Donning ragged clothes and an unshaven face, Edward, a wealthy bar owner, decided to test his staff’s kindness by disguising himself as a beggar. He staggered into his own establishment, expecting a warm gesture or at least a glass of water. However, the staff’s reaction was not what he anticipated, leaving him bewildered and deeply concerned. The words from his employee struck him hard, making his face turn pale with disbelief. Edward had not even set 2 steps in the restaurant before being stopped by an angry-looking employee. Edward knew exactly who this was. He was stopped by Patrick, the general manager whom he appointed himself a couple of years ago. He hoped that Patrick would not recognize him, but Edward quickly realized that his disguise was very good Patrick clearly saw him as the beggar that he was supposed to represent. But that was about all that went according to plan. When Edward tried to test the kindness of his staff by asking for maybe a glass of water or something to eat, he was promptly pointed to the door and told that they did not do that here. He needed to go… Edward was shocked to his core. He could not believe that this was how his staff acted in front of homeless people. But when they the reason as to why they wanted him gone, Edward ended up being even more surprised. Patrick told him that he wanted to help and always had a soft spot for people in less fortunate positions, but that his boss would not allow it… Edward did not know what to think. At the restaurant, there was nobody above Patrick. He had near complete control over the place. The only person he had to answer to was him! And he was sure that he had never instructed his staff to think or act like that. Where could Patrick possibly be getting that idea? Or was he using this as an excuse to hide his own intentions behind? He wanted to call the general manager out on his supposed bullshit, but he did not want to blow his cover. If Patrick knew he came here to spy on his employees, he and the rest of the staff would never trust him again. He needed to play along here and just be sent away by Patrick. But Edward knew that this was not the end of it. He wanted to get to the bottom of what the hell was going on here… Edward left the restaurant a bit distraught, but he also knew that his job was not done. He actually owned 4 more restaurants in the city and wanted to test how all of them reacted to a homeless man. With 1 setback under his belt, he was a lot more fearful of the reaction of the other staff members. He had expected that all of them would invite him with open arms. But this was very far from the truth Edward quickly found out it was the same story everywhere he went. One time it was a general manager, and other times a server, but all of them had the same message for him: they would have liked to help him but had strict orders from higher up that they were not allowed to. Their only option was to send him away immediately and no matter how much Edwards begged and pleaded, none of the staff members would budge Edward got back to his office that evening and he did not even really know what to do with himself. He had almost expected a victory lap through his restaurants as he sought to prove how well they would react with kindness to a person in need. But the fact that none of them were willing to do this and all of them blamed that on him just did not compute in his mind He started to look through old text, statements, and emails to see if he had ever said anything like that to his restaurant. Even if he only mentioned it once, it was possible that words had spread throughout the general managers. But he could find nothing at all of that sort. He had never spoken a word about how to deal with homeless people or other people in need It was clear to Edward that somebody was lying. If he had this experience at only one of his restaurants, he could easily explain it as one manager making up his own rules. But the fact that he got the same story in all 5 of his restaurants showed him that there was clearly something going on. Had somebody been speaking on his behalf?  Edward decided it was time to confront the managers directly. If someone had been misrepresenting his policies, he needed to find out fast. However, directly accusing them of dishonesty could backfire. Instead, he crafted a plan to discuss general operational procedures during what would appear as routine managerial check-ins. This way, he could probe into their policies about handling less fortunate individuals without raising suspicions. The next morning, Edward organized a series of calls with each manager, starting with Patrick. He planned to keep the conversation light, casually weaving into the discussion topics on guest treatment and staff instructions. This approach would help him gauge if the issue was a misunderstanding, a communication issue, or something more deliberate without coming off as too confrontational. When Patrick picked up the phone, his tone was one of surprise and slight nervousness. They rarely spoke directly unless it was absolutely necessary. “Good morning, Patrick! I just wanted to catch up on a few things and hear how everything’s going at your end,” Edward started, hoping to ease into the conversation before touching on the more sensitive issues. As the conversation unfolded, Edward realized that his understanding of the day-to-day operations might not be as accurate as he thought. Patrick mentioned several routine practices that Edward had never approved or even heard of. It seemed there was a lot more going on under his nose than he had suspected. This revelation made him question how the other restaurants were being managed. “By the way, I’ve been discussing all operational decisions with Diana. She’s been the go-to person for everything lately,” Patrick explained, assuming Edward was aware. Edward froze momentarily. Diana? He didn’t recall approving anyone named Diana to handle such responsibilities. This was the first he’d heard of her, and it suddenly added a new layer of complexity to the issues he was facing. Edward was stunned. Who was Diana? He hadn’t hired anyone new, especially not to oversee his restaurants. This information rattled him, as he tried to grasp how a stranger had apparently been managing his establishments without his knowledge. “Patrick, I need you to be clear, how did Diana introduce herself to you?” Edward asked, his voice a mix of confusion and concern. Patrick seemed equally bewildered. “She called me up one day, claiming she was the new overseer appointed by the higher management,” he explained. This was news to him three months ago, but he had no reason to doubt her at the time. “She seemed to know her way around the business, even had details about our operations that only someone on the inside would know,” Patrick continued, trying to justify his acceptance of her authority. Patrick detailed his interactions with Diana, mentioning how she called several times a week to discuss various operational aspects. “She wasn’t just talking to me. All the managers have been in regular contact with her, and she’s even visited a few times,” he added. Edward listened intently, his mind racing as he tried to piece together how this could have happened under his radar. Initially, Edward chuckled, half-expecting Patrick to confess it was all an elaborate prank. But as Patrick continued, his sincerity apparent, Edward’s amusement faded to a grim realization. “She even had the authority to modify schedules and approve budgets,” Patrick said earnestly. It dawned on Edward that his manager was not joking; someone had indeed infiltrated his business. Curious, Edward pressed on about Diana’s contributions. Patrick struggled to recall everything, but the list was extensive: updating service protocols, retraining staff, revising the menu, and even renegotiating with suppliers. “Honestly, she’s been involved in nearly every facet of the operation,” Patrick admitted, overwhelmed by the scope of Diana’s involvement. Edward scribbled notes, his mind buzzing with more questions than answers. Among the changes Diana implemented was a strict homeless policy. Patrick admitted it was tough at first, but the results spoke for themselves. “She really tightened up the ship,” he explained, sounding almost impressed. The new rules had initially met resistance, but they had led to noticeable improvements in service and client interactions. It was all meticulously planned and executed. Patrick continued, his voice gaining enthusiasm. “Our profit margins have increased, and after a rocky start, the staff has really adapted to the stricter rules.” He described a significant improvement in overall performance, attributing much of the success to the new operational standards Diana had introduced. It seemed she had transformed not just policies but attitudes as well. As the call was about to end, Patrick couldn’t help but praise Diana’s contributions. “She’s done a fantastic job, Edward.” His words hung in the air. Edward, on the other end, felt a mix of shock and bewilderment. Never in his life had he felt so out of the loop in his own business. Who was this Diana, and how had she managed to take charge so completely? Driven by curiosity and concern, Edward made calls to his other restaurant managers. The stories echoed Patrick’s. Each manager reported intensive, productive engagements with Diana over the past three months. She had been involved in everything from staffing to customer service improvements, and all spoke highly of her influence and leadership. It was as if Diana was performing a full-time role that Edward had never sanctioned. Every manager he spoke with seemed to know her well, relied on her decisions, and respected her authority. “How is this even possible? Who is she?” Edward muttered to himself after the last call. The situation was utterly perplexing, making him question the extent of his control over his own enterprises. Edward reached out to colleagues in his other businesses, which included retail stores and a small logistics firm, to see if anyone knew Diana. He spent the morning making calls and sending emails, but the response was unanimous—no one had ever heard of her. This only deepened the mystery, making Edward wonder how she could have infiltrated his restaurants without any trace in his other enterprises. Puzzled, Edward considered the possibility that Diana might have transferred from another part of his business empire. He meticulously reviewed personnel files and spoke with HR departments across his companies. However, every inquiry came up empty—there was no record of Diana anywhere. It was as if she had appeared from nowhere, and yet she was everywhere in his restaurants. Edward found himself torn between frustration and gratitude. On one hand, Diana had overstepped unknown boundaries to take control of his restaurants, but on the other, she had undeniably improved their profitability. “Should I be mad or thankful?” he wondered aloud, struggling to align his feelings with the bizarre reality of the situation. Determined to resolve the situation, Edward instructed all his restaurant managers to immediately direct Diana to him during their next interaction. “Make sure she calls me personally,” he emphasized, hoping to confront her directly and understand her side of the story. The managers agreed, though they seemed as perplexed by the request as they were about the situation. Knowing that Diana typically called the restaurants on Mondays, Edward faced a long weekend of waiting. This gave him some time to do his own digging. He planned to comb through emails, financial reports, and meeting notes—anything that might hint at Diana’s origin or how she had gained such significant influence without his approval. Edward scoured the internet for any traces of Diana living in the country, but his search turned up empty. It was as if she had materialized from thin air, with no digital footprint to speak of. Frustrated, he mulled over his next steps, realizing he needed more concrete evidence to unravel this mystery surrounding the woman—or women—impersonating Diana. Struck by a sudden insight, Edward contacted his restaurant staff to gather all available security footage. “Check the dates Diana was supposed to have visited,” he instructed. His hope was that the cameras installed for safety might shed light on who Diana really was, or at least confirm her physical presence at the restaurants. Edward spent the evening reviewing hours of security footage from the days Diana was reported at the restaurants. His patience paid off when he spotted a woman engaged in detailed discussions with the managers on those specific days. It seemed he had finally caught a glimpse of the elusive Diana. To his astonishment, the woman in the footage differed across the restaurants. Edward counted not one but five distinct women, all interacting with staff under the name ‘Diana.’ Confused, he called the managers to verify, and each confirmed that the woman they met was indeed Diana. The revelation added a bizarre twist to the already strange situation. Now, Edward faced a more complex puzzle: not just one, but five women were using the Diana persona. Each claimed to be overseeing his restaurants, yet none seemed to be the original Diana—if such a person even existed. This complicated web of deception left Edward grappling with the implications for his business and his understanding of what was truly going on. As Edward unraveled more about the Diana mystery, he felt his grasp on reality slipping. This elaborate setup, with multiple women all improving his businesses’ profitability under the guise of one Diana, seemed like a plot from a thriller movie. “How could this happen without my knowledge?” he muttered to himself, baffled by the intricacy and deceit of the operation. In an attempt to make sense of the situation, Edward collected the phone numbers the different Dianas had used to contact the restaurants. To his surprise, all five managers provided the same number. This revelation was unexpected; it hinted at a central orchestrator for the multiple Dianas, deepening the enigma surrounding their true identity and purpose. Edward had tried calling the number several times before, but like the managers, he never got an answer. “She never picks up,” he confirmed, his frustration mounting. The managers had resigned themselves to this one-sided communication dynamic: Diana called them, not the other way around. This lack of accessibility only fueled Edward’s determination to uncover the truth. The managers seemed accustomed to the odd communication pattern with Diana. “You don’t call Diana; she calls you,” they explained, accepting this as just another part of their unusual relationship with her. Edward, however, found this arrangement unacceptable. It was his business, and he needed direct and open lines of communication, not mysterious, controlled interactions. Desperate for answers, Edward reached out to a friend in the police force, asking him to trace the mysterious number. His friend worked quickly, and soon, they had a lead. The number wasn’t registered to an individual but had a registered location that could potentially lead them to Diana—or at least to the mastermind behind her identity. The mysterious phone number led Edward to the local university. It turned out that the number was part of a pool of simple phones the university loaned to students for various projects. This new lead puzzled Edward even more—how did a phone from a student project become the central communication link for the multiple Dianas managing his restaurants? The university had a system where students could borrow phones for academic purposes. These devices were used for everything from field research to community projects. Edward realized that someone must have used one of these phones to orchestrate the operations at his restaurants under the alias “Diana,” but who, and why, remained unclear. Eager for answers, Edward contacted the university directly, requesting information on who had borrowed the phone linked to Diana. His call was directed through several departments before reaching someone who could access the loan records. The anticipation built as he waited on the line, feeling like he was on the verge of a breakthrough. Finally, a university staff member came back with some information. “The phone was last signed out by a student named Erica Barber,” she told Edward. The name was provided after some hesitation, hinting at the sensitivity of the information. Edward scribbled down the name, a spark of recognition flickering in his mind, but he couldn’t quite place it. “Erica Barber,” Edward repeated to himself, puzzling over where he had heard the name before. The university staff mentioned they had additional details about her activities and affiliations with the school. As Edward waited to hear more, he felt the pieces of the puzzle starting to align, though each new piece seemed to raise more questions than answers. Just 3.5 months ago, Erica had abruptly dropped out of the university. She had a phone loaned out to her at that time, which she never returned upon her departure. This timeline coincided strangely with the emergence of the “Diana” situation at Edward’s restaurants. The realization that Erica might be connected to this elaborate ruse was both shocking and illuminating for Edward. Determined to put a face to the name, Edward found a picture of Erica online. However, she looked nothing like the women in the security footage. She appeared much younger, which puzzled him further. How could this young woman orchestrate such a complex operation across multiple locations, and why did the faces of ‘Diana’ vary so much? Edward tried to dig deeper into Erica’s digital footprint, hoping to find more clues about her whereabouts and activities since dropping out. But it seemed Erica had vanished from the online world around the same time she left university. Her social media profiles were inactive, and there were no recent posts or updates—a digital ghost. Refusing to be deterred, Edward decided to track down Erica’s family, believing they might shed light on her recent activities. His search revealed only one Barber family in town. Feeling a mix of hope and urgency, he gathered information on them, aiming to contact them directly to learn more about Erica and her sudden disappearance from public life. With the information in hand, Edward dialed the number for Erica’s father. His heart raced as the phone rang, but relief washed over him when Mr. Barber answered. Edward introduced himself quickly, eager to discuss his daughter and her involvement in his business operations, hoping to gain some understanding of the mysterious events unfolding around him. Edward rapidly unfolded the bizarre events to Mr. Barber, who was visibly perplexed. He had been under the impression that his daughter was still actively attending university. The news of Erica’s involvement in a complex ruse as “Diana” managing Edward’s restaurants took him completely by surprise. Mr. Barber listened intently, struggling to match this story with the daughter he thought he knew. During their conversation, Mr. Barber mentioned that Erica was renting a student room near the university. Seizing the opportunity, he suggested they visit the location together on Monday to confront her directly. Edward agreed, hoping this face-to-face meeting would clarify the tangled web of deception surrounding the mysterious Diana persona. Over the weekend, Edward fine-tuned his plan. He intended to approach Erica’s room discreetly and catch her in the act of managing his restaurants as “Diana.” The idea was to step in while she was on a call with one of his managers, thereby revealing her deceit firsthand. Edward coordinated with his managers to ensure they would call Diana on Monday, setting the stage for the confrontation. As Monday dawned, Edward met Mr. Barber outside Erica’s dormitory. Both men were anxious and filled with anticipation. They discussed their approach quietly, careful not to draw attention. Edward’s mind raced with scenarios of how Erica would react, and Mr. Barber worried about the state in which they would find his daughter. Moments later, Edward received a text from Patrick, one of his managers: “I’m on the phone with Diana now.” Edward signaled Mr. Barber, and they moved closer to Erica’s dorm room door. Pressing his ear against the cold wood, Edward distinctly heard Erica’s voice discussing business matters. They had found her, just as planned, orchestrating her role as Diana from her university lodging. Mr. Barber, key in hand, unlocked the door and entered the room, startling Erica immensely. Her eyes widened in shock, and upon seeing Edward, her cheeks flushed a deep red. The sudden intrusion and the sight of Edward, her secret overseer, overwhelmed her. The room fell silent for a moment as the gravity of the confrontation set in. Erica’s recognition of Edward was immediate, though he could not place where he had seen her before. The air was thick with tension as Edward looked at her, expecting an explanation for the elaborate deception she had orchestrated. Erica, realizing she could no longer hide her actions, prepared herself to reveal the whole story. Taking a deep breath, Erica began with an apology. “Mr. Edward, I’m truly sorry for all the confusion I’ve caused,” she started, her voice steady but full of remorse. They all sat, forming an impromptu circle in the cramped dorm room. Erica knew she owed them the truth, and with her apology out, she readied herself to explain her actions. Turning to her father, Erica’s voice softened. “Dad, I… I dropped out of university,” she confessed, her eyes not leaving the floor. “I didn’t tell you because I wanted to find a way to support myself first.” Her admission hung in the air, her father’s face a mix of concern and surprise, digesting the news of her dropping out and the secret life she had been leading. Erica then shared more about her background, hoping to shed light on her decisions. “I was studying business administration, and I was good at it,” she explained, trying to make them understand her potential. “But I left school because I couldn’t handle the pressure of exams.” Her explanation painted a picture of a capable yet troubled student who took an unconventional path to prove her worth. Erica revealed that a friend who worked at one of Edward’s restaurants had told her about the challenges they were facing. She learned that all of Edward’s restaurants were struggling, although he seemed unaware. This information sparked a fire in Erica; she believed she had the knowledge and skills to turn things around and was determined to prove it. As Erica explained her initial approach, Edward suddenly remembered receiving her CV and a motivation letter. At the time, he had dismissed them, tossing them straight into the trash without a second thought. The memory made him wince, realizing he had overlooked a potential opportunity because of his assumptions about her qualifications. Erica expressed understanding about Edward’s initial dismissal of her application. “I was just a 19-year-old dropout claiming I could fix your restaurants,” she said with a wry smile. “Honestly, I wouldn’t have hired myself either, knowing just that.” Her candidness about the situation showed her awareness of the challenges she faced in gaining his trust. Undeterred by the rejection, Erica devised a bold plan to demonstrate her capabilities. She adopted the alias “Diana” and pretended to be a new supervisor, adjusting her age to lend credibility to her role. This act was her way of proving her worth without the immediate bias her real identity might bring. Erica’s strategy involved making multiple calls a week under her assumed identity, advising and directing the restaurant managers. To bolster her facade, she enlisted the help of older friends who visited the restaurants pretending to be her. Her efforts were met with success; the restaurants began to show improvement under her guidance, validating her methods and her belief in her own abilities. Erica confessed that she had been afraid her young age would prevent her from being taken seriously. This fear had nearly driven her to reveal everything to Edward before their unexpected meeting. She was working on a presentation for the upcoming weekend, intending to lay out her achievements and plans in a way that would finally prove her worth without any deception. When Erica finished explaining her actions and showing the early results of her efforts, Edward was not angry but profoundly impressed. The initiative and skill she demonstrated far exceeded what he expected from someone her age, let alone a dropout. Her ability to effectively manage and improve his restaurants had him reevaluating not only her, but his own judgment of character and potential. Moved by her talent and determination, Edward offered Erica the job she had been pretending to perform—this time officially and with a generous salary. “I see great potential in you, Erica,” he said, acknowledging her impact on his business. He was excited to see how much more she could achieve with the legitimate authority to make decisions and lead.