Chapter 1: ALLISON WESLEY

Allison's POV:

"Did you think about Isaac?" Amanda, my roommate, asked as we sat down to have breakfast.

"No," I replied, taking a big bite of the mac and cheese Amanda made for me. "I'm just going to ignore him, I think," I added.

"But, Allison... He asked you out... You can't just ignore him," Amanda said.

"I know, Amanda... But..." I started, chewing on my food, but I didn't know what to say, so I stayed quiet.

Amanda took a deep breath and said, "Listen to me... You should think about it. We've known Isaac since college, and I think he's a good guy."

"That's the problem, Am..." I said, setting down my fork. "I don't like guys like Isaac. He's too sweet and delicate. I want someone strong and bold."

"You know what? Strong guys can be dangerous too, Allison," Amanda said, standing up from the chair and walking into the kitchen while I sat there, contemplating her words.

I sighed and picked up my plate to take it to the kitchen.

"By the way, I'll be late tonight. I have a conference," Amanda informed me.

"Okay, no problem. I might also be late because Josiah is going to assign me some special work," I said, smiling.

"What kind of work?" Amanda asked.

"I don't know... I'll find out today," I replied, finishing my glass of juice.

"Okay, I'll see you tonight then. Bye," Amanda said, quickly grabbing her bag and heading out. Amanda has been my friend and roommate since I moved to Dallas. We both attended the same college, and she has been my best friend ever since. We share many similarities, particularly our dedication to our work. As a result, Amanda has become one of the top Copy Editors at Henderson Company.

I quickly cleaned up the kitchen and headed out to work while thinking about Josiah's special task.

As I reached my office, a beautiful glass building, I entered and made my way to my department. On the way to my cabin, I greeted my colleagues Ryan, Sylvia, and Dorothy.

Taking a sigh of relief, I sat down in my chair and thought about Isaac.

"So... A big assignment today, huh?" Dorothy said, as all three of them gathered around me.

"Yes," I replied.

"Are you excited?" she asked.

"I am, for sure. But I want to see if I can handle it," I said.

"Of course, you can, Allison" Sylvia chimed in. "You're one of the finest journalists at Dallas Daily, and that's why Josiah chose you for this assignment," she added.

"Yeah... But still," I replied.

"Come on, don't stress out and be confident. You can complete this assignment perfectly," Dorothy encouraged me.

"Yeah... But do any of you have any idea what this assignment is about?" I asked curiously.

"Um... no... I just heard it's something big," Ryan said. I widened my eyes at him and looked at him anxiously.

"Don't stress out, okay?" Sylvia said. I took a deep breath and nodded.

"Allison, you're being called in," Josiah's assistant came and informed me. I stood up immediately and prepared myself to walk into Josiah's room. Josiah is the best boss anyone can ever have. He's always friendly with us and truly cares about his team. However, the assignment he called me for was stressing me out a bit because I had heard it was something significant.

As my colleagues gave me a thumbs-up, I smiled at them and walked into Josiah's room.

"Hey, Allison, come on in," Josiah said as I entered.

"Hey," I greeted and took a seat.

"How are you?" he asked, seeming fresh.

"Fine... Just a bit worried about this special assignment you're going to assign me," I said, and he chuckled.

"You know what... I couldn't sleep all weekend after you told me about it on Friday. You know how crazy I can get when it comes to my work," I said. He laughed again.

"I'm so sorry you had to go through that," Josiah said.

"Okay... So now I'm going to tell you about it," he said, and I sat up straight.

"Here's the thing... There's a billionaire who is... extraordinarily rich," he said, and my eyes widened.

"Okay...?" I waited for more information.

"He appears to be a legitimate businessman, but the thing is, I've heard that he's the boss of a mafia, and they've been involved in some shady business since they moved here. The boss maintains a facade of a clean, legitimate business, but there are whispers that they've been up to no good..." Josiah explained.

"So the police haven't discovered anything?" I asked curiously.

"No... They tried, but then they suddenly stopped investigating, as if something happened..." Josiah informed me.

"I see," I said, deep in thought.

"Yeah... So I want you to do some research on them and dig into this matter. You don't have to put yourself in any trouble, and your name won't come out if they are found guilty. I promise you that, because I'm concerned about your safety," Josiah said.

"I'm not afraid of anyone, Josiah. I'm a journalist, and I have to go beyond my comfort zone every time to deliver the best news for our paper," I said confidently.

"I know how confident and strong you are, which is why I'm assigning this work to you, Allison. But you need to keep this matter confidential. Only between you and me. No one else should find out about this," Josiah said, his tone serious. "And please, don't do anything foolish, okay? You can research him using the resources I'll send you via email, and the rest you can find out on your own, but be safe. As I said, I don't want you to get into any trouble because they can be dangerous," Josiah warned me.

"Okay... don't worry," I said anxiously. He smiled at me, and I returned the gesture.

"I'll email you the details in an hour," Josiah said.

"Sure," I replied and smiled.

As I left Josiah's room, Dorothy, Sylvia, and Ryan were waiting for me outside, eager to know what Josiah had said.

"What happened?" Dorothy asked.

"Let me sit," I said, raising my hands in the air, and walked to my cabin.

"So... Josiah has given me a mission to research a billionaire, and that's it," I said, surprising them as they looked at me with wide eyes and open mouths.

"A billionaire? But why?" Sylvia asked.

"I... I don't know. He just wants me to dig into his business matters," I told them, trying to hide the details.

"That's strange," Ryan commented.

"But I have to do it. I've always taken my work seriously, and that's why I've been successful. And this time too, I won't fail," I said.

"But, Allison... Don't you think it's a bit dangerous?" Dorothy asked nervously.

"Why would it be dangerous?" I asked her.

"Well, you know, billionaires can be dangerous. They have power, so anyone who tries to interfere in their affairs can anger them..." Dorothy pointed out.

"You're actually right," Sylvia agreed. "But she has never turned down anything that challenges her skills, and this is her best chance to prove what she's capable of."

"Yeah... I trust Allison. She'll do it," Ryan said confidently.

"Thanks, guys," I said, feeling a little relieved.

"But promise us you'll be careful," Dorothy said, and I smiled at her.

"I promise. I'll be careful," I assured them.

As they walked back to their cabins, I sat there, contemplating how I should proceed, and I couldn't help but wonder if that mafia boss could be dangerous…