02

Chapter two

Ava's POV

“How I miss my bed.” I groaned, feeling my eyes drooping.

The night of Natalia's engagement party had finally arrived, and I was barely able to stand straight. After a long day of trying to perfect the decorations in the grand hall and cooking food that could feed a million men, I hadn’t had a moment to myself.

The chandeliers sparkled from the ceiling, brightening the ballroom. Beautiful flowers adorned every surface, their sweet scent engulfing my nose. Food and drinks were lined up on the buffet tables.

As I hurriedly descended the grand staircase, I tried to smooth down the simple blue dress I had thrown on earlier. It was my best dress, but it was even less fashionable than all the maid's clothes. To think I am the daughter of the Patel family.

However, I didn’t care much about appearances. I had learned long ago that my role was to remain in the background. And that wasn't going to change tonight.

Lost in thought, I slammed into someone. Hard. A firm grip caught my waist before I could reach the floor.

"Whoa, careful there."

When I looked up, I forgot how to breathe. It seemed like heaven had just come down. The man—no, angel—before me was breathtaking. Sharp jawline, striking blue eyes, plump lips that had curved into an amused smirk.

"Are you okay?"

His deep voice met my ears, causing butterflies to flutter in my stomach. I nodded, unable to find my voice. However, I couldn't wrap my head around something. Why did he look so familiar? Those eyes—it seemed like we had met before.

"Miss?"

His voice snapped me out of my trance. I blinked. Oh God, had I been staring at him this whole time? I think so, because his smirk grew wider.

"Uh, I, uh… it's nice to meet you," I stammered. "You're just really cute. I can't help it."

Loud laughter cut me off. Oh my God, did I say that out loud?

"I prefer attractive over cute, but I'll take the compliment since it's coming from a very beautiful lady," the guy smiled.

My eyes widened, did I really say that? Oh my goodness, now he'll think I'm a creep or something. Uh, what do I say now to hide my embarrassment?

As if on cue, I heard my mother calling for me from below. “Ava! Come here!”

“Sorry, I gotta go,” I said, relieved and disappointed at the same time.

“Okay, okay,” he replied, a hint of disappointment in his voice. “I hope we’ll see each other again sometime.”

“Yeah, sure,” I managed before rushing down the stairs, my heart still racing from the unexpected encounter.

A few minutes later, the guests started arriving. Each one was flaunting their beautiful and expensive clothes, but I felt invisible. No one paid me any attention as they chatted and laughed, each person associating only with people of their class.

I was the youngest daughter of the Patel family, one of the wealthiest families in the city, yet nobody knew me. My mother had always made it clear that my place was to stay out of the spotlight, to be invisible so that I do not tarnish the family's reputation. My heart hurt at the thought.

I caught sight of a group of maids struggling to carry trays of food, and without thinking, I stepped in to help. It was a small act, but it was better than doing nothing and being an invisible human.

“Hey, what are you doing? You should not be serving.” A voice interrupted my thoughts. It was Uncle Bertram. “Shouldn’t you be mingling with the guests?”

I turned to him, forcing a smile. “Uncle, you know very well that people will run away if I go beside them. By the way, am I not the cursed daughter of the Patel family?”

“Stop that,” he said, his brow furrowing in disapproval. “You cannot be saying things like that about yourself, Ava. Your father will be so disappointed.”

“I’m sorry, Uncle,” I replied, my face downcast. “I just…”

“It’s okay,” he said, his voice softening. “Just enjoy yourself and feel free at the party.”

I nodded, though I felt anything but free. I moved through the crowd, hearing snippets of conversation about Liam, my sister’s fiancé. Whispers filled the air, filled with admiration for the man I had never met.

“That’s him! He’s so handsome!” someone gushed. “Wow, Nat didn't tell us he was this good-looking.”

That got my attention, and I peered through the crowd, finally spotting him. Dressed in an impeccably tailored suit, he looked like he had stepped straight out of a modeling shoot. Wow, Liam was beautiful, although not as beautiful as the guy on the staircase.

“Wow, that must be him,” I heard another guest say. “I wish he had married me instead!”

Ha! Rich people and their jealousy. I thought to myself as I took a glass of champagne from a passing waiter's tray.

I squinted to get a better look at this Liam guy, but realized I didn’t recognize him at all. The name sounded familiar, but the face was a stranger. After that day, I didn't remember many things. I had tried so many times, but my head hurt every time I tried to force my memories to come back.

As the evening turned into night, I began to feel a strange heat traveling through my body, a flush creeping up my cheeks. The Patel's family AC couldn't possibly be turned off, right?

I found it difficult to breathe, so I stumbled toward the exit, my body trembling.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed.

Mother?

"Ava, go to the east wing," she ordered. "I left Nat's gift there."

I took the phone away from my ear, wondering if I had heard her right. The east wing–that place was off-limits, even to me. Why would she–

"Hurry up, Ava, there's no time to waste."

The urgency in her voice made me rush forward, fanning myself with my hands to get rid of the increasing heat.

I hadn't gotten a gift for Natalia. What could I even give her? Nothing I could give her would ever be good enough.

As I entered the guest room, I noticed the bed, perfectly made and so inviting. My body felt heavy and weak. Before I knew it, I had crossed the room and flopped onto the bed, letting out a sigh of exhaustion.

Maybe if I had been more aware, if I had understood that something was off, I would have seen what was coming. But in that moment, all I wanted was to escape the tiredness, even if only for a few minutes.

I closed my eyes, welcoming the darkness that had been trying to claim its place.

I slept peacefully, not knowing that from the next day, my life would never be the same again.