Meet Scarlett Striker, a bold and quirky journalist for the Seattle Times. She's fun, confident, sassy, and just the right amount of weird. Scarlett is determined to rise to the top, no matter what it takes.
When her boss offers a golden opportunity...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Over the past few days, I've thrown myself into my work, my investigation consuming every waking moment. I contact a few trusted sources—journalists who owe me favors, and a couple of others who are just as keen on uncovering the truth as I am. I'm trying to piece together the connection between Acosta International and La Vida Nueva Foundation.
My leads are sparse, but one name keeps surfacing in my research: Nicolas Acosta. He's a ghost, mentioned only in whispers and vague references, but it's clear he's a major player. Every attempt I make to find more about him hits a dead end. It's as if the man has been wiped from the public record, leaving behind only the faintest traces of his existence.
Frustrated but determined, I begin to focus on the people around him. If I can't find Nicolas Acosta, maybe I can find someone connected to him. I pull up old news articles, scroll through social media, and dig into business records, looking for anyone who might lead me closer to the truth.
Then I stumble upon a connection that sends a chill down my spine. A name—Enrique Gomez—pops up in an old photo from a charity event in Spain, standing beside a man who looks eerily similar to the few blurry photos I've found of Nicolas Acosta, but the photo is still blurry. I can't make out any significant features. I huff.
My heart skips a beat. Enrique Gomez is clearly the key to unlocking who Nicolas Acosta is. I start researching Gomez, trying to trace his whereabouts. He started the foundation, and his involvement with this sketchy Acosta guy raises every red flag. It's becoming clear that the foundation is a front for something much more sinister, and Enrique Gomez might just be the key to exposing the entire operation.
I know I need to be careful. If I'm right, I'm not just dealing with a corrupt foundation—I'm dealing with powerful, dangerous men who won't hesitate to protect their secrets.
But I also know I can't stop now. Not when I'm this close. I take a deep breath, steeling myself for what comes next. Elizabeth had a late flight, so she won't be here until tomorrow morning—Saturday. It's amazing how much I can uncover in just four days. Maybe I'm a better journalist than I thought. If I can break this story, it could launch my career to new heights.
My fingers fly over the keyboard, my eyes scanning the documents I've just received from a contact overseas through a sketchy but incredibly useful website. The deeper I delve, the more disturbing the connections become. Brixton Holdings has a paper trail leading back to multiple offshore accounts, all of which seem to be funneling money through La Vida Nueva Foundation. It's a textbook case of money laundering, but the scale is staggering.
I lean back in my chair, rubbing my temples. I glance at the time on my work computer—9:30 p.m. I'm surprised the janitors haven't kicked me out yet. I look around the dark, empty office, the silence pressing in on me. I should leave, but the puzzle pieces are finally starting to fit together. What bothers me most is the identity of the "silent partner." Every lead I follow points back to someone powerful, someone who's pulling the strings behind the scenes. Most likely the mysterious Nicolas Acosta. He's the only person who makes sense.
