Hi, everyone! I want to express my gratitude to those who have favorited my little story or followed it for future reference. I don't believe I have a natural talent for writing; rather, it's an idea that has been urging me to create. I'm genuinely happy and thankful for the first two reviews I've received.

Since this is a story I'm writing in the moment and can change at any time, I'm eagerly awaiting your criticism and ideas. The first chapter starts with Bella's point of view, and, of course, the next will be Edward's – because he has to tell his own story.

I hope you enjoy it, and please read and review!

Chapter 1

BPOV

BUZZ... BUZZ... BUZZ...

"Ahhh" - I groaned. I tried to turn off my phone's alarm with my hand, but when I couldn't find it, I had to open my eyes. After silencing the annoying sound, I slowly returned to my bed and curled back under the blankets. With my gaze fixed on the ceiling, I began to plan my day. With excitement, my first thought reminded me that it was Friday, and I had a few days off ahead, during which I needed to return to where it all began and started my quest to find the culprits.

"Come on, get up, no one will do the work what was waiting for you," I muttered to myself. My first task for the day is the meeting at the FBI office, where we need to discuss the next steps in capturing the Volturi. After brief planning I go directly to the bathroom, put the water on and stood under the shower.

I let the water wake me up sufficiently. The morning routine passed quickly after that, and headed to the kitchen, where I brewed some coffee and looked out the window at the awakening Seattle. The weather was starting to deteriorate, and rain and fog would once again cover the sky. The noise behind me reminded me that my coffee was ready, so I went to get it. Then, I went to my apartment's terrace with my cup to enjoy a few moments of peace and quiet before the daily chaos resumed. However, the free time there didn't give me much except unpleasant thoughts.

The Volturi...

The Italian mafia clan, taking over more and more of the big cities with their activities - drug trafficking, sale of young girls, transportation of weapons, the occasional disappearance of other criminals and innocent victims - you name it, they do it. Despite the efforts of the FBI and the police, we've been unable to penetrate the organization's structures for years. Strategies need to change again, and that's what we need to discuss in the office today.

The weather outside started to clear up, which marked the start of my day. In the closet, I found my favorite jeans and a comfortable t-shirt, and prepared my workout clothes for the afternoon after the meeting. With a quick look in the mirror, I decided to check how I looked - a slim figure, well-toned body thanks to the workouts in the building, long and curly chestnut hair, the same brown eyes, and a heart shaped face, but with a focused gaze, knowing what is she doing. My outward appearance has never worried me - yes, I look stereotypical, not different from any woman at 5' 4", but I didn't lack attention back when I was seeking it.

As I left the apartment, I checked with a glance to make sure everything was in its place and sighed - yes, everything was where I had left it. I know that there's no way things would be messed up because no one comes here. Alice and Angela are back in Forks, and I maintain relationships with colleagues in the office or outside only. It sounds sad to admit that I feel lonely, but I decided not to dwell on it as I left for the elevator. With a click of the key, I saw the orange lights of my car's headlights and headed towards it. Entering my little pride - the Mazda, I got during my first year at the FBI, I checked once more if I had taken everything I needed. The journey to the headquarter was quick and trouble-free, as was the trip to the 14th floor of the building. In the elevator, Jacob caught up with me - one of the agents with whom I try to maintain only collegial relationships. I tried to smile, but it probably looked more like a grimace, but he didn't notice and attacked me with his annoying morning energy.

"Hey Bella, how are you? Did you hear that agents from other cities will join us at the meeting now?" - he fired off. I looked at him questioningly because no, I hadn't even heard that they were sending reinforcements from other offices.

"Yes, as far as I understood, a few colleagues from Chicago and New York are being sent to us, and they even..." - to my relief, the sound of the elevator saved me from Jacob's story. I prefer to hear what Liam has to say about them. Both of us quickly headed to the meeting room and took our seats. So far, I had only seen familiar faces - colleagues who were involved only in the office's investigations and those like me who were involved in on-site reconnaissance. Liam entered the room and started our meeting with a brief summary of what new information we have about Aro Volturi, the most active brother in the family illegal activities.

"From here on, we need to change our tactics and gradually infiltrate some of you among them, allowing us to obtain information directly," Liam said, looking at the potential candidates among us. Perfect, just perfect. Changing identity, changing of appearance, making connections, gradually infiltrating organizational structures, engaging in shady deals, and even fighting and killing - these are things I unfortunately know firsthand. Let me be honest - this will never be my favorite part of the profession, but rather the necessary one. To reach the desired target, we must do what's necessary, even if we don't agree with it, or otherwise, it could cost us our lives.

"Don't forget that we expect support from other headquarters, hoping to expand our efforts." I saw that among us, pictures of a young family - a man, a woman, and two children - were being passed around. "These are the latest victims of the Volturi. He was one of the last drug mules, without knowing he was carrying the cargo. After a successful delivery, he was killed on the spot, and shortly after, his family too to avoid leaving evidence." Again... more innocent lives lost in this grim spectacle.

In my mind arose the last moments with my parents - my father's panic in his voice telling me to hold onto the seatbelt, my mother's frightened gaze, the approaching abyss, and then - darkness... The opening of the door pulled me out of the brief episode of memories, and I turned my head sharply toward it. Four people entered, presumably the new agents. Liam went over to them, I assume to introduce them properly.

"Agents, I want to officially introduce you to our newest support - Tyler, Maggie, Emmett, and Edward," he pointed to them with his hand. Each one of them sat upright and looked confidently at us. Tyler and Maggie come from New York, he - with a cheerful face and chestnut hair, and she - a petite blonde, an appearance that would likely deceive you but as an agent you would know better than that. Emmett sat above all and stood out not only with his broad smile and a few dimples but also with his size - quite tall, maybe 6′ 4″ or some more, quite muscular and broad in the shoulders, while Edward...

He... he made the biggest impression on me. Despite his crooked smile, his sparkling green eyes acted hypnotically, attractively, and his bronze hair served as his distinctive feature. I felt my heart start beating faster when our gazes met, and his smile brightened his face. At that moment, I felt something inside me turning, a strange feeling, indescribable but uplifting, giving freedom and hope.

Oh my…, what's happening? Bella, you need to pull yourself together; it's not the time to be distracted. - My brief pep talk didn't help because just one more look at him was enough for me to stop listening to what Liam was saying. Edward sat upright, tall but not as muscular as Emmett. His gaze wandered around the room, but several times, I felt that he was watching me. The meeting continued briefly, with the FBI still lacking a well-defined plan of action, despite all the professionals working there.

As I left the office, I felt Jacob catch up with me and gently take my hand. "Bella, can I join you for a workout? I didn't expect the meeting to be so short, and I prefer your company" I felt my eyes involuntarily roll from his constant attempts at contact and then I get free my hand from his attempt to hold it. Yes, he probably had feelings for me. Me toward him - none.

"Of course," I replied briefly, and we headed to the gym. "Perhaps you'll join me for a quick date afterward?" he asked desperately, and if I may say, for the umpteenth time. "I'm sorry, I have other plans, but even if I didn't, it wouldn't happen," I replied directly. I've always tried not to give false hope where I see there's no point. He slowed his pace for a moment, frowned slightly, but quickly caught up with me.

Entering the gym, I cleared my mind, as I always did here. I didn't think about the past, I didn't contemplate the present, I didn't ponder how empty my life was. No, I had an aim and that was the Volturi. The workout was intense, but that's how I preferred it. I saw it as doing something useful for myself. After a quick shower once more, I gathered my things and headed to my car, and with it, on the long road to Forks - where my parents had found their end, and where my new family found me.

It took a long time for me to recover after the accident, but not entirely, it never would be enough time for that. Carlisle, the new head of the surgery department, took me in for surgery after the EMT team received me after the incident. A broken leg, a broken arm, multiple abrasions and contusions, two cracked ribs, a missing spleen – just statistics in medical records. What always weighed on me, though, were the consequences - the inability to have children due to a piece of metal lodged where it shouldn't be. The story of the incident had been widely circulated in the small town, and so the head of surgery pitied too the story of the orphaned 14-year-old. That is how chapter 2 of my life began.

Esme and Carlisle raised me with love after the adoption. I never lacked anything, they never set me apart from their biological daughter, Alice - a bundle of energy or dare I say little fairy pixie. Alice and I quickly grew close after they took me into their home. She always made sure I had a shoulder to lean on in my difficult moments, and believe me, there were plenty of those. Memories could be a prison where you have to try constantly to escape. How do you tell a child that their parents are dead? How do you tell them they're facing a situation they're not prepared for? It took enough time, 12 years, but sometimes I still sadly recall moments from those first days, I remember my cries and pleas to bring my parents back, the screams I woke up to at night from the same nightmare over and over again. Gradually the unknown became familiar, then became a routine. And that's how I accepted the Cullens as my own family.

The small town doesn't offer many opportunities, not for development and career. One day, though, in my mother's and father's old house, I found letters - letters from my father, recounting the story of the last case he had investigated as an agent. That's how I discovered the illegal activities of the Volturi. Of course, the official version of their death and the incident is completely different, but I know the truth, and that's what made me decide what I would be, to set a goal and pursue it.

No, I can't say that over time, things have improved. Yes, I work what I want and have a purpose, but at what cost? I see my family rarely, my personal life is empty, and not because I don't believe in love, but because I haven't found it. My days are the same, and even if something happens, I rarely have someone to tell. At night, I return to an empty apartment and sadly remember how no one is waiting for me just to spend a quiet night cuddling each other. So, how should I name it - freedom or loneliness? I can't say, however, that I've lived always like that - I've had my moments in the past years, but I've never felt anything overwhelming, like they describe in books and movies.

…And for a moment, I allowed myself to remember those green eyes, which brought so much life, and that smile, which, even though different, gave him charm. My heart again began to beat faster, which made me refocus on the road, and with surprise, I noticed that I had reached the "Welcome to Forks" sign, where my ultimate goal for the next few days was.