Chapter 5 Meeting for the Third Time

The sun streamed through the hospital windows, casting a warm glow over the sterile white walls. Giselle sat up in bed, looking much better than she had in the past few days. Letty perched on the edge of the bed, holding her best friend's hand as Mrs. Thompson oversaw the final discharge paperwork.

"You're finally going home," Letty said with a relieved smile.

Giselle exhaled deeply. "I swear, if I had to stay one more day in this place, I would've lost my mind."

Mrs. Thompson chuckled before turning to Letty. "Before we leave, dear, there's something you should know. Someone has been asking about you for the past few days."

Letty's brows furrowed. "Who?"

Mrs. Thompson waved a hand dismissively. "You'll see. There's nothing to be scared of."

Letty exchanged a nervous glance with Giselle, but before she could press for details, the door opened, and two tall figures entered.

Miguel and Micah.

They carried large bags filled with food, groceries, and even beauty supplies, piling them onto the hospital table. Letty blinked, taken aback by the sheer volume of their gifts.

"Are we hosting a feast I don't know about?" Giselle joked weakly.

Micah smirked. "Call it a 'get well soon' gift. And an apology for the mess at the party."

Mrs. Thompson gave them a knowing look before excusing herself to check on Giselle's discharge papers, leaving Letty alone with Miguel.

She shifted uncomfortably, feeling an odd sense of familiarity around him. "Have we met before?"

Miguel hesitated for a fraction of a second before shaking his head. "I don't think so."

It was a lie.

He knew exactly who she was. When he was lying in bed after the gunshot wound, memories had flooded back-she was the girl he had rescued a year ago. It all made sense now. She had been delivering a cake that night too. But if she didn't remember, it was better not to remind her.

"I followed you to the restroom that night because I mistook you for someone else," he said smoothly. "I wanted to apologize for that."

Letty studied his face, searching for any sign of dishonesty. There was something in his eyes-a flicker of recognition. But his words sounded sincere, so she nodded. "Alright. I believe you."

She invited him in for a little while, and they talked briefly before he left.

Later that evening, as she sat beside Giselle in bed, Letty sighed.

"There's something weird about Miguel," she admitted. "I don't know what it is, but I feel like he's connected to my past somehow. And with my memory being so bad... I can't shake the feeling that I should remember him."

Giselle frowned. "Maybe you should stay away from him then."

Letty bit her lip, unsure. But something told her that wasn't possible.

---

Meanwhile...

Ryan and Emma parked their car a few streets away from the Sanchez mansion making sure to stay out of sight. The imposing mansion loomed ahead, its tall gates locked, but Ryan knew another way in.

"You know, it's a little concerning how well you know this place," Emma muttered as they crept toward the underground cellar entrance.

Ryan smirked. "A good detective always does his homework."

The cellar door creaked open, and they slipped inside. Moving swiftly and quietly, they navigated the hallways until they reached Letty's bedroom.

"We need to be quick," Emma whispered.

They moved methodically, collecting personal items,her comb, brush, a cup, even some of her clothes. Evidence, just in case.

Emma's sharp eyes flicked toward the wardrobe, where something small and dark was hidden on top. A camera.

She stretched up to grab it, but just as her fingers closed around the device, a noise echoed from the hallway.

Ryan cursed under his breath. "Hurry up."

Emma yanked the camera down and stuffed it into her jacket. Ryan grabbed the rest of their evidence, and they slipped out, moving as fast as they could.

As they reached the garden, they ducked behind a large tree. A black car had just pulled up, and to their shock, Agent Meredith stepped out.

They watched in silence as a young man approached her. The two exchanged envelopes,one thick, possibly filled with cash, and the other slimmer, likely containing information.

Emma's blood ran cold. "Meredith is in on this."

Ryan's jaw tightened. "Yeah. And now we know for sure that whatever happened at that party was meant to stay buried."

They watched as Meredith and the man walked away, unaware they had just been caught.

Ryan and Emma slipped into their respective cars, their adrenaline still pumping from what they had just witnessed. Through the windshield, Ryan watched as Meredith's black car pulled away from the Sanchez estate, the young man she had exchanged envelopes with heading in the opposite direction.

Emma's voice crackled through his earpiece. "I'll tail the guy. You follow Meredith. We need to find out what they exchanged and who they're both taking it to."

"Got it. Be careful," Ryan replied before shifting gears and easing onto the road behind Meredith's car.

Meredith drove steadily, heading toward the city. Ryan kept a safe distance, making sure not to draw attention to himself. She was smart he knew that much but something told him she wasn't expecting to be followed tonight.

Fifteen minutes later, she pulled into an underground parking lot beneath a high-rise building in the financial district. Ryan parked a block away and got out, making his way on foot. He reached the entrance just in time to see her step into an elevator.

Ducking behind a pillar, he watched as the floor number lit up-32.

"She's at a high-rise downtown," he murmured into his mic. "Going up to the 32nd floor. Could be an office or a penthouse. Either way, someone important is waiting for her."

"Think you can get in?" Emma's voice came through.

"Not tonight. But I'll find out who owns this place."

With one last glance at the building, he turned and left.

Meanwhile, Emma kept a steady distance from the young man, who seemed more cautious than Meredith. He checked his mirrors often, taking random turns as if trying to shake off a tail.

"This guy is paranoid," she muttered. "Almost like he expects to be followed."

"Stay on him but don't get too close," Ryan warned.

After almost half an hour of weaving through the streets, the man finally pulled into a run-down neighborhood on the outskirts of town. Emma parked two blocks away and watched as he stepped out, clutching the envelope tightly.

He approached a small, dimly lit bar and disappeared inside.

"He just entered a bar. Looks shady. I'll check it out."

"Wait-don't engage unless you have to. We don't know who he's meeting."

"Relax, I know what I'm doing," she assured him before slipping out of her car.

With her hoodie pulled up, she entered the bar, blending in with the small crowd of late-night drinkers. She spotted the guy in the farthest booth, handing the envelope to a man in a leather jacket with a scar running down his cheek.

Emma's heart pounded.

"Ryan, we've got a problem. This guy isn't just some informant,he's meeting with Black Vegas."

Silence.

Then Ryan's voice, grim. "Get out of there. Now."