ing. Two simple words, yet they carried the weight of a thousand threats. Her

ldn't hel

ed this under her door knew she was investigating Va

never stopp

and dialed Jordan. He an

voice was s

left me

en, "What d

p dig

exhale.

sn't just about my father, Jordan. Vasquez Hotels is hiding somethi

nt. Then he said, "Meet me.

idn't

lash drive into her pocket, and left he

he was already wa

ate-night customers scattered at the tables. Elena

pression. He didn't waste time sitting down. Instead, he pla

ve," he

e paper. As her eyes scanned

IST FOUND DEA

, had been investigating corporate corruption in the city. Cause of death? Officially r

carefully. "Mark was diggi

ghtly as she set the newspap

"And you just

ulse thudding in her ea

breath. "I didn'

weight of the situation pressing dow

is eliminating people, we can't just g

out what my father was really involved in. The

here's someone who m

ed an eyeb

for Vasquez Hotels. He disappeared after a major scandal a f

pounded. "Can

ill alive, it means he's careful. He won

. "Then we fi

y streets felt different now, darker, more suffocating. Eve

nd glanced around before stepping in

d her door, a cold d

slightl

she had l

into her bag, gripping the small pocket knife she alway

room was

ross the floor. The couch cushions were overturned. Whoeve

n looking fo

desk, yanking open the drawer where s

pt

usea rolled

ad tak

hey thought they could scare her,

d just made

taken t

ned smirk cross

he flash dri

s a d

real e

re they'd n

for anything else that might be missing-or worse, any hidden surveillance

n then. She wasn't

ped out the back entrance of her building. If they ha

ed to di

for a li

the outskirts of town where she had spent a night when she first arrived. It was

rf

, paid for a week in advance, an

real flash drive and pl

to mov

cords, internal emails, and confidential reports. But she still hadn't fo

n, she

, buried deep

Dante

nown Re

Problem E

isted as she click

was short.

. No more

caught in

about h

the forwarded thread

The one who was

blood

st about her f

was covering u

e was next

asn't goi

ing to bri

go