Shadows of Naples: Code Lightning.

The night was deep, like a bottomless abyss, when Sofia’s phone buzzed on the nightstand. She woke first, quickly grabbing it, careful not to wake Javier. The screen lit up with a message from James: “Sofia. We intercepted several messages. They came from within the Order’s internal system. One of you is a traitor.” Blood froze in her veins. She stared at the screen as if trying to see the face of the one who had done it. Slowly, she sat on the edge of the bed and took a deep breath, trying to gather herself. “Something happened?” Javier’s sleepy but alert voice came. Sofia turned to him. Her eyes were ablaze with determination. “James says messages about our movements and actions were sent from the Order’s internal system. Someone is leaking information. And not from the outside. From inside, Javier.” He immediately sat up, pushing himself off the bed. “That changes everything,” he said quietly. “Do you think it’s Lorenzo?” “I don’t know. Before, I was almost sure… but now I doubt. His reaction… his eyes…” “We need to check. Rationally. Without emotion.” Sofia nodded. --- The next day, they met Elena in her apartment—a place that always remained neutral and safe. There, they devised a plan: to launch a false chain of information that might interest Alicia. “If Lorenzo is guilty—she’ll find out,” Elena said, tracing her finger over the tablet with the details. The fake scenario was simple but intriguing: Sofia and Javier were supposedly to have a nighttime meeting with new allies—fictional representatives from northern Italy who allegedly had compromising material on Alicia. “If the information leaks—it will be proof,” Javier looked at Sofia seriously. “But if not…” “Then we were wrong about Lorenzo,” she finished for him. They executed everything according to the plan. Lorenzo overheard part of the conversation mentioning a “meeting at the port”—just as intended. --- A day passed. Two. No sign. Alicia didn’t appear, send anyone, or attempt to intercept the route. James remained silent too—no new messages in the system. Sofia felt increasing anxiety with each passing day, but along with it—a new ache: doubt. “What if it’s not him?” she said one evening, sitting on the balcony with a cup of tea. “What if we questioned the only one who truly wanted to protect me?” Javier stood beside her, leaning on the railing. He was silent for a long time, staring into the distance. “We had to check. But you’re right. Sometimes… the truth runs deeper than it seems.” He hugged her, and Sofia rested her head on his shoulder. “Now we need to find out who did this, for real.” And in that moment, it became clear: the real rat was still out there. And he was still playing his game. --- A few days after the failed “trap” for Lorenzo, James called for an urgent meeting. His voice was serious, precise, and left no room for delay: “Sofia, Javier. I conducted a full check. I requested access to all communications, archives, and system login logs. I had to pressure a few people, but I got everything we needed.” “And…?” Sofia barely contained the tension in her voice. “Most are clean. Lorenzo too. He didn’t transmit any information from the system. Everything matches: his logins, movements, IP addresses. He’s as silent as stone.” “So who…?” Javier frowned, already anticipating the answer. “There is one who doesn’t pass the check. One profile logged into the system at the same moments the leaks were sent. And you know who it is? Federico Moreira.” Sofia froze. Her fingers slowly clenched around her phone. “Federico?.. He’s from my trusted circle. Was…” “He’s long been working for the Order. Disciplined, quiet. But those are the perfect traitors. His traces were well hidden. If I hadn’t dug deeper, we would have remained suspicious of Lorenzo.” “Where is he now?” Javier stood abruptly. “Unknown. The last phone signal…” James paused. “…matches the area of an apartment that, according to our info, belongs to Alicia’s people.” Sofia closed her eyes. Anger mixed with pain boiled in her chest. “So it’s him. The real rat. And we accused Lorenzo…” “You still have time to fix it. But Federico is dangerous. If he’s already told Alicia what he knew…” “We’ll find him first,” Sofia said quietly, but with iron in her voice. “And this time—no mercy.” --- The office was quiet. Sofia sat at the large wooden table, staring at her laptop screen. Javier stood beside her, arms crossed. Tension and determination marked both their faces. “We need to act fast,” Javier said. “If Federico is truly the rat, we can’t let him escape or warn Alicia.” Sofia nodded, but didn’t reply immediately. She stared at the monitor a little longer, then slowly closed the laptop. “Yes… But before we confront him…” Her voice softened, with a hint of guilt. “…I need to do something.” Javier raised an eyebrow in surprise. “What?” Sofia lifted her gaze to him. “Talk to Lorenzo. I… I was harsh with him. The accusations were unfair. He didn’t deserve it. And if we want to preserve unity, trust… I need to apologize.” Javier studied her carefully, then nodded quietly. “That’s right. He’s loyal to us. And I think he deserves your words.” Sofia picked up her phone, stared at the screen for a few silent seconds, then quickly typed a message: “Lorenzo, I need to speak with you. In person. I’d be grateful if we could meet today at 8:00 PM at Ristorante Aurora. It’s important.” She paused for a moment, then pressed “send.” A heavy ache twisted in her chest. “Now we just have to hope he comes,” she whispered. Javier touched her shoulder. “He will. Because he knows who you truly are.” --- Sofia sat at a table in a small, dimly lit restaurant. She had arrived early, anxious. Her fingers mechanically fidgeted with a napkin, her thoughts spinning around only one thing: how to apologize so that he would truly feel her remorse. The door opened, and Lorenzo entered. He looked composed, serious. His eyes met hers—and there was still a shadow of hurt. “Hi,” he said shortly, taking a seat. “Hi,” Sofia replied softly. She looked at him, searching for the right words. “Thank you for coming. I know I have no right to ask… but I needed to meet.” “What do you want, Sofia?” His voice was even but cold. “To apologize,” she said directly. “I was wrong. I accused you of betrayal because I gave in to fear and doubt. In reality… the guilty party was Federico Moreira.” Lorenzo froze. His eyes widened slightly. “Federico?..” he asked almost in a whisper. “Yes. We checked everything. James found the proof. I should have trusted you from the start. And I’m so sorry I didn’t.” Lorenzo lowered his gaze. Silence filled the room for a few seconds. “You know,” he finally said, “the hardest part wasn’t the accusation. It was that you didn’t even ask. You just… looked at me, and I saw distrust in your eyes.” Sofia leaned closer. “I don’t want that distance between us anymore. We are family, Lorenzo. I want us to trust each other again. And I want you back. We are preparing for a big step—and we need you.” Lorenzo looked into her eyes. This time—without the cold. For the first time in a long while. “If you truly believe… I’ll come back.” Sofia nodded, exhaling with relief. She felt the heavy stone lift from her heart.