New York, December 1, 2023 (One year earlier)

It was 8 PM, and I had just finished work, exhausted from the day. As soon as I got home, I took off my coat and said in a tired voice, "Michael, I'm home!" I didn't get any response, so I started looking for my boyfriend, hoping he was in the living room or the bedroom. The living room was only lit by the fireplace, the bedroom was wrapped in the cozy atmosphere of the lamp next to the bed, the kitchen was empty, and so was the bathroom. Michael wasn't home, but what could I expect? After all, he always came back late. Things with him... weren't going very well.

Michael and I had been in a relationship for 2 years. We had met at university, both in the field of journalism, but unlike me, who dealt with scientific and technological articles, he worked on celebrity and gossip articles. Yes, the pay was better, but the time was much less. He always came home late, sometimes even drunk from the drinks he had at the office just to swallow all the work he had and relieve the stress. On one hand, I understood him; on the other, I questioned my romantic tastes. Why had we gotten together? I didn't even know that myself. I mean, it wasn't that we didn't care about each other, but it wasn't a strong love either. We had bonded because we studied more or less the same field, shared the university dorm, and were always together, we convinced ourselves something more than friendship could born. But it wasn't so, and neither of us could admit it. We both wanted to try what it meant to have a first relationship with someone, without realizing there wasn't the attraction of two young lovers but the one of two best friends who enjoyed having fun together.

My phone rang, pulling me out of my thoughts. It was my boss. I had finished work; why on earth would he be calling me? I answered with curiosity.

"Hello?"

"Oh! Good evening, Y/n! Sorry for the time, but I have news to share with you."

"Don't worry, go ahead."

"Do you remember the recent articles about that famous missing scientist?"

My boss was talking about a certain Dr. Kim, who had taken the spotlight in the entire scientific-technological sector and who, from one day to the next, stopped appearing, raising suspicions about why there was no news about him.

"Yes, I remember, sir. So?"

"It has come to light that he's taken refuge in Iceland! Surely for new experiments or to rest from work."

"Impressive, but did you call just to tell me this?"

"Of course not, Y/n. I called because Kim himself phoned us and wants one of our journalists to go to him to write an article about his work and see in person the future projects he has. Y/n, it was a difficult decision, but I chose you because you seem to be the only one who could handle this situation. Think about it! It would draw an audience, you'd become renowned in the journalistic world, and on top of that, your salary would increase"

"Can I have more information about the trip?"

"Of course. You'll stay with him for 3 months and lodge in his home. You won't have to pay anything, not even the flight."

"Then I accept, thank you, sir."

"You're welcome, Y/n. I wish you a good evening."

The hardest part was telling Michael that I'd spend 3 months in Iceland, in the house of an unknown man.