Candice White might be in over her head.

"Miss White, your presence is requested. Please come with us," the woman repeated. There was no doubt that this was a demand, not a question. Candice hadn't paid attention to her since she looked just like every other guest in the resort. Polished and in a dress perfect for dinner by the beach. And she didn't speak until they got close.

Candice looked around the dark walkway and cursed under her breath. The resort was famed for its privacy and there's no one around at all at 10 pm. She dug around her purse in search for something that could be used as a weapon. But she didn't even have keys, only lip gloss, a pocket mirror, and her hotel room card. To make matters worse, two burly men appeared at the end of the corridor and started towards them.

So she squared her shoulders and faced them."Lead the way," she said. After all, this was what she wanted, no?

72 hours before

Candice set foot on the third resort since she has been in Mexico and lifted her sunglasses for a look around. Hm, this might be the fanciest yet. The drive from the main road to the resort alone took a good thirty minutes and a greeter along with a bellboy was already waiting by the entrance as the car pulled up.

"Welcome, Miss White. My name is Raphael and I'll be your personal butler during your stay," the delicious-looking man with wavy hair and chocolate eyes greeted her. Candice forced her usual flirty smile into place; it had become hard to be herself since E—, never mind, she didn't want to go there today.

"Hello there," she replied, letting him helped her out of the car. The bellboy immediately went to the boot to get her luggage. Her entire life was basically in those suitcases. She hadn't wanted to pack so much but since she did usually travel with a lot and this being what might be her last vacation ever, she dumped it all in and hightailed it here.

Raphael led her up the stairs, keys already in hand. "Miss Grace wants to apologize that she can't be here and hope that you'd have a good time," he said with a dazzling smile. Grace had better roll out the red carpet for her since she got Candice's favorite diamond bracelet. The thought of it squeezed on Candice's heart but it was essential to the mission.

She was led across the cavernous lobby, where another staff with a tray greeted her with a welcome cocktail. Lychee martini, her favorite. Perhaps that diamond bracelet was well spent. On the other end of the lobby was the stunning vista of golden sand and sparkling sea. The umbrella and sun-loungers looked well spaced with an appropriate number of waiters milling around. That'd do just fine.

Candice put her hand daintily over Raphael's as he helped her up to the golf cart. She cast a side glance at the bell boy, who was loading her luggage into another cart that just pulled up. "I'll give you a quick tour of the resort before we get you checked in," Raphael added. No doubt they'll unpack her things for her. She would miss this five-star service when her life fell into destitution. So she was going to soak this up for as long as she could.

Infinity swimming pool, luxury boutique spa, private beach, fully equipped gym, yoga shala. Candice nodded and smiled at every single stop but her attention was on the staff every single step of the way. She used to treat them as a background extra, but now she wondered if there was an off chance that one of them could be her relative. Probably not; she was more likely to be an American orphan that the Whites snatched up in secret for the switch.

Not that it mattered much; if her real parents were rich they wouldn't have to give her up. Candice shook her head and pushed away from the depressing thoughts as they pulled up at her private plunge pool villa. It was raised on a little hill in an even more spaced out part of the resort. "It's only twenty minutes from the lobby and restaurant," Raphael said as he unlocked the wooden arch doors and led her into her private lobby. "This is one of our most luxurious suites."

And luxurious it was. A view of the beach facing west, checked. Huge sunk in tub, checked. Outdoor waterfall shower, checked. And yes, the private plunge pool. Her bed was queen-sized, too, with rose petals arranged in the shape of a heart on top of it as well as her name.

"I'll leave you to get settled in. You can reach me by dialing 0 on the phone," Raphael said with a beaming smile as Candice handed him some tips. Candice sank into the bed and exhaled deeply. Another three days in another paradise but instead of bliss, she could only felt the ax over her head tightening.

After Detective Wallace dropped her back at her dorm, her mind went into a complete spiral over her future. Her entire life had been a lie and she had a month before the truth will get out into the world. Eva - who seemed so helpful and nice - was only helping her to trick her. She could use the rest of the money to pay for the remainder of her university degree, but that was the last thing on her mind right now.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. She wasn't perfect, but she had been a good daughter. How could they just drop her like she meant nothing? Daddy— Richard White surely can afford to set her up with an extra trust fund. Something about the way that everything went down didn't feel right to her but she couldn't put her finger on it. She couldn't let this go. The Whites made her life into a lie and the least she could do is find out the whole truth.The answer must lie in Mexico.

But no matter how hard she dug, nothing came up. Mexico, it turned out, was a big country. With what little money she had left, there was no way she could search it all.

"Hey girly, how are you holding up?" Sydney, one of her sorority sister barged into her room with mock concerned. People had been flooding in to offer her their condolences since she returned and everyone had been covering for her for classes and commitments. They probably all thought she was going to inherit the whole family fortune and wanted to suck up while she's still within reach. "Mexico? Are you looking for a little R&R? My uncle owns a resort that would be perfect for you."

Candice blinked. Her groggy mind was conjuring up an idea but it was hazy through lack of sleep. Sydney didn't need more encouragement to continue. "If you want, I can call and set you up with a discount. You poor thing have been through too much! I'm sure they wouldn't mind a little publicity from having a White visiting."

That's it! Candice all but jump from her bed and her laptop shook perilously before she caught it again. Sydney squealed, startled as Candice flung her laptop on the bed and engulfed her into a hug at the same time.

"You read my mind!" Candice said, putting her game face on. She couldn't find them, but maybe they can find her. A tour around Mexico's best resorts should do the trick. And even if nothing come up, this would be the perfect last hurray before she was booted out of this life that she grew up in.

Sydney patted Candice on the shoulder and beamed at her. "Perfect. I'm sure they would waive the charge. Let me talk to my uncle and get back to you! Toodles!"

That's how words get out that Candice wanted to get away to Mexico to recover from the family tragedy. Some offered completely free stay, others she had to trade her jewelry for under the pretense that her account is frozen until the legal procedure is over. It wasn't unprecedented and that drew even more heiress and pariah to Candice who wanted a piece of the White's Fortune. It pained Candice to give the jewelry away but saving the money for later is better than trying to pawn the jewelry, which was all trademark White pieces.

Of course, she did save some to wear on the trip so that she would be noticeable. That said, almost everyone at these resorts was dripping with finery. Several people associated with the White Company had come up to say hi, so she couldn't say it wasn't working as planned.Candice rolled over on the bed and stare at the ceiling, wishing with all her heart that she could at least enjoy it all a little. She was nervous about the plan working, not working, anxious about her life after this and also about her birth parents and Eric.

Eric.

Her whole body sagged. There was no point in denying that she liked Eric. Every thought of him brought her a mix of longing, dread, and confusion. She was sure that he liked her too, but it only led to his betrayal. But was it really a betrayal if he sided with his sister over her, a stranger just days before?

It was all in the past now. Candice thought regretfully. All the more reason to try and enjoy this as much as possible. And she needed to get her face out there. Her parents must have stayed at one of these resorts, too. So whoever they were working with would have eyes in there.Beach, pool, restaurant, bed, repeat. That had become Candice's Mexico routine with an occasional spa or yoga session thrown in. There were blissful moments when she would forget about the entire situation and truly enjoyed herself. But more often than not the dread that filled her when her brain caught up would leave her in a stupor.

Now, faced with this robotic woman and two burly men, she wasn't sure if she should congratulate herself for the plan or scream so that someone would save her. But she had come too far to go home empty-handed.

Candice tried to stop her whole body from shaking as she followed the woman. The two men had stepped behind her, probably to make sure she didn't run away. She didn't think she could even if she wanted to. Whoever said adrenaline would save your life must be lying, because all it was doing was making her shake like a leaf and sucking all her energy.

They led her through the staff quarter and Candice wondered if any of them would come to her rescue if she called for help. Before she could decide, they reached a sleek sedan and she was shoved into the backseat.

Almost immediately, the car drove off. It took a few seconds for Candice to realize that none of the three who cornered her got on. A man in a black suit was driving and they were alone."Sit tight, Miss White. We'll be there soon," he said. Candice shivered as their eyes met over the rearview mirror. There was something about his gaze that set her on edge. She reached for her bag only to find that she no longer had it.

She was definitely in over her head.

------------------------

I have figure out the plot (finally, I hope), so really trying to take this time that I have to wrap this up this month - fingers crossed!

Let me know if you have any theory/feedback!