Chapter eighteen.

"Has she said anything yet?". It's a matter of time before she comes to learn about everything, we should be really careful now. we have to marry Astria to Alex as Soon as possible". Lord Herlington spoke to someone. Astria, who stood behind the door couldn't see who her father spoke to, she only saw his back. She has been in love with Alex since she was little and she'd do anything to have him but she felt that her father was hiding something from her. It didn't matter though, as long as she got Alex in the end. In three days, the duchess will be throwing a debutante ball, she'll try to have Alex on her side through the whole party and maybe, just maybe she could make him see her, as a woman and not just a friend.

She slowly left her father's office and went to her room. She wrote a letter and summoned her butler to have it delivered. She wanted to Know what her father was up to and only one person could help her. Life here in Herlington has never been the same since her mother died. Her father became cold and distant. He was rarely at home and the few time he came, he locked himself up in his office. Months ago, she discovered that some of their properties and wealth had gone missing. That's besides the point though, her father did nothing about it and never seemed to care. Just Last week, she saw a sack full of gold being taken out of their house. Strange men not to mention scary were walking in and out of their house, she worried that her father was involved in something dangerous.

She looked at her phone, it's only a few minutes left now. A few years ago, in her mother's diary she had discovered a portal that could take one in the future. It's only last month that she had dared to try it, and to her surprise it worked. She wanted Alex by all means. She knew he had no such feelings for her, he always told her that she was like the sister he never had. She looked up at the sky and saw three stars. She frowned, this was not a good sign. It has only been two stars, but a third star in between....no no it can't be. It felt like something or rather someone was coming in between her and Alex. And even though she and Alex weren't really together, he was still hers and nothing and no one was going to take what was hers. She was going to get him, either willingly or by force, even if it meant dragging him with her to the future.

She was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Come in". She answered.

"Lady Astria, everything is ready"

"Good. I'll be gone for two days now. You have to make sure that no one discovers my absence. Okay?".

"Of course my lady".

"Good. you can now leave.". She said dismissively.

She walked around the book shelf, removed some books. A secret door was hidden behind the books. A few seconds later, she was no longer lady Astria of herlington, but rather.....

"Is the new waitress here?. Her shift has already began". Love asked when she couldn't see Abby anywhere. The restaurant was so busy and they needed extra hands.

"Sorry am late".

"aaah there she is. Could you take the orders from table six?" The manager asked.

"Of course ma'am, am sorry again for coming late".

"We'll talk about that later, get to work".

Love looked at the new waitress. There was something off about her but she couldn't place a finger into it yet. No one here knew about her nor where she came from, she was like a mystery that needed to be solved. What surprised her the most was the weird way they first met. The restaurant was already closed, Love had closed herself in to try on a new recipe she was working on . She had just finished and was about to leave when she saw her sitting in one of the tables.

"Sorry ma'am we are already closed" She had told her.

She then remembered that she had forgotten her bag back in the kitchen. A few seconds later when she came out, there was no one out there. The only way that someone could have gotten inside the restaurant was through the main entrance, which of course was locked, so how did she get in and more so, how did she leave, because she tried the door but it was locked, and there was no sign of forced entry.

Love at first thought maybe she was hallucinating, but two weeks later when she saw the same lady asking for work at the restaurant, she realized she wasn't. She had so many questions going on through her mind. Unanswered. She had to get to the bottom of all this, that's why she urged the manager to hire her. That way, she could keep a close eye on her.