The voice was familiar to Aviona and she instantly recognized who it was.

"Clay?" Aviona's heart leaped out of joy and fear with the sound of the little boy's voice. "Oh my God Clay! What are you doing here?"

​​

"Madam I had been here all day waiting for you to go out your room," The boy lamented. "But it seemed that you are sick you didn't want to go out. I was wondering if you have any work for me but the maids refused to let me see you even for a minute,"

Clay certainly didn't understand what was going on. He came with his father again knowing that Aviona was there and hoping he could do another errand for her in exchange for few bucks. He asked the maids where Aviona was and they all told her she was in her room and so he waited and waited for her to come out. However, the Madam of the house never came out so Clay got impatient and decided to climb the veranda to see Aviona personally.

"Clay you shouldn't be here, if my husband—" Aviona was about to shove the boy away to get him out of trouble yet something came into her and she instantly changed her mind. She became quiet for a moment that Clay had to call her attention again for her to speak.

"Madam it's okay if you don't have any work for me today but I hope next time you can find something for me to do," Clay told her. Aviona sounded unwelcoming earlier so he though she must not be in a good mood.

"No Clay, I have something for you to do," Aviona swallowed some guilt as she said those words, "How good are you Clay with playing hide and seek?"

"I'm a master Madam, but I don't play hide and seek anymore because it's only for little boys," Clay proudly announced as if he wasn't a little boy anymore.

"How did you get here?" Aviona asked. "Weren't there guards out there?"

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"I climbed from the back wall. There were guards but they didn't saw me. It was easy to avoid them," The boy narrated. Clay was a very playful boy and he was used to climbing all the time since it was one of the favourite things he and his friends do.

"Clay I need you to get something for me but no one should know about it. So you have to make sure no one sees you." Aviona started instructing, "If you get caught, just tell them you were just playing and don't ever mentioned we talked,"

"Understood Madam," Clay listened. Aviona's voice was serious so Clay listened carefully as he thought it was a very important task and it was the first time Aviona had asked him to do something important than just picking flowers. "What is it that you want me to get?"

"Go to the head maid," Aviona swallowed the urge to cry because she knew it was such a dangerous task and Clay might get in trouble for it, "She had some keys, a couple of them bundled together, go and get them for me,"

"Just that?" Clay clarified as he thought it was such an easy task for him to do. He had seen that keys before whenever he frequents in the kitchen because the head maid always put in the counter whenever she cooks.

"Yes Clay just that," Aviona told him as if the thing didn't mean life and death for her and Ava,"Bring it to me Clay. And remember I you get caught—"

"I'll tell them I'm just playing with it or that the head maid dropped it somewhere so I picked it up," Clay composed another alibi for himself and left immediately to execute Aviona's task for him.

Aviona cried when Clay left. She felt so guilty dragging an innocent boy into such mess but provided the situation, she had no other choice but to try. She put her hopes in Clay, hoping he can give her the freedom she and Ava needed.

Fearful thoughts looped around Aviona's mind while Clay was gone. She had imagined so many negative thoughts about Clay's errand, either he had gotten himself caught or he fell while climbing back to the veranda. Nevertheless, relief swift through her when she heard his voice again after thirty long minutes of agony.

"Clay did you have it?" Aviona asked immediately as she welcomed him back in the window.

"Yes madam," Clay was still catching his breath when he answered. The climb gotten hard the second time around and so it took him a while to return to Aviona. Since it was already late in the afternoon, the head maid was busy preparing dinner and as usual, she left the keys at the same counter she always leave them. Clay sneaked out and grabbed the thing without leaving any trace. He managed to memorizedevery part of the Golden Villa because of his frequent visits and he was used to sneaking around the maids because he does that every time to avoid them.

"Clay gave it to me," Aviona asked as she inserted her hand through a small opening in the window. It was too small that only a hand was enough to go through it. Clay handed to Aviona the bundle of keys and Aviona had never been thankful to anyone than she was to Clay right then.

"Thank you, thank you" Aviona couldn't believe the keys that she was holding was real but she kept a straight face and maintained her focus because her escape wasn't successful yet. "Go back to you father Clay. I'll personally find you tomorrow wherever you are to pay you,"

"Alright Madam," Clay was very innocent on what he did and how he saved Aviona that moment. He was about to climb down again when she heard Aviona call his name again. "Clay!"

"Madam what is it?" Clay returned to find Aviona's hands trying to give him something through the window.

*

"If something will happen to me and you get in trouble. Tell your father everything and tell him to call this number," Aviona carefully instructed making sure in case of emergencies, Clay can count on something.

Clay did not understand what Aviona meant but he obediently took the paper Aviona handed him and put it on his pocket. He left after that, leaving Aviona the keys he gave her.

Knowing that she had a big chance of escaping, Aviona grabbed the sleeping Ava and put her on a carrier. She also took her car keys and few bucks that were hidden on her closet then started opening the master bedroom's door.