The Billionaire's Low-Budget Assistant

Chapter 3: The Backstage Interrogation

Addie hurried after Damian, nearly jogging to keep up with his long strides. "Big sir!" she called breathlessly. "Can you at least tell me where we're going?"

No answer. He didn't slow down. Didn't even glance back. They crossed the quiet hallway behind the restaurant and stepped into the private parking lot. Rows of glossy black SUVs stood beneath the afternoon sun like silent bodyguards.

Addie slowed for half a second. Her eyes widened as she realized there were so many cars. She had never seen so many identical black cars in one place. Rich people really did have enough cars to kidnap someone.

She swallowed hard before hurrying after him again. Her worn sneakers squeaked against the pavement while his polished shoes moved with calm, measured confidence. The difference between them couldn't have been more obvious.

Damian finally came to a stop. Addie nearly walked straight into his back. She stumbled, catching herself just in time. "Sorry!" She took two hurried steps backward. "That one wasn't the water's fault."

Damian slowly turned to face her. Water still darkened the front of his expensive suit. He didn't seem to care. His attention remained fixed on Addie. He said nothing. Not a single word.

The silence stretched between them. Addie shifted nervously from one foot to the other. She clutched the edge of her apron until her fingers hurt. She wondered why he wasn't saying anything and if this was the part where rich people silently decided how many years you would go to prison.

She forced an awkward smile. "Hehe... If... if this is about the water... I can explain. The pitcher and I have never really been friends."

Still... Nothing. His unreadable expression only made her more anxious. Before she could think of another excuse— The restaurant door burst open.

"Damian!" Maya strode toward them, irritation written all over her face. Her designer heels clicked sharply against the pavement. "This is ridiculous."

She stopped beside him, shooting Addie a look of pure contempt. "Why are we standing out here with a clumsy waitress? If you're going to punish her, let security deal with it. She's wasting your time."

Damian didn't even acknowledge Maya's complaint. His gaze never left Addie. Finally, he spoke. "Where were you last night..." He paused just long enough for Addie's stomach to twist. "...at two o'clock in the morning?"

Addie's smile disappeared. She wondered why he picked that specific time. Her heart skipped a beat, and she forced a nervous laugh. "Big sir... two o'clock is a very sleepy time. I was... um..." She rubbed the back of her neck. "Sleeping."

Damian didn't react. His expression remained unreadable. "Are you sure?"

"Very sure!" She nodded so quickly her ponytail bounced. "I was sleeping so deeply I don't even think my dreams could find me. I definitely wasn't outside. No walking. No running. No... whatever people do at two o'clock."

A flicker of amusement almost crossed Damian's face. Almost. He took one slow step toward her. Instinctively, Addie took one step back. He continued forward. She retreated again. Another step. Another retreat. Until her back bumped against the front of one of the black SUVs. She froze. There was nowhere else to go.

Damian stopped just an arm's length away. His voice remained calm. "A girl wearing an oversized hoodie was seen in an alley near this restaurant."

Addie's heartbeat thundered in her ears as she realized he knew about the alley. Her fingers tightened around her apron.

"So I'll ask you again. Were you there?"

She blinked several times before blurting out the first thing that came to mind. "My hoodie is old."

Silence.

"It has holes."

More silence.

"It smells like fried onions."

One of the bodyguards coughed and quickly looked away. Addie swallowed. "I mean..." She waved both hands frantically. "My hoodie doesn't go anywhere by itself. And I don't usually go to scary alleys either. I'm afraid of dark places. And ghosts. And very big dogs. And people with serious faces." Her eyes drifted nervously toward Damian. "...Mostly people with serious faces."

Maya let out a sharp, mocking laugh. "Damian, this is absurd." She gestured dismissively toward Addie. "Look at her. She's terrified of her own shadow. Do you honestly believe someone like her scared off three armed men?"

Damian ignored the question. His attention remained fixed on Addie. Not because of her words, but because of the fear behind them. She wasn't acting. She genuinely seemed terrified that he might arrest her.

Yet beneath the scent of restaurant food, he caught it again. That soft floral fragrance. The same one his mother had described. Faint. Natural. Unmistakable. Every instinct told him he had found the girl his mother had been searching for. The only question left was why she was so determined to hide it.

Damian held her gaze for another long moment. "If you're lying to me, Addie Lee..." His voice remained calm. "...there will be consequences."

Addie's eyes grew round. "Conse... what?" She blinked. "Big sir... Is that... very bad?" She swallowed hard. "They won't beat me, will they?" Her voice became smaller. "I don't think I can survive a billionaire beating."

One of the bodyguards lowered his head, pretending to inspect the ground. Another pressed his lips together, clearly fighting a smile. Damian stared at her. For someone who had bravely faced three armed men, she was now convinced she was about to be beaten over a soaked suit. He couldn't understand her.

Before he could answer— The rear door of the lead SUV opened. Every bodyguard immediately straightened. "Ma’am."

Eleanor Sterling stepped out gracefully. Despite the afternoon heat, she carried herself with effortless elegance. She smiled warmly at her son. "Damian. I hope this won't take much longer."

She walked toward them. Then, she heard it. "...Please don't send me to jail. I promise I'll never carry a water pitcher again."

The voice. Fast. Nervous. Completely unfiltered. Eleanor slowed. Her smile faded into quiet surprise as something stirred in her memory. Another step. The afternoon breeze shifted. A delicate floral fragrance drifted through the parking lot. Fresh. Gentle. Unmistakable.

Eleanor stopped. Her heartbeat quickened as she realized the scent was the same. Her eyes slowly lifted to the petite waitress standing beside the SUV. The oversized uniform. The frightened expression. The same warm brown eyes she had struggled to see beneath a hood the night before. Everything clicked into place.

Her hand rose to her lips. "No..." She whispered, almost to herself. "It can't be..."

Addie looked around in confusion. "Huh?"

Eleanor took another step. Then another. Her eyes began to glisten. "It was you..." Her voice trembled. "You were the young woman who saved me. In the alley. Last night. You scared those men away... You saved my life."

The parking lot fell silent. Every bodyguard looked toward Addie in astonishment. Maya's confident smile disappeared. She turned sharply to Damian. "What? This... waitress?"

Damian said nothing. His eyes remained on Addie. He had spent an entire day searching for the mysterious stranger. She hadn't been a socialite. She hadn't been a celebrity. She hadn't been someone looking for fame or money. She had been standing in his restaurant all along, terrified of losing her job.

Addie blinked several times. Then she pointed at herself. "...Me?" She let out a tiny, nervous laugh. "Oh... I think..." She rubbed the back of her neck. "...you might have the wrong