The next few days passed in a blur. Gabe couldn't shake the words Ria had whispered in his ear. "Once you're in, there's no getting out." Those words echoed in his mind, clouding his thoughts and making his usual sharp focus feel like it was slipping. He had always lived his life with the belief that he was in control, that no situation, no matter how dangerous, could get the best of him. But Ria's warning dug deeper than he had expected.
After his meeting with Ria, Gabe had followed up on her lead. The name she had given him, "Rafael Morales," was still a ghost in the system. The man had managed to erase most traces of himself, making it difficult to pinpoint where he had gone or who he was working with. But Gabe wasn't about to give up so easily.
He spent the following hours in the heart of the city, weaving through its narrow alleys and high-end districts, talking to informants, and seeking out anyone who might have a lead on Morales's whereabouts. His network of contacts, built over years of working as consigliere for the Ortega family, was vast. But none of them knew where Morales had disappeared to—or if they did, they weren't sharing the information.
Frustration built inside him. Gabe was used to getting answers quickly, but this was proving to be an entirely different animal. The deeper he dug, the more he realized how connected Morales had been to the darker factions of the city. There were whispers—vague hints—that pointed to a network of corrupt politicians, businessmen, and even other mafia families. But Morales? He wasn't just another player in this game. He had been a part of something far more dangerous, something that operated outside the usual rules.
By the time evening came around, Gabe had made little progress. He was standing in the office of his family's estate, staring at the phone in his hand, debating whether or not to contact Esteban Ortega. His loyalty to the Ortega family was unquestionable, but the more he learned about the secrets surrounding Morales, the more he realized he had to protect more than just the family's interests. Celeste was involved now. And Gabe wasn't about to let her fall into this mess, no matter how deep it went.
As he was about to make the call, the door to his office creaked open. Gabe looked up to find one of his trusted men, Marco, standing in the doorway, his face grim.
"Gabe," Marco said, his voice low. "We've got a problem."
Gabe raised an eyebrow, putting the phone down and leaning back in his chair. "What is it?"
"I've been hearing things," Marco began, stepping further into the room. "People are talking. They're saying Rafael Morales isn't just hiding—he's been taken. Someone's after him, and they've got the power to make people disappear without a trace."
"Who?" Gabe asked, his mind racing. This was exactly what he had feared.
Marco shook his head. "I don't know yet. But I've got a lead. A man named Leonid Varga is making moves. He's connected to the darker side of this city—the side that nobody talks about. We might be dealing with people who have more than just money and power on their side."
Leonid Varga. The name sent a cold shiver down Gabe's spine. Varga was a legend in the underworld, a figure whispered about in fearful tones. He was known for being ruthless, a man who controlled things from the shadows. If he was involved, it meant the game had just changed. No longer were Gabe and the Ortega family the only players in the city's power struggle. The stakes had been raised, and it was no longer just about family loyalty. It was about survival.
Gabe stood up, his gaze hardening. "What do we know about Varga's operation?"
"Not much," Marco admitted, "but his influence stretches all over the city. He's not just a businessman—he controls people. Politicians, police, even media. If he's making a move, it's serious."
"Then we need to find out where he's making his move," Gabe said, his voice calm but filled with determination. "We're going to get ahead of this. We're not going to wait around for things to get worse."
Marco nodded. "I'll start gathering information. I know a few people who might have some insight into Varga's next move."
Gabe turned back toward his desk, picking up the phone once again. He had no time to waste. As much as he hated to admit it, the threat of Leonid Varga was something they couldn't ignore. If Varga was after Morales, he was either trying to take control of something Morales knew or eliminate him as a threat. Either way, it meant trouble. And Gabe wasn't about to let that trouble spiral out of control.
Celeste was sitting in the library of the Ortega estate when her phone buzzed on the desk. She had been trying to focus on her studies, the heavy textbooks in front of her seeming to mock her, but her mind kept drifting back to Gabe. Their brief exchange at the club, the tension in his voice when he spoke to Ria Mendoza, and his promise to help—he had intrigued her, more than she cared to admit.
Her father, Esteban, had made it clear that she was not to get involved in the family's business dealings. He had made it clear that she was to stay away from the dangerous side of things—the underworld, the mafia ties, everything that came with the Ortega name. But Celeste was not blind. She had seen the way her father's men operated, the people who came and went in their home, the whispered conversations that always stopped when she entered the room.
Her father had been involved in the city's power struggles for years, building the Ortega family empire from the ground up. He was well-respected, feared even, by those who knew him. But Celeste had never felt fully connected to that world. She had always lived in the shadows, the hidden daughter of a powerful family, raised to be seen and not heard. But lately, her curiosity had been getting the better of her.
She couldn't help but wonder—what was Gabe involved in? What had he gotten himself into by agreeing to help her? And why did she feel like she was in danger of being pulled into it as well?
The phone buzzed again, pulling her from her thoughts. This time, she saw that it was a message from an unknown number. She hesitated before opening it.
It was simple, just a few words:
"Stay away from the investigation. It's too dangerous."
Celeste felt her heart skip a beat. She knew who this message was from. It was Gabe. She could feel the urgency in his words, even through the screen.
But she couldn't just sit back and do nothing. She had already asked Gabe for help, and now it was time to face the consequences. She couldn't ignore the feeling that something much bigger than herself was happening. The thought of Gabe in danger, of being tangled up in something she didn't fully understand, made her stomach turn.
She knew what she had to do.
To Be Continued...