CHAPTER 4

Jayde POV

I race back to Paul Loan's place, my heart pounding. Everything feels urgent - Mom's missing and I need answers.

Inside, a man meets me at the entrance. "I need to see Paul," I say, trying to keep my voice steady. "He asked me to come."

The man gives me this weird look that makes my skin crawl, but I don't have time to worry about that now. All I can think about is finding Mom.

"Through there," he points to a door.

I barely finish knocking when the door swings open. I jump back, startled, and find myself face-to-face with a guy in his thirties. Something's off about the way he's staring at me like he's seen a ghost. He holds the door open, still watching me with those wide, dark eyes.

The room feels tense. Paul's sitting on a sofa with a woman, and the weird guy joins them.

"It's uncanny," the man mutters, looking between me and something else. "They're practically identical."

The woman suddenly rushes over and grabs my hands. Her touch makes me uncomfortable. "How is this possible?" she whispers.

I pull away. Whatever game they're playing, I'm not interested. "Look," I say to Paul, "just tell me what I need to do to get my mom back."

Instead of answering, Paul throws a magazine at my feet. "Look at the image," he says quietly.

The headline hit me first: "Billionaire Hattie is Back in Style." But it's the photo that makes my blood run cold. The woman in the designer clothes - she looks exactly like me. Same face, same features, everything.

"What kind of sick joke is this?" My hands are shaking. I can barely think straight.

"Does this look like a joke to you?" Paul's voice is cold and emotionless.

The man hands me another photo. It shows the same woman, clearer this time. The resemblance is impossible to deny - we could be twins.

"That's Hattie Everett," he explains, "and this is her mother, Beatrice Everett."

My mind is spinning. Everyone knows about the Everetts - they're half-white billionaires, famous in our area. But this can't be real. How could I look exactly like Hattie Everett?

I look between the photo and the woman - Beatrice - my head filled with questions and a growing sense of dread. What does all this have to do with my missing mom?

This is the best news I have ever received in my life. What does it mean if you resemble a rich person, a billionaire for that matter?

Does it mean I will eventually make it in my life?

It could mean I will be rich later on.

"Are you even listening!" A deep, loud voice forces me out of my thoughts.

I sigh and look down at Paul. I don't even know why I'm here or why they are showing me the images of Hattie.

"I told you I would release your mother if you can do something?" He looks up at me now, " I want you to pretend to be Hattie Everett for three weeks."

The world seems to stop for a minute or was I the one that stopped breathing?

" I don't get that?" I fumble for words as I stare at the woman again. Perhaps, they are trying to tease me or something.

"Just for three weeks. You will be Hattie Everett for three weeks and you will be back to your life."

I laugh briefly. It still doesn't make any sense to me, " Very funny. Why will I pretend to be Hattie? Are you guys playing tricks on me?"

Paul shakes his head slowly and I sink into the deep of darkness. What's happening?

"Hattie ran away," the young man interceded, " She wouldn't pick up her call. That's why we need you to be here till she's ready to come back."

Why will Hattie run away? Well, I do know how those rich children act. The majority holds themselves so high, especially those foolish Ayles billionaires.

That reminds me. I still have a revenge book to open on Declan. I am going to make him pay for kissing and sacking me.

To do that, I will need money to bail my mom out first because there's no fucking way, I will ever pretend to be Hattie.

I've always wanted to be rich but what kind of thing is having fame and money for three weeks? What will happen to me afterward?

I can't even think of it like that. If I get rich, then I will be the one to work hard and earn it.

"I'm sorry Paul but I can't do that."

"Why?"

"Because there's no fucking way I will act like Hattie. The thought of it gives me goosebumps."

"I will give you a million dollars," the woman said suddenly and my heart momentarily stopped breathing.

What! One million dollars!

With it, I can be the rich girl I have always wanted to be.

I can get a house, a car, and even establish my mom. I would go to school and eventually be the beautician I had wanted to be.

I would be able to get clothes and shoes!

OMG!

"Are you in or out?" The man's voice broke the void I was suspended in.

I look at him now and smile widely, "I will be damned if I refuse to help someone in need, don't you think so?'

I laugh and look back at Paul, "I'm in!" I can feel the excitement in my voice.

And I can feel the movement of butterflies in me. How can luck suddenly shine on me?

I thought fate had abandoned me!