CHAPTER 3: A Mouth-Watering Opportunity

　　Alexander stood there, his blue eyes narrowed in a mixture of confusion and something that resembled… hope? In that moment, a crazy idea took root in my mind. What if I just played along? What if I pretended to be this Ava? It seemed like the fastest way to get out of this place.

　　Taking a deep breath, I plastered a smile on my face, forcing my voice into a chipper tone. "Hey, Alex," I said, using the nickname as if it was natural to call a total stranger that. "Sorry I haven't been reachable. I, uh, needed some time to… work through some things."

　　He blinked, his gaze flicking between me and Nicola, who was watching the exchange with an unreadable expression. "Work through things?" he echoed, his voice cautious.

　　"Yeah," I continued, hoping my voice didn't crack. "Big life changes and all that. But hey, here I am!" I gestured around the hallway with a forced lightness. "Ready to pick things up right where I left off."

　　A flicker of a smile played on Alexander's lips for a brief moment before fading. "Right," he said, his voice strained. "Except… well, your parents moved to Europe with you, didn't they? So where will you be staying?"

　　My smile faltered. I glanced at Nicola, hoping she'd offer some backup, and saw that her lips were pursed in a thin line.

　　Before I could stammer out a response, Nicola stepped forward, her voice smooth and controlled. "Don't worry, Alexander. I took care of everything. Ava here has a lovely apartment all rented and ready to go. We can all have dinner later tonight, catch up properly."

　　Alexander opened his mouth to protest, but just then, the phone in Alexander's hand rang. He glanced at the screen, his brow furrowing. "Damn it." He turned back to me, his voice laced with a hint of frustration. "Ava, I…"

　　A young woman stepped out of the elevator, her clipboard clutched tightly to her chest. "Mr. Westcott," she said, her voice a nervous squeak. "You have a 3:00 meeting with Mr. Thompson, and then a conference call at 3:30."

　　Alexander sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I'll be there in a minute." He then turned back to me, his expression unreadable. "Look, Ava, I… I'm incredibly busy this afternoon. But how about dinner tonight? We can talk then."

　　Dinner with Alexander Westcott, CEO of Westcott Enterprises? The audacity of the situation almost made me laugh. But I held back, simply nodding in agreement. "Sounds good," I said, trying to appear as nonchalant as possible.

　　He offered a curt nod before turning to leave. Just as he reached the door, he paused and looked back at me, a fleeting look of worry crossing his features. "Are you sure you're okay, Ava?" he asked, his voice softer than I expected.

　　I wanted to scream "I'm not Ava!" but instead, I simply managed a weak smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit jet-lagged, you know?"

　　He nodded again, his expression unreadable. "See you tonight then." With that, he disappeared through the doorway, leaving me alone with Nicola.

　　The moment the door shut, the air crackled with a tension thicker than a fog bank. Nicola's eyes, previously calm, now held a glint of steel.

　　"Come with me." she said curtly, her voice devoid of its earlier hospitality. "There's a lot to discuss."

　　As I followed her back to her office where she proceeded to abandon me, I felt lost and completely out of my depth. My heart hammered against my ribs, a frantic drumbeat against the backdrop of my racing thoughts. Who was this Ava that Alex kept mistaking me for? And why did Nicola seem more interested in my presence than the interview?

　　Minutes stretched into what felt like an eternity. I paced around the plush rug, stealing glances at the awards lining the wall, each one a testament to her success. The thought of sharing a meal with Alexander sent a jolt of nervous excitement through me, quickly followed by a wave of guilt. I was an imposter, pretending to be someone I wasn't. What was I even doing here?

　　Finally, the doorknob turned, and Nicola reappeared. To my surprise, her sharp facade had been replaced by a weary sigh and she gestured for me to sit down as she took her seat across from me.

　　"Alright, Evelyn," she began, addressing me by my real name for the first time. "Let's get this straight. You're not Ava."

　　"No, ma'am," I said, my voice shaking slightly. "Who is Ava, anyway?"

　　Nicola leaned back in her chair, her eyes searching mine. For a moment, I saw a flicker of vulnerability in them, a glimpse of a woman burdened by secrets.

　　"Ava was Alexander's… close friend," she said finally, the words carefully chosen. "She was like family to him, someone he confided in."

　　Her voice trailed off, and a heavy silence descended upon the room. My mind raced, piecing together the fragments of information I'd gleaned. Ava, a close friend of Alexander, someone who looked like me… someone who had mysteriously disappeared to Europe.

　　"What happened to her?" I finally whispered, the question hanging heavy in the air.

　　Nicola's expression hardened again. "She left," she said curtly. "It hit Alexander hard."

　　The image of Alexander's concerned gaze flashed in my mind. Now it made sense, the way his eyes had held a flicker of hope when he first saw me. Did he truly believe I was Ava?

　　"Why do you look like her?" Nicola's question jolted me back to the present.

　　"I don't know," I mumbled truthfully.

　　Nicola studied me intently for a beat, then seemed to reach a decision. "Look," she said, her voice calmer now. "Clearly, this is more than just a case of mistaken identity. We need answers. But right now, we have a bigger fish to fry."

　　"A bigger fish?" I echoed, confused.

　　"Dinner," she said with a dry smile. "Alexander will be expecting 'Ava.' We need to figure out a way to handle this situation before it explodes."

　　Dinner with Alexander. The thought sent a shiver down my spine. Here I was, embroiled in a web of secrets and lies, playing a role I didn't understand.

　　"But what do I say?" I blurted out, panic rising in my throat. "I don't know anything about Ava's life!"

　　Nicola leaned forward, a glint of determination in her eyes. "That's where I come in. I'll give you a crash course on Ava. But first, let's get you cleaned up. You look like you just walked out of a hurricane."

　　I glanced down at my wrinkled clothes and disheveled hair, a sudden wave of self-consciousness washing over me. It was clear that I was way out of my league here.

　　"And what happens if I don't agree to this?"

　　Nicola, who had risen to her feet and headed for the door, paused and turned to look at me.

　　"Then you'll be throwing away the opportunity to secure this job and an offer to earn three times the pay."