Chasing the Smoke

Maya Rhodes has built her reputation on chasing the truth—even when it hides in the darkest corners of the city. A determined and sharp-witted journalist, she’s no stranger to threats or dead ends. But when a wave of suspicious fires tears through her city, targeting small, struggling businesses, Maya smells a conspiracy no one else wants to uncover.

At first, the blazes seem like tragic coincidences—until she discovers they all have one thing in common: none of the owners were willing to sell to an aggressive real estate development firm. Now those businesses are gone, reduced to ash, and the developers are conveniently one step closer to taking over the neighborhood.

The deeper Maya digs, the more unsettling the truth becomes. Missing reports. Delayed response times. Fire scenes are too perfectly contained. Someone is orchestrating the destruction, and it’s not just about property. It’s about control, silence, and secrets buried under the city’s surface. And it seems the corruption might reach straight into the fire department itself.

Then Maya receives a chilling message:

“You’re getting warm. Be careful.”

That’s when Ethan Cole enters the picture. A former firefighter with a quiet intensity and a tragic past, Ethan carries the weight of a personal loss—his brother’s cafe was among the first to burn. The department wrote it off as an accident. Ethan never believed it. He’s been watching, listening, gathering evidence from the inside. And now, with nowhere else to turn, he shows up at Maya’s door with classified photos and more questions than answers.

Haunted by his past and mistrustful of everyone, Ethan is the last person Maya expects to trust. But as their investigation deepens, so does their connection. What starts as an uneasy alliance turns into something far more personal—something that blurs the line between their mission and their hearts.

As they follow the smoke trail, they uncover more than corruption. They find sabotage, betrayal, and enemies hiding in plain sight. People they thought were allies turned out to be threats. Files vanish, sources go quiet, and their every move is watched.

For Maya, the story becomes more than a headline—it becomes a fight for justice, for the city she loves, and for the man who’s slowly breaking down her walls. For Ethan, it's about redemption, and finally putting out the fire that’s been burning in him since the day he lost everything.

But the closer they get to the truth, the more dangerous the game becomes. The flames aren’t finished yet—and someone is ready to burn everything to the ground to keep their secrets safe.

Gripping, gritty, and emotionally charged, Chasing the Smoke is a heart-pounding thriller novella with a slow-burn romance that smolders beneath the surface. Perfect for fans of investigative drama, morally complex characters, and twists that leave you breathless, this story will pull you in and refuse to let go.

Obehi Francis