ava looked at him in amazement and she asked, " What exactly am I doing tonight?" He smiled and told her she will be working as a waitress tonight.

The house party started, showing no signs of slowing down. Ava balanced the tray of drinks in her hands, walking through the crowd. Just as she was about to get another set of drinks, a voice called out her fake name.

 "Nina! Nina, is that you?"  Ava turned around, scanning the room until her eyes landed on the old lady she met on the street.

The old lady approached her with a smile and said " What a coincidence! She asked, "Did you come with someone?" 

Ava returned the smile and replied that she had come to work. Then her eyes caught sight of a group of people and her expression changed.  

Jack, Ava's father's right hand man, greeting a group of people. If Jack was present, her father would also be here, she thought to herself.

"Nina, if you are free after the party, we can have a coffee together," The old lady said, breaking Ava's train of thoughts. Ava nodded and the old lady left to attend to other guests.

Thankfully Ava saw a facemask close to the counter, wearing it. She scanned the crowd for Jack's silhouette until she spotted my father and Mr. Tom  happily chatting, but could not spot Jack.

Ava, eager to hear their conversation, got closer to them. 

She heard Mr. Tom laughed then shaked Mr Adams hands, "I'll sign the contract after the wedding. You have just three months to find her, otherwise, the deal is off, for old time's sake. We can't mix business and personal issues." Mr Adams nodded, his eyes lit up.

After some minutes passed, Ava saw Jack walking towards her father with a young man in a buzz cut, wearing a dark green suit.  Ava quickly changed her position to avoid being seen.

"Sir, This is the young man I told you about, he is very good at his work, many companies will risk anything to get him working with them." Jack praised him while Ethan and  Mr Adams exchanged greetings. Jack also introduced Ethan as one of the top personal investigators that works at the Ket organization. 

Ava could not understand what exactly they were saying , throughout the conversation she kept her eyes on Ethan's silhouette until he was ready to go.

The park was crowded with people leaving the party, it slowed down her movement, from a distance she could not see his face clearly. 

 While trailing behind him, her phone rang, breaking her focus. "Hello?" Ava answered, ready for whatever was coming. "Where are you? The boss needs you to come quickly." 

Before she could respond, the caller hung up. Her gaze snapped back to where Ethan was standing, but he was now walking towards the mansion instead of getting into his car. 

 Ava quickly followed him inside. Without hesitation, the old lady's voice rang out, " Nathan, why are you late?" 

Nathan hugged her, smiling and explained that something urgent had come up at the company that  needed immediate attention.

Ava, unaware of their conversation, quickly approached Granny, smiling in hopes of getting closer to Nathan.  Nathan ignored the lady behind him and  walked to his room.

The old lady turned to Ava and said, "Nina, come have a seat," gesturing towards the chair. Ava shifted her gaze from the stairs, where he had just disappeared . After she settled down, the maid poured coffee for her.

"You look familiar, who is your mother?" The old lady asked, sipping her coffee.

 Ava hasn't spoken about her mother to anyone since childhood. Honestly she felt uncomfortable talking about her mother to anyone, not even her best friend.

 "My mother is dead." That was the only word that could escape Ava's mouth. 

The old lady's face dropped , apologizing, "Ohhh, l am sorry, I didn't mean to remind you of the past." She smiled warmly and added, " You can always come here if you feel lonely." 

Ava nodded. "Thank you, ma'am" touched by her kindness. 

"Please call me Granny Walton," The old lady quickly said.

"Okay, ma'am." Ava corrected herself, "l mean, okay, Granny Walton." The old lady smiled.  

When they  finished chatting, she collected her paycheck then she quickly glanced at the place Nathan disappeared too before heading out. 

The next day, she got a new apartment then did a change of name and did a fake certificate, unable to risk getting caught. She then went to change her hairstyle and dye her hair black.

At noon, she officially started her new job at the cafe, looking completely different. After her night shift ended, she met with the manager to gather information about the party's host, but all she got was the name.  

Ava returned home and began her research on the Walton family. Unfortunately she couldn't get enough information about the family on the internet. Just as she expected, the family was known by everyone because of their son, Nathan Walton. They  seemed to be  people who stayed low-key and avoided social media. 

" NATHAN THE HANDSOME BACHELOR  BUILT HIS EMPIRE AT THE AGE OF 23 AND ACHIEVED BILLIONS WITHIN A YEAR." 

"NATHAN WALTON HAS HELPED HOMELESS PEOPLE BY PROVIDING SHELTER AND FOOD OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS." 

That's  the only thing Ava could find, no scandal relating to the family.

 Why would a billionaire be working for her father as a private investigator? She questioned. 

As days passed, Ava went on with her daily activities till the weekend. Despite all her efforts, she couldn't find any useful information about Nathan, only the name of his company.  

She entered a cab straight to Paragon Group's headquarters.  Arriving, she paid the driver and watched it speed off. The building was bustling people walking in and out.

 Paragon Group was known for being the largest company in the country, only the 1% can work there. She  approached the front desk, where a lady stood. "Good day, miss," Ava greeted her with a smile. "I'd like to meet with the president, please."

The lady looked up at Ava, with a doubtful expression. "Okay, did you book an appointment with him? If so, what's your name?" 

Ava explained that she didn't have an appointment with him, but it was urgent. Pleading with the lady to let her see the president. 

The lady looked at Ava, clearly unimpressed with her acting. "Ladies like you come here everyday, they have something important to tell our president too," The lady replied rudely.  "If you don't leave, I'll have no option but to call security on you."

Ava was not ready to cause a scene so she asked her, "How can I book an appointment with the president?" 

The lady ignored her, taking her as one of the ladies desperate to be in the president's bed. 

Ava kept returning to the company, determined to meet the president. However, her determination paid off in an unexpected way, she was kicked out by the security. But still didn't give up 

"Boss, there's a lady who has been coming here without an appointment for the past five days looking for you." Leo reported the situation to Nathan. 

Nathan's eyes darkened, and he asked,  "Who is she?"

Leo responded, "We don't know at the moment, but you can see the surveillance cameras outside the building," Leo said, while handing him the iPad . 

After watching the footage, Nathan smirked and instructed Leo to investigate her. 

He was surprised that she had found him so easily, but he had to be sure if she came seeking compensation. 

After conducting the investigation, Leo brought the result to Nathan. "She recently faked her certificate and her name," Leo reported. She's on the run from home. Nathan laughed and said, "Good! When she comes again, let her in.