KEIFER POV
I was back in my dormitory, folding clothes into the one suitcase I owned, my thoughts spiraling in endless loops.
"Why is he helping me? What does he really want? Does Davis White have some hidden agenda I can't see yet? Or is he just… what he appears to be—kind, intelligent, infuriatingly composed, and completely out of my league?"
I paused, holding a pale-blue blouse in my hands. My fingers trembled.
"Am I doing the right thing?"
My heart and head were at war. Davis wasn't just disrupting my schedule—he was disrupting me. His decisions, his confidence, his ability to tilt the entire world with a few words—it was making me crazy. Not just with confusion. But with attraction. With anxiety. With wonder.
I let out a frustrated sigh and dropped the blouse into the suitcase like it had personally offended me.
Then suddenly—
A tap on my shoulder.
"Kit... What are you doing?"
I jumped and turned, only to find the familiar face of my best friend. Cecelia. Always appearing at the right time. Always knowing something was wrong even before I did.
She looked at my half-packed suitcase, eyes wide with confusion.
"I'm moving out," I said, rolling my eyes like it was no big deal. Like my life hadn't just flipped upside down.
Cecelia raised an eyebrow. "I can see that. I'm asking why. Why are you doing this?"
She crossed her arms and tilted her head, pouting like I owed her a full-blown explanation—which, to be fair, I probably did.
I hesitated, letting the silence stretch before sighing.
"Just… don't ask me that. Please."
She frowned but nodded. "Fine. But you know I'll figure it out eventually, right?"
Before I could respond, there was a sharp knock at the door.
"Ms. Oliver, we are ready to leave," a formal voice called from the hallway.
Both Cecelia and I looked toward the door. I recognized the voice instantly—PA Pattinson. Davis's assistant. Or maybe his shadow.
I looked at Cecelia, guilt rising up my throat.
I walked over and wrapped her in a tight hug. "My new identity—Nakia Oliver—is known only to a few people," I whispered in her ear. "And you are one of them. Please… keep it a secret."
Cecelia pulled back, searching my face. I could see the worry swimming behind her eyes. She was piecing things together faster than I could hide them.
"One more thing," I added. "From today onward, you are the PA of Nakia Oliver. Until a public face is attached to this identity—you will be that face. You'll help shape her."
Cecelia's jaw dropped slightly. "Wait, what? Are you serious?"
But I was already stepping back, already turning away before I could cry or doubt myself.
---
Outside, PA Pattinson stood beside a sleek black car with tinted windows. The sun had barely risen, and campus was quiet. The air was cool with a hint of morning mist. He opened the back door and nodded politely.
"Miss."
I nodded back and slid into the seat.
He started the engine as I pulled the door shut behind me.
"Sir is waiting for you at the company," he said. "I'll drop you there and then move your luggage to the White Mansion."
I looked at him through the rearview mirror. His face was calm, unreadable. But I had questions—questions clawing at my chest like vines.
"Thank you, Robert," I said quietly. "Can I… ask you something?"
"Yes, Miss?"
"You've been following Davis for a while, haven't you?"
He gave a small nod. "Yes, Miss. I've been with him for over five years."
I hesitated. "Then maybe you can tell me… Why is he helping me? What is his agenda in all this?"
Robert didn't answer immediately. He signaled a turn and merged onto the main road, the city slowly waking up around us.
When he finally spoke, his voice was thoughtful.
"Sir… is many things. He's kind-hearted. But also ruthless, when needed. And above all—he's righteous."
"Righteous?" I repeated, surprised.
"He cannot stand injustice," Robert said, eyes still on the road. "He doesn't like to see innocent people getting crushed. Especially by power. Or the system."
I was quiet for a moment, his words soaking in.
"He doesn't do things without reason, Miss," Robert added. "But his reasons are not always what people expect."
We drove the rest of the way in silence.
But my mind wasn't silent. It was screaming.
Was Davis helping me because he saw potential? Or because I reminded him of someone? Or was I just a piece in a game I couldn't yet understand?
The cityscape shifted outside the window. Glass towers. Buzzing intersections. Power in every inch.
And somewhere in one of those towers… was him.
Waiting for me.
---
DAVIS POV
I was pacing in the executive lounge, my hands tucked behind my back. She was late by exactly three minutes.
Relax, I told myself. She's adjusting. Give her time.
Still, I couldn't help the flicker of anticipation that came with every passing second. I hadn't expected this girl—no, this woman—to affect me like this. She had fire. She had drive. And even when she doubted herself, her presence drew people in. Including me.
She had no idea just how rare that was.
When I heard the elevator chime, I turned.
And there she was.
Nakia Oliver.
Or rather, Keifer. But soon, the world would know her by the name I had given her—a name meant to protect her until she was strong enough to protect herself.
She stepped out of the elevator, holding her chin high, wearing a look of silent determination.
I smirked.
Game on, Miss Oliver.