Prologue

You probably wanna know why I killed him.

The sky was cloudy as the wind blew ceaselessly without stopping. It seemed like the windows of heaven decided to destroy the earth with a mighty wind.

The roar of thunder and lightning in the sky was deafening as Cassie glanced at the letter in her hands.

Who starts a letter with a phrase like this? She mused.

The cotton fluttered from the breeze coming outside and Cassie wondered what kind of storm was coming to their small town.

Lightning illuminated the sky followed by a clap of thunder and a shrill ringing tone added to the noise startling her.

It took a while for her to realize it was her phone ringing.

She grabbed it and smiled when she saw the caller id.

"Bitch!"

Cassie chuckled at the sound of her best friend's voice over the phone.

"What's up?"

"I'm out…" there was a static sound before the line went dead.

Cassie sighed and tried to dial her number again but there was no signal.

Why would she be out by this time anyway, especially in this storm? Cassie wondered then shrugged before returning her attention to the letter.

You as a writer should understand the thrill that goes with a murder mystery. It captivates the audience and leaves them begging for more.

I need you to do your best in contributing to working with me on the greatest story ever. This manuscript is gonna be a big hit but…

A loud banging on her door brought her attention back to reality as she glanced up from the letter.

Her first instinct was to grab the flower vase that was on her nightstand. Like who would bang on her door at this time of the night if it wasn't a thief, she brooded as she headed to the sitting room.

Another loud bang followed by a muffled yell caused Cassie to chuckle. She would recognize that voice from anywhere in the world.

"Aria is that you?" She asked just to be sure.

"Open the fucking door!"

"Ah," Cassie smiled as she pulled the door open for it was indeed her best friend. The one who would always use an F-word in every sentence.

The wind knocked her off her feet as Aria struggled to shut the door and Cassie rubbed a hand on her aching behind when she stood up.

"Hurry and come help me shut the fucking door!" Aria yelled, shielding her face.

Cassie rolled her eyes as a pebble smacked on her cheek before she banged the door shut.

"If you would eat little carbohydrates then you'd be able to shut that door on your own," Cassie teased.

Aria rolled her eyes. "I didn't come here to discuss my feeding pattern."

Cassie giggled and headed to the fireplace with Aria to warm up. It was a chilly day for anyone to be outside.

"Thanks for the rescue, bestie," Aria giggled.

Cassie rolled her eyes while rubbing her palm together.

"What were you doing outside, especially since you knew about the storm?"

Arai sighed and Cassie noticed the sad gloom that settled on her face.

"Hey, what's the matter?"

"Simon."

That jerk! Cassie quickly swallowed her words not wanting to upset Aria even more.

"What happened? I thought you had a date with him tonight?"

"I did," Aria replied, biting her nails.

Cassie frowned. That was an old habit she only did when she was nervous or stressed.

"You can talk to me, Aria. You know I won't judge," she coaxed.

"I know it's just so painful to say it especially since you were right," Aria cried.

Cassie frowned. Right now, she wished she hadn't been right. She hated seeing her best friend looking so sad and scared.

"Just spit it out and we can cry together," she said.

"We were supposed to do a movie night but then the weather forecast came in and he called to cancel," Aria began, "I was so excited to see him that I decided to brave the weather and go to his house."

Even though he hadn't braced it for her, Cassie mused.

"I got there just in time but it didn't matter. He was with another girl already and the painful part was that he let her humiliate me and throw me out of his house telling me to go die in the storm!" By now, her shoulders were shaking and she was crying furiously.

"I'm so sorry, darling," Cassie sighed, pulling her into her arms.

"You warned me that he didn't love me but I refused to listen," Aria sniffled, "How did you know? How are you sure such a good guy exists like the type you wrote about in your books?"

Cassie chuckled softly as the questions kept flowing from her best friend. Huge brown eyes stared at her, they weren't filled with tears again but curiosity.

"You must tell me!" She insisted, "Your love life isn't so active but your romance stories are mind-blowing."

"That's why they are called fiction," Cassie smiled, "I have an overactive imagination."

"I've decided to take a trip to Paris, the city of love. Maybe I might finally get my happily ever after there," Aria announced.

Rain pattered softly on the windowpane and Cassie nodded loving the sound of the rain. The storm had reduced into a drizzle but the wind still howled outside.

Her mind drifted back to the letter she had been reading before Aria arrived and she wondered who the mysterious sender was.

"Cassie!"

A snap of fingers in her face brought her back to reality as she blinked at Aria.

"Great! You haven't been listening to a word of what I've been saying!" Aria sulked.

"I'm sorry, Aria. Going to Paris to take a break is a good idea," she encouraged.

"I know that's why I want to go," Aria chirped in her good mood.

"I have to finish what I was doing. Just a moment, Aria," she said.

"Alright, take your sweet time but after that, you're packing up. I'm taking you with me to Paris. Let me know if something exciting will happen in your life besides your fictional one," Aria replied, scrolling through her phone.

Cassie nodded absentmindedly and picked up the letter.

This manuscript is gonna be a big hit but not without your help. I need you to do something dangerous and exciting.

I need you to infiltrate the lair of one of the businessmen in Italy. It's all part of the story. The thrill and the danger.

Cassie felt her blood hum with anticipation. This was the kind of thing she wrote about her heroine doing in her stories but now she has been allowed to be in their shoes.

I'll give you all the details and you'll know exactly how to infiltrate the lair. You'll gather your research and make him your main character in the story.

Imagine creating a story with a real-life main character and also putting yourself in the shoes of your heroine as a reporter who sneaked into the lair of danger.

I'll help you with everything you need to make this story a success and to make you the best-selling author but I'll remain a mystery till after the story is completed.

To prove that I'm capable I've enclosed a check for you and taken care of your flight ticket and visa. You leave tomorrow at dawn.

I only ask for a small favor: BE FAITHFUL.

Yours Truly,

Mysterious.

Cassie's eyes widened when she saw the zeros at the back of the number in the check and she confirmed the visa and flight ticket.

"Oh good. You're ready," Aria smiled, "So which hotel are we lodging in Paris?"

"I'm going to Italy for a novel project," Cassie announced with a small smile.

Looks like her life was about to get exciting and just maybe—her main character might be a dashingly handsome man.

One could only dream.