Rule Number 1: A good assassin should research their target before deciding to accept a mission, and if one should choose to accept, said assassin should remember what they had researched while carrying out the mission.
Rule Number 2: If an assassin is to go undercover in order to get close to the target, it is extremely important that said assassin does not become emotionally attached to the target. Such actions could jeopardize and destroy the mission beyond repair.
Rule Number 3: Flee quickly after eliminating the target. Don't get caught.
︻デ═一
Anastasia Petrov had never had a harder mission. She wasn't used to having to go undercover. She had always had deadlines, of course, but they were never this extreme. How was she supposed to obtain the prince's trust, and then kill him in just two weeks? How was she supposed to get away with it, especially since she never seemed to have a chance to be alone with him? On top of it all, the agency had just introduced a new hand book that all agents had to follow, even the most trivial of rules, or else be reported and suspended by her supervisor, overseeing her mission: an annoying, rude, know-it-all who is supposed to make sure she succeeds, but is instead sure that she will fail. The rule that tended to be the hardest to follow, Rule Number 2, was even more difficult, considering how attractive and polite the prince appears. How are Anastasia's 17 year old eyes supposed to just overlook his beautiful eyes and charming smile?
Oh, dear.
Ella is falling apart trying to live a "perfect" high school life. Then she meets Ren, who can see past her scars. Suddenly perfection isn't her only option.
*****
Ella Volkov is a gifted music student, but she's depressed and starting to crack under the pressure of high school. Her overbearing father won't even let her choose what instrument she plays. Then she finds herself alone at a party with Ren, her best friend's crush. She'd always thought he was rude, but after that night he's all Ella can think about. Now she's trapped. If Ella dates Ren, it will ruin her friendship with Jenny. But if she stays true to Jenny, she's losing the one person who can see past her scars. It's up to Ella to decide if she will forge her own path, or stay in the "perfect" box designed for her...
Content and/or Trigger Warning: depression, anxiety, self-harm, violence, sexual assault.
[[word count: 50,000-100,000 words]]