The Girl Nobody Comes Looking For For twenty years, Elena Grace had believed that being forgotten was simply her fate. She had no memories of her parents. No family name she could proudly trace back to. No childhood photographs tucked away in an old album. Just a name, a small room at St. Aurelia's Children's Home, and the quiet knowledge that nobody had ever come looking for her. But Elena had learned not to complain. She grew up in the countryside and attended Pinewood Community High School with the other children from the orphanage. It was the only school available in their community. Every student dreamed of becoming a student at Westbridge Academy, the top-tier high school in New York. Elena had the same dream. She had a great passion for studying but no sponsor and no one to help her. Almost all the children she grew up with at the orphanage had been adopted by rich families a long time ago, but she was still there, hoping that her time would come one day. She had three part-time jobs that she did every day. After school, she worked as a bookstore assistant at the only bookstore available in their community. After that, she resumed at a coffee shop, where she helped serve coffee to customers in the evening. She also took a night shift at The Willow Garden Restaurant, where she worked as a waitress. The Whitmore Family Meet the Whitmore family, one of the most influential families in New York. Alexander Whitmore was the CEO of Whitmore Group of Companies. Isabelle Whitmore was his wife and the mother of Adrian Whitmore, Julian Whitmore, and Vivienne Rose Whitmore. Adrian Whitmore was a popular K-pop star in New York, while Julian Whitmore worked hand in hand with the family company. Vivienne Rose Whitmore was the only daughter of the Whitmore family. She attended Westbridge Academy, the top-tier high school in New York. Elena's POV Elena had just finished her evening shift at the coffee shop and was rushing to The Willow Garden Restaurant for her usual night shift when, suddenly, a group of street thugs came out of nowhere and ambushed her. She took to her heels, running as fast as she could. Without looking where she was going, she ran into an oncoming vehicle and was knocked down. The driver immediately took her straight to the only hospital in their community, Cedarbrook General Hospital. He took care of her hospital bills and left without waiting for her to wake up or recover. Alexander Whitmore's POV There was an ongoing project in the countryside that belonged to Whitmore Group of Companies. As the CEO, Alexander decided to see how far the project had progressed and follow up on the information that had recently been reported to him. On his way back to the airport from the project site, he was involved in a car accident and was rushed to the hospital in the nearby community. The doctor on duty carried out different procedures to stabilize him, but there was a need for a quick blood transfusion. After conducting the necessary tests, the doctor discovered that Alexander had an AB+ blood type, which was uncommon. The hospital contacted his emergency contact to get his family involved in his medical condition. Elena's POV Elena woke up in a strange environment and tried to remove the drip connected to her body. A nurse saw her and explained that she had been knocked down but was now in stable condition. Elena insisted on getting discharged. All she could think about was begging her manager for forgiveness because he was a strict boss. Just a few steps outside her hospital ward, she overheard some nurses talking about a rich man who needed an AB+ blood transfusion. She headed to the doctor's office to sign her discharge form. Suddenly, she asked the doctor if she could donate blood for the patient in need since she had the same blood group. The doctor told her that she needed to wait until she was fully recovered, but Elena insisted, saying that she was perfectly fine. A small amount of blood was withdrawn from her and taken to the laboratory to conduct a matching test for both her and the patient. She then left the hospital. The Whitmores' POV They all arrived at the hospital except Vivienne Whitmore. They immediately requested Alexander's discharge so that they could fly him back to their family hospital in New York, but the doctor said that he had to be stabilized first to avoid further complications. Since they had already found a donor, the procedure would be carried out right away. They all waited outside the operating room, waiting for feedback from the doctor. After a while, the operation was successful. Alexander's POV Alexander woke up in a strange room, with his wife rushing to his side and asking how he was feeling. How did I get here? Your car was involved in an accident, and a blood transfusion was done to stabilize you, Isabelle Whitmore said. Knowing how rare his blood group was, he asked if any of his family members had donated blood. "No. A random stranger donated blood for you,they told him. He requested to see the doctor. Inside Alexander Ward Doctor: How are you feeling, sir? Alexander: Better. Please, can I know who my donor is? I would like to reward the person. Doctor: About that, there's an issue. During the laboratory testing, an error occurred. Alexander: What error? The doctor sighed. Doctor: A paternity test was done instead of the blood typing and crossmatching test, and the result came out... Alexander: Came out what? Doctor: Positive. Here is a copy. You can cross-check it yourself, sir. The doctor left the room.Alexander looked at the report in disbelief. The donor was his biological daughter. His mind raced. How is this possible? A Whitmore in the countryside? Who is she? Who gave birth to her? How did she end up there? For the first time in twenty years, Alexander Whitmore had a mystery he desperately needed to solve.

Elena POV She went back to the orphanage to change her dress. The head of the orphanage asked why she didn't return the previous night. She explained what had happened and rushed out to the restaurant to see the manager before her shift time. Getting there, the manager started shouting at her, telling her how she had made him short of one staff member the previous day and how difficult it had been to handle the customers. He fired her instantly. She begged continuously, but the manager wouldn't even listen to her pleas. She left to attend her morning school lesson in preparation for the upcoming scholarship exam at Westbridge Academy, New York, her dream school. Her best friend, Clara, whom she had grown up with in the orphanage, noticed her unusual mood and asked her what had happened. She told Clara that she had been fired from her job as a waitress, which was the highest-paying job she had. She wondered how she would pay for her tuition and feeding. Clara assured her that God would provide a way. They continued with the class. Alexander POV Isabelle signed the discharge form while Alexander went to the doctor's office to have a talk. Can I take a look at the donor information? he asked. The donor didn't have a record with us. She was rushed in during an emergency, the doctor replied. Can I still have a few drops of the blood sample from her? We don't share such things without personal approval. But being a Whitmore, he collected the sample and flew back to New York with his family and an unsettled mind. He hid the information from his family and asked his personal detective to look into the situation and find everything about the girl. Elena POV After class was dismissed, she bid her best friend goodbye, took out her small Android phone, checked the time, and saw that it was time for her shift at the library. When she got there, the librarian called her in and told her that there was an issue. They couldn't afford to pay her anymore because fewer children were showing up at the library. They were all preparing for the scholarship exam, and almost every child in the community wanted to attend Westbridge Academy. She was disappointed, knowing that she had just one job left with very low pay. The Whitmore POV They were all welcomed by the guards and maids in the house. Vivienne Whitmore rushed downstairs to welcome her dad. Dad, welcome. How are you feeling now? I missed you, Dad. My pretty angel, I'm good. How's school today? Alexander asked. "Very fine." Mrs. Whitmore told Vivienne to allow her dad to rest and not bore him with questions. Dad, I need to get ready for my concert tonight. Take care. I want to go for rehearsal, Adrian said. Take care, brother. I also want to look into one project proposal we want to submit to the Kingsley Company, Julian said. Vivienne blushed when she heard "Kingsley Company." It turned out that she had a huge crush on the heir, Sebastian Kingsley, heir to the top and richest company in the world. Rumor had it that he had never been seen with a woman before, and Vivienne believed that, with her family's influence, there could be an arranged marriage between them. While all of them said different things, Alexander's mind was on how the mystery girl came about, knowing that he had neither slept with another woman outside his marriage nor cheated on his wife. He then planned to take a paternity test on all his children. Elena POV She called Clara, crying that she had lost another job. "Why is everything going backwards for me? Now that I need the money the most in my life..." She felt overwhelmed, wondering why she had no parents, no family, and nobody who wanted to adopt her. Clara calmed her down, telling her not to lose hope yet. With a sad mood, she arrived at her only surviving workplace, the coffee shop. Due to everything going on in her mind, she became clumsy and accidentally poured hot coffee on a customer's body. The manager warned her. Just as she wanted to serve another customer, she repeated the same thing. The shop owner asked her to go home and come back when she was ready to work because this was not her usual self. She left with a heavy mind. Instead of going back to the orphanage, she went to Clara's house to cry her eyes out. She kept saying that God had forsaken her the same way her parents had forsaken her. She wondered if she was such bad luck despite how brilliant and smart she was. No one wanted her. Even children who were not as smart as her had families, parents, and loved ones, but she was all alone by herself. Alexander POV He kept pondering the situation at hand how he would tell his family and, most especially, how the birth of the girl had come about. Curiosity took the best of him. He couldn't wait for his detective's response. Knowing fully well that his wife had only had three pregnancies and that he had never slept around, he decided to take a paternity test on all his children and the sample he had gotten from the hospital earlier. He took his children's and wife's spare toothbrushes and headed to their family hospital. Saint Victoria Medical Center He arrived at their family hospital, Saint Victoria Medical Center, the top-tier hospital in New York. The staff, knowing who he was, took him to the family doctor's office. Doctor Florence, the family doctor to the Whitmore family, welcomed him. "OMG, Mr. Whitmore, what a surprise to see you today. I hope all is well? "Yes, Doctor. I came here for some confidential information and clarification. I want to take a paternity test." "Why so suddenly? Is everything alright?" "Yes. I want you to conduct a paternity test with this blood sample and these toothbrushes, along with my own and my wife's." "This is going to take a while. I will get back to you once the results are out." Alexander thanked the doctor and walked out of the premises. He sent a message to his detective to ask how far he had gone with his investigation. Alexander POV Three hours later, he got a text from the doctor that said: "The blood sample with your own and your wife's is a 99.9% match. Adrian: 99.9% match. Julian: 99.9% match. While Vivienne has a 0% match with both the wife and the husband." This came as a shock to him. The daughter he had called his angel for twenty years was neither his own nor his wife's. But the girl who donated blood for him was their biological daughter. This meant his wife didn't cheat or hide anything from him. Just as he pondered on that, he got a text from his detective containing: Name: Elena Grace Background: Grew up at the orphanage home, with no family background or traces. Date of birth: 3rd of March. He was shocked because that was the same date as Vivienne's birthday and the same day his wife had given birth at Besh Health Care twenty years ago. For the first time in twenty years, Alexander began to wonder if the daughter he had raised was never his daughter at all.

Elena's POV Elena left Clara's house and returned to the nearby garden close to the orphanage home. She sat there thinking about what to do next and what her next line of action should be. She also thought about how to sort out her bills. After thinking for a while, she decided to go job hunting the next day instead of going to the tutorial. The next morning, she woke up very early to do her usual chores at the orphanage and left in search of a job. She tried different places, including shops and restaurants. However, because it was a countryside community with few people, no one was in need of staff. The businesses did not have enough sales to pay additional staff. She searched for hours, yet she couldn't find anything. Out of frustration, she decided to leave the countryside with the little savings she had and head for New York. Her aim was simple: it was a big city, and there would be plenty of job opportunities. She rushed back to the orphanage, packed the only good clothes she had, and penned down a short note saying: "No one wanted me, not my parents, not my family members. Nature also decided to be cruel to me these past few days, and I have left hoping to find a greener pasture outside this community." She signed the note:Elena Grace She left the note on her bed and vanished. The Whitmore POV With a heavy mind, Alexander arrived at their villa and called his wife to discuss everything that had been happening since his accident. They discussed the discovery of their actual biological daughter and how to explain the situation to their children before bringing the girl home. Alexander was still trying to understand everything. "No Whitmore blood stays in the countryside." Isabelle looked at him. "How on earth is this possible?" "I don't know either. I still feel very strange and confused." "Then how did I end up with another woman's daughter while my own daughter stayed and grew up in the orphanage home?" "That's the most confusing part because the results say Vivienne is neither yours nor mine." "Then who are her parents?" "I have had someone look into what happened on the day you gave birth because they have the same date of birth." Isabelle became emotional. "Now what do we do, my daughter can't continue to grow up in an orphanage while I raise another woman's daughter. And how will my little angel, Vivienne, take this news?" she asked, sobbing. "That's why I called you first to discuss this and then find a solution. We need to inform the children before bringing Elena back here. Later That Night Later in the night, right after dinner, Alexander called all his children together for a discussion in his study room. "There's something I need to tell you guys. It's important, and I want it to remain confidential. Just us as a family." Everyone looked at him. "Remember the other day when I had an accident and someone donated blood for me? My donor is my biological daughter." Julian, who was known for having a very hot temper, immediately shouted. "Dad! So you have a mistress somewhere? Are you cheating on Mom?" Adrian looked at his father. "Dad, is that true? Do you truly have another family aside from us?" Vivienne stared at him. "So I'm not the only daughter of this family?" Julian turned to his mother. "Mom, why aren't you saying anything? Didn't you hear what Dad just said?" Isabelle sighed. "Hear your father out, please." Julian became angry. "You still defend someone who cheated on you?" Alexander shouted. "Quiet, everyone! First, I didn't cheat on your mother, and I don't have a family outside. I don't have a mistress either." Adrian asked: "Then how come the donor is your biological daughter? And have you confirmed it?" Alexander nodded. "Yes, I have confirmed it. I wouldn't be here if I hadn't made my findings. The truth is, she is biologically your mother's and my daughter." Julian looked confused. "But Mom only had three children. How come? Mom, say something. Isabelle sighed. Alexander continued. "The truth is, one of you is not our own biological child. We don't know how the situation happened, and we are still investigating it. But we are still your parents regardless of the situation." All the children looked at one another in confusion. "Who is the person? they asked. Isabelle and Alexander exchanged a look. They both sighed. "Vivienne," they said together. All the children stared at Vivienne. "Whattttt?! they exclaimed. Vivienne POV Vivienne left the study room immediately after hearing the news. She rushed to her room, locked the door, and began crying nonstop. It came as a shock to her that she wasn't a Whitmore. All these years, she had lived as the only princess and daughter of the Whitmore family. She cried more and more. If I'm not a Whitmore, then who are my parents? Will they send me out of this lifestyle after the real daughter arrives? Will the two brothers I grew up with abandon me and rush to their real sister? How will I tell my friends that I'm not a Whitmore? How will I continue the lifestyle I'm used to? And, most importantly, how will I get the man I badly want, Sebastian Kingsley, without being a Whitmore? She kept crying while, outside her room, her brothers and mother were banging on the door, asking her to open it. "Vivienne, open the door!" "You are still and will forever be our little princess!" But she didn't listen to them. She kept crying. Elena POV Elena arrived in New York and looked around, admiring the beauty of the city compared to where she came from. She saw different cars, houses, and even store buildings made of glass. Everything seemed new to her. Unknown to her, one of the thugs had been observing her. However, she was lost in admiration of her surroundings when suddenly her phone rang. She looked at it and saw that it was a call from Clara. Clara asked why she hadn't come for tuition the day before or that day. Elena was just about to start explaining when the thug suddenly snatched her bag. The bag contained all her clothes and the little money she had left. She began shouting. "Thief! Thief!" But nobody paid much attention to her, especially because of the way she was dressed. She was devastated. The Whitmore POV The morning was quiet, unlike the usual atmosphere. Even the maids and guards could feel the change. Julian was sitting on the sofa, while Adrian was dressed to go out for a workout. Alexander walked into the room and announced that he was going to the countryside with Julian to bring the girl back to the villa. Julian immediately objected. "I won't accept this or go with you, Dad. Just because of a random stranger? Vivienne has been crying nonstop. I won't accept that. Vivienne will be and remain my only sister." Alexander looked at him sternly. "You either follow me or lose your position in the Whitmore Company. Nothing will change the fact that this random stranger is a Whitmore, just as you are. You should all be nice to her. Her name is Elena." Just then, Vivienne walked into the conversation, fully dressed in her uniform. Hearing the conversation, she immediately rushed out to the car and headed to school. Julian and Alexander headed to the airport to travel to the countryside, while Adrian sighed and continued with his day. Vivienne's POV Vivienne was deep in thought, wondering how people would look at her when they found out she wasn't a Whitmore. She felt overwhelmed by different thoughts. However, she remained lost in her thoughts until the driver announced that they had arrived at her school. Westbridge Academy She got down from the car, carrying her backpack. Being the school queen, she quickly shook off the family drama and reminded herself: I can't let anyone know I'm not a Whitmore. They will look down on me. She started walking into the school compound. Her friends, Sienna Blake and Madison Clarke, were more like her followers because they always obeyed her orders and followed her instructions. Their families were wealthy, but Vivienne's family was wealthier than theirs. She sometimes gave Sienna a chance to talk because Sienna was closer to her. Madison, however, was the puppet of the trio. She carried out the dirty work that Vivienne and Sienna wanted to do without people knowing that they were behind it. The trio was known as the school bully queens. They always bullied scholarship students and students from lower classes. Seeing her friends, Vivienne changed her mood and maintained her usual aura while they discussed a scholarship student, Maya Bennett, who was a usual target of the trio. When Vivienne saw Maya, she saw it as an opportunity to vent her anger on someone. She called Maya over and ordered her to clean her shoe. "Clean my shoe!" She shouted at her, insulting her. "People like you don't deserve a place in Westbridge." She bullied Maya for some minutes before ordering her to leave. "This is Westbridge Academy. Only the rich have a place here." Her friends noticed the unusual way she was shouting because, even though Vivienne bullied people, she had never gone to this extent before. Sienna looked at her suspiciously. "What's wrong with you?" Vivienne quickly dismissed it. "It's nothing." She also had a secret that she had not told them. Sienna suddenly smiled. "I heard you're engaged to Sebastian Kingsley." Vivienne smiled proudly. "One and onlyyyy." Sienna became excited. "Girl! You bagged him right there! How were you able to pull that off? Rumour has it that no woman has ever been seen with him." Vivienne smiled. "The power of the Whitmore, yayyy!" Sienna smiled. "I'm so happy for you." Madison interrupted them. "Let's go to class. Alexander's POV Arriving in the countryside, Alexander asked for directions to St. Aurelia's Children's Home. When they got there, he asked to see the head of the home, Mrs. George. Inside the head's office, Alexander asked if they had anyone by the name of Elena Grace. Mrs. George nodded. "Yes." Alexander looked relieved. "Sorry to ask, but how long has she stayed here, and where are her parents?" Mrs. George answered. "She has been here for twenty years, right from when she was still a baby. We don't know her parents. They found her at the entrance with a letter beside her." Alexander looked surprised. "What letter?" Mrs. George opened Elena's file and brought out the note. Alexander collected it and began reading. "Her name is Elena Grace because I hope she sees grace in life. Born on the 3rd of March. You deserve a good life, but my daughter deserves the best, which is why I have to switch you. I'm so sorry." Alexander was stunned. "They deliberately switched her at birth," he thought. "But who could have done that?" He looked at Mrs. George. "Please, can we see her I'm here biological father! Alexander brought out the DNA results and explained how he had gotten Elena's sample. Mrs. George: "Oh, my poor Elena. She's been through a lot. If you had come yesterday, you could have met her, but we found a note on her bed this morning." She handed Elena's note to Alexander before telling him about her departure. Alexander took the note and looked at it. "Where did she go? Where could she be? A whole Whitmore looking for greener pastures... Where could we find her?