Roma found himself falling into step beside Sophia, an accident of momentum that suddenly felt charged with purpose…

A sudden gleam sparked in Roma’s eyes as they walked - that particular shift that made Sophia’s instincts prickle. She caught the change instantly, turning to him with a raised eyebrow and poorly hidden smugness. “What?”

Roma kept his gaze forward, but the corner of his mouth twitched upward. “Nothing.” The word hung between them as her challenging stare bore into his profile. Finally, he tilted his head slightly toward her, lowering his voice. “You’re a smart girl…”

He paused, his pace slowing imperceptibly as his eyes tracked the celebrating crowd ahead. “You think this case would have ever happened if the DOJ could figure out how to handle briefing the public on who the travel plaza solicitor killer was?”

Her head snapped toward him with such force that several nearby observers instinctively stepped back, her eyes blazing with an intensity that could have scorched concrete.