THE FEARLESS AND PASSION

chapter 1

"Your Phone Is Ringing, Simon"

Simon yelled from inside the bathroom, "Leave it, I'll be out in a moment!"

Dana looked at the caller and said, "It's your friend, Paul."

Simon emerged from the bathroom with a towel around his waist, angrily grabbed the phone, and said, "Stop snooping around other people's business. Your curiosity will kill you one day."

Dana was annoyed by her brother's remark and sarcastically replied as he redialed his friend's number, "Why the secrecy? Didn't you break up with Nadia? Or is there another one I don't know about?"

"And even if there was another woman in my life, do you think I would let you know about her? No Thanks, isn't enough what you did with Nadia. Now, if you don't mind, I need to make this call," he retorted.

"Who cares?" Dana replied nonchalantly as she left the room. She was a journalist in an emerging magazine and always wished to work for a major newspaper and make a name for herself with a groundbreaking story. However, her talents were confined to writing social articles in the magazine, covering trivial topics. At twenty-seven, she was no longer young and wondered when she would have the chance to prove herself. She still lived with her twin brother, Simon, and their mother. Her life seemed to be a failure, while Simon had been luckier. After completing his military service, he now worked as a security officer in a high-level government agency. She had heard rumors that he and some of his young colleagues were recruited for a special mission. She smiled sarcastically at her slim and quiet brother, who had succeeded in his career while she hadn't. Despite her expectation that security officers should be muscular and tall, Simon proved her wrong when he was accepted. She didn't know who the fool was that chose him, as he resembled her a lot, which had always annoyed her during their teenage years. She did everything to hide this resemblance, keeping her hair long despite preferring short hair, dyeing it Maroon, and always curling it, which added to her beauty and appeal.  specially being a cheerful and lighthearted girl Wich makes her company even more enjoyable, and that's according to her friends of course.

She looked at herself in the mirror, smiling with satisfaction, but soon her expression turned upside down when she stumbled on Simon's belongings due to his negligence. Angrily, she decided to confront him, perhaps for the tenth time this day, so she headed to his room, seething with anger. She heard him still talking to his colleague, saying, "Are you sure we'll find out tomorrow about the nature of the secret mission?"

His words caught her attention, and she sharpened her hearing. It seemed to be a dangerous mission, as he repeated, "I'm very excited to find out. The fact that they surround the experiment with such secrecy indicates that it's a serious matter, especially since we are the ones involved in the preliminary experiment."

He was still talking on the phone while getting dressed, and after a while, he ended the call and stood combing his hair. She stood by the door, pondering what this mission could be and why such extreme secrecy surrounded it, even from the trainees. It must be something serious. She felt the urge to know more. Maybe an article about it could be her way to work for a newspaper that suits her, where she could write about thrilling topics rather than the trivial ones she currently wrote about.

At that moment, Simon came out of the room, and she asked him with interest, "Are you going out, my dear?"

He glanced at her indifferently and said, "Why do you ask?"

She smiled in a feigned manner, pretending excessive interest, and said, "You know that I care about you and it matters to me to always know how you're doing."

He chuckled mockingly, looking at her as he spoke: "Oh, of course, of course. What can I do for you? Speak up, for I don't have much time to waste."

She replied with a wicked tone, "Is that how you think of me, Simon? Well, as you wish. I don't want anything. I just wanted to make sure you're alright."

Simon gazed at her, trying to decipher her thoughts, and said, "Stop playing the victim.I haven't forgotten Your damn role in ruining my relationship with Nadia. Am I not the effeminate boy in your eyes? For your own sake, keep your distance."

Unfortunately, he was right, but she was also right. Nadia was undeniably beautiful, and she still couldn't fathom what drew her to Simon. She didn't see her brother as a man, so when she listed nearly all of his shortcomings to Nadia, she didn't feel any guilt. It wasn't fair to Nadia, and indeed, it wasn't fair to her brother as well, but that's what happened. She told him, attempting to play the role of the innocent one. 

"Nadia wasn't suitable for you, honey. You deserve the best, so don't hold a grudge against me ''

"Hold a grudge against you? The word 'grudge' is too mild for what I feel towards you. Do you know how everyone envied me for her? She was a blessing from God to me, and she loved me deeply. It was your foolish jealousy that ruined everything between us," Dana retorted angrily.

"Jealousy? You Fool , Why would I be jealous of her? You're my brother, not my lover," 

"It's your infuriating nature that makes men always run away from you. As soon as you get to know someone, you fail to keep them," he added.

Dana felt intense anger. It was true that she felt some jealousy towards Nadia, but Simon was mistaken. No man had ever abandoned her; in fact, she was always the center of attention for men. However, she grew bored when she found them uninteresting, and she hadn't allowed a man to touch her yet. She tried to calm down and change the course of the conversation, saying, "You're right. I am indeed selfish, but I have the right to be jealous of you. You're my only brother. Do you know how proud I am of you working in a government agency? I'm sure they entrust you with dangerous tasks."

As the conversation took a sudden turn, the tide shifted in his favor, filling him with a sense of triumph. With a hint of shrewdness, she approached him and inquired, "And what do you perceive to be the nature of the current mission?"

He enthusiastically replied,"I cannot say for certain yet, but it appears to be a  dangerous mission fraught with..." He looked at her in astonishment and said, "And what about you? You must have overheard my conversation with Paul. Do you intend to exploit what you've heard in your work?" Dana became tense and angrily said, "How can you say that? You're accusing me unjustly!" , "shut up. He retorted." I understand you better than yourself. Stay out of my way, I'm already late."  And without further explanation,he left the house, leaving her stunned. She glanced at her watch. She was also running late for the magazine, so she quickly put on her clothes and headed outside. When she arrived at the magazine, she found Robert, the photojournalist and her closest friend, waiting for her. He said, "you're late. I've been waiting for you for a long time." She casually replied, "Well, here I am."

Then she looked around the empty office, devoid of editors, and asked, "Where is everyone?"

He smiled and replied, "They are in a meeting with the director, And he left us in charge of that encounter with an industry representative."

She sighed in boredom and muttered, "Always stuck with the dull assignments.

"Very well, let's go. We're already running late," he declared.

She grumbled, "Fine, let's go."

As they settled into the car,he turned to her and asked, "Now, will you enlighten me about the morning scowl on your face?"

Without hesitation, she recounted the events of the morning, saying, "Imagine a secretive government project... and the interns have no background on it. It seems perilous , and my curiosity is killing me to know more."

He laughed and remarqued, "Curiosity killed the cat... get it out of your head. Neither Simon will disclose the details once he finds out, nor will the information spread as long as the project remains shrouded in secrecy. Don't let it consume you."

"You're right... that's what I must do," she agreed.

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"I'm at the hospital, Dana. Please come quickly," the voice on the other end said urgently.

"I'm coming right away," she replied.

Hi guys , hope you're doing well, well we're starting the first chapter of the story , and I'm so excited cause the novel is really interesting and its events carry many surprises and shocks so be prepared , please vote and comment to encourage me do all my best , and bye 🤗🤗🤗