The car had been parked for almost an hour now with the engine turned off. Inside, two men sat watching the entrance to the construction site. "That’s her," said the one, sitting in the passenger seat. He nodded toward Sofia as she stepped out of her carThe one behind the wheel, followed her with his eyes. "Yeah. She’s been showing up a lot lately."They watched Sofia walk toward the site office. She was dressed neatly, holding a clipboard in her hand, and had a sunglasses on. She didn’t look nervous, or like she was hiding anything."She’s not here for long," The first muttered, checking the time. "At most ten minutes, tops. She'd be out."The second chuckled briefly before speaking. "You've even mastered her schedule and timing." He leaned in, his expression serious "What do you think?" He asked. "Is she connected to him?""Hmmm. . I'm not sure. It's kind of hard to tell," The first said. "She’s not acting like someone with personal ties. They don't hang around. There was no form o
The sound of machines and voices filled the air as Alejandro stepped out of his car. He had arrived at the construction site the next morning. Workers moved around the site; hauling materials, and calling out instructions. Some paused briefly to nod at him as he passed.The building was starting to take shape. The foundation had been poured, steel beams were going up, and Alejandro could already picture the finished structure. It wasn’t just another job. To him it was the first project under the new deal he had signed after the gala. It was another wave of clean money, clean contracts, and no strings attached. At least, that was the plan."Morning, boss," Elias, the site manager, walked over with a clipboard. "Steel delivery is running late again. It might slow down the west side.""Then push the team to the east wing," Alejandro said. "There's no point standing around waiting when there's so much to be done."Elias nodded and turned back to relay the update. Alejandro kept walking wi
Detective James Jin Thompson walked out of the police station with his younger partner who was new in his station, Detective Noah Kim. Noah was a smart and hardworking detective in his early-thirties, who was very passionate about his job. They were on their way to follow up on a small case at a nearby apartment complex. They turned a corner past a cafe when Thompson saw a familiar face: Gabriella Lorca. She was sipping coffee and chatting on her phone, looking relaxed. Seeing her brought back memories of the charity event and the case that he was yet to solve. It was something he had been actively trying to put out of his mind while he worked behind the scenes to give the case a proper closure.Gabriella wore a navy coat that fluttered slightly in the wind. When she looked up and saw them, she stopped and her eyes lit up with recognition. "Detective Thompson," she greeted.Detective Thompson gave a small nod, returning the smile, though there was a touch of the weight of his job behi
The community center was getting a much needed renovation. The old building had been neglected for years, but now volunteers were working hard, painting walls, scrubbing floors, and putting up curtains. The smell of fresh paint filled the air as they worked to transform the space into something new and exciting, that could further cause Gabriella's goal of reaching out to the community to be achieved.Gabriella stood in the center of it all, holding her folder that was already stained with paint fingerprints. Her sleeves were rolled up, and her hair was twisted into a messy bun. She had a streak of white paint on her cheek, but she was too engrossed in what she was doing and didn’t seem to notice."Rachel, can we recheck the pipes for plumbing? The last batch came in way higher than projected." Her voice was calm but tired.Rachel, who was juggling a phone and a box of donated supplies, gave her a look. "I already took care of it Gab. The second contractor we called hasn’t gotten back
Don Ricardo's study was quiet. He sat behind his desk, reading a few pages of typed reports when he heard the knock on his door. “Come in,” he said, without raising his head.Victor stepped inside, leaning slightly on his cane. “You asked for me Don.”Don Ricardo glanced at him and nodded toward the chair across the desk. “Sit.”Victor lowered himself into the chair, shifting a little to get comfortable. Don Ricardo set the papers down and folded his hands. “It’s been a while since we spoke properly,” Ricardo said. “How’s your leg?”Victor shrugged. “I'm getting by Don.”Ricardo gave a quiet hum. “Good. You’re still managing the operations right?”“Yes Don.Things are moving smoothly.”“And the unions?” Don Ricardo asked “Stable for now,” Victor replied. “Some of the guys tried asking for more hours, but we’ve got it handled.”Ricardo nodded slowly. “Alright. And nothing unexpected is going on? No side problems I should hear about?”Victor paused for a brief moment before responding.
Sofia was already seated when Alejandro arrived at the exact time the meeting was scheduled for. He approached the table with his usual quiet confidence matching his precise and purposeful movements.“Ms. Winston,” he greeted, offering a hand.Sofia rose slightly to meet him. “Mr. Hernandez.” She shook his hand in a firm, brief but professional manner.Once seated, there was no wasted time. “I assume this meeting is to establish operational clarity,” he said.“Exactly,” Sofia replied. “You’ll oversee the build. I’ll handle updates, coordination, and all board communication. They want clear lines and channels.” She rested her elbow lightly on the table, curling her fingers loosely around the base of her water glass as she continued. “Since we’re going to be working together, it makes sense to align expectations early.”Alejandro sat opposite her, with precise but relaxed posture. “I agree. My only goal is efficiency. I’m not interested in unnecessary complications.”“Neither am I,” So