Chapter 4 WARNINGS AND WATCHFUL EYES

Elena had barely slept. Her mind had been running in circles, replaying the events of the past 24 hours. Her father's death. The abduction. Lorenzo's warning. And now, the files labeled V. Case.

She was about to grab another cup of coffee when her phone buzzed. Sofia.

A wave of relief hit her. Sofia had always been her anchor-the one person who could bring her back to earth when everything felt like it was crumbling.

She answered, trying to sound normal. "Hey."

"Don't 'hey' me," Sofia shot back. "I heard what happened. Your father, the police investigation... Elena, why didn't you call me?"

Elena exhaled. "I didn't want to drag you into this."

Sofia scoffed. "We've known each other since the dawn of time. You think you can go through something like this without me? Please."

Despite everything, a small smile tugged at Elena's lips. "I'm fine, Sofia."

"You're full of shit, Vasquez."

That actually made Elena laugh, and Sofia seized the moment. "Look, I just got off work. Let's meet up, our usual spot. You need coffee, and I need to make sure you haven't completely lost your mind."

Elena hesitated. The last thing she wanted was to drag Sofia into something dangerous. But right now, she needed someone she could trust.

"Alright. See you in twenty."

The café was warm, the scent of fresh espresso thick in the air. Elena spotted Sofia immediately, seated by the window, blonde hair in a sleek ponytail, a half-empty latte in front of her.

Sofia glanced up and grinned. "Well, well, well. You look like hell."

Elena snorted, sliding into the seat across from her. "Gee, thanks."

"Seriously, though. How are you holding up?"

Elena considered lying, but what was the point? "Not great."

Sofia sighed. "I figured. But lucky for you, I'm here to remind you that life is still full of joy. For example, my day was fantastic. You know, just another thrilling day of reading through endless case files and having clients yell at me."

Elena smirked. "You make being a lawyer sound so glamorous."

"Oh, it is," Sofia said dramatically. "Nothing like fighting with middle-aged men who think they know the law better than you because they've watched a few episodes of Suits."

Elena actually laughed.

"There it is." Sofia grinned. "That's what I was going for."

Elena shook her head. "Thanks for trying to cheer me up."

"Anytime," Sofia said, her smile softening. "Now, what's really going on?"

Elena hesitated, then pulled out the flash drive. "I found something."

Sofia's teasing demeanor vanished. "What kind of something?"

Elena exhaled. "My dad was investigating the De Lucas before he died. He kept files, records, hidden on his laptop." She hesitated before adding, "I think that's why he was killed."

Sofia's expression darkened. "Elena..."

"I need to know the truth," Elena said firmly. "I can't just let this go."

Sofia rubbed her temple. "Elena, this isn't just some investigative piece for the paper. This is dangerous."

"They already know I'm digging," Elena admitted. "They took me, Sofia. Lorenzo De Luca himself interrogated me."

Sofia paled. "What?!"

Elena nodded grimly. "They warned me to stop."

Sofia gripped her coffee cup so tightly her knuckles turned white. "Then stop. Elena, these people don't warn-they eliminate."

Elena met her gaze. "If my father died for this, I need to know why."

Sofia let out a long breath, shaking her head. "I hate this. But I know you. You won't stop until you get answers."

Elena gave her a small, grateful smile. "That's why you're my best friend."

Sofia groaned. "Great. If you end up dead, I'm haunting your ghost just to say I told you so."

Elena bursted in laughter. "Isn't it the other way around, you know ghosts haunting people, not people haunting ghosts"

Sofia huffed. "Whatever, you know what I meant"

Elena laughed, but deep down, she knew Sofia was right. She was playing with fire.

Meanwhile...

Lorenzo sat in his office, fingers steepled as one of his men stood before him.

"She's still digging," the man reported. "She went to her father's office, took his belongings. Now she's looking into old records."

Lorenzo exhaled slowly.

"And?"

"Should we handle it?"

Lorenzo's gaze darkened. "Not yet."

He leaned back, voice cold and measured.

"But keep watching her. If she gets too close, we'll make sure she never finds what she's looking for."