Chapter 3 THE MYSTERIOUS NOTE

Ashley's mind was racing as she stared at the mysterious note on the nightstand. Who had written it, and what did they want with her? She looked around the room, trying to see if there were any other clues. But everything seemed normal. The bed was made, the curtains were open, and the room was tidy. Ashley's eyes returned to the note. "Meet me at the coffee shop at 2pm. Come alone." She felt a shiver run down her spine. Who was behind this note, and what did they want with her? Ashley decided to do some investigating. She started by asking herself questions.

Who could have written this note? Was it someone she knew, or a complete stranger? She thought back to the previous night. She had gone out with her friends to celebrate her birthday. They had gone to a bar, and then to a club. But after that, things got fuzzy. Ashley tried to remember if she had met anyone new that night. But her memories were hazy, and she couldn't think of anyone who stood out. She decided to call her friends and ask if they knew anything about the note. But when she called them, they all seemed just as confused as she was. "I don't know anything about a note," her friend Emily said. "But I do remember that you left the club with some guy. I don't know who he was, but he seemed nice." Ashley's heart skipped a beat. Could this guy be the one who wrote the note? She asked Emily to describe the guy, but Emily couldn't remember much. "He was tall, dark hair, and nice eyes," she said. "But that's about it." Ashley thanked Emily for her help and hung up the phone. She was no closer to finding out who wrote the note, but she was determined to get to the bottom of things. She decided to go to the coffee shop at 2pm and see who showed up. She was nervous, but she was also curious. As she waited for 2pm to arrive, Ashley couldn't help but think about Ryan. Who was he, really? And what was their marriage all about? She tried to push the thoughts out of her mind, but they kept creeping back in. She was married to a stranger, and she had no idea what their future held. At 1:45pm, Ashley got up and got ready to leave. She put on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, and grabbed her purse. As she walked out the door, she felt a sense of trepidation. What was she getting herself into? She walked to the coffee shop, her heart pounding in her chest. When she arrived, she looked around, trying to see if anyone was waiting for her. But the coffee shop was empty, except for a few people typing away on their laptops. Ashley took a deep breath and sat down at a table. She ordered a coffee and waited. At 2:05pm, a man walked into the coffee shop. He was tall, with dark hair and nice eyes. Ashley's heart skipped a beat. Could this be the guy who wrote the note? The man looked around the coffee shop, his eyes scanning the room. When he saw Ashley, he smiled and walked over to her. "Hi," he said, sitting down across from her. "My name is Alex. I'm a friend of Ryan's." Ashley's eyes narrowed. "What do you want?" she asked. Alex smiled. "I want to talk to you about your marriage," he said. "I think you deserve to know the truth." Ashley's heart was pounding in her chest. What truth? What was going on? She leaned forward, her eyes locked on Alex's. "Tell me," she said. And with that, Alex began to explain. He told Ashley that Ryan was not who he seemed to be. He told her that their marriage was not just a random mistake, but a deliberate act. Ashley listened, her mind reeling. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. But as Alex continued to talk, Ashley realized that she had stumbled into something much bigger than herself. Something that could change her life forever. And with that, Ashley's journey