#4: The Inevitable Encounter

The next day, Rio de Janeiro woke up to another day. But for Lara and Dante, this morning brought new uncertainties. On one hand, Lara was determined to expose Project Aurora, but she knew she would need powerful allies. On the other hand, Dante couldn’t stop thinking about her and what he had discovered the night before. The only thing clear to both of them was that their paths were inevitably about to cross again.

Lara sat in a discreet café, near the busiest part of the city. Her gaze was fixed on the screen of her tablet, reviewing the information about Project Aurora for the hundredth time. She knew Marco was right: exposing this was too dangerous, but she couldn’t just turn her back.

“I need someone inside the system,” she thought, biting her lip. She had kept her distance from figures like Dante for a reason — they were part of the problem. But he had given her a chance to escape, and that was saying something. Was he on the same side as her, even without knowing it?

As these thoughts worried her, the door of the café opened. Dante entered, his eyes scanning the place until they met Lara's. For a moment, they both stood still, as if time had stopped.

He approached slowly, without looking away.

“You have no idea how hard it is to find you,” he said, pulling out a chair and sitting in front of her.

Lara arched an eyebrow, trying to remain calm, but her heart was racing. He followed her. What now?

“I could say the same about you. But apparently you weren't trying to hide,” she replied, looking at the tablet screen, trying to look busy.

Dante crossed his arms on the table.

“I know what you're doing, Lara. And I know there's more to this story than we're seeing.”

She closed the tablet, finally looking at him.

“And what exactly do you think you know?” — she asked, defiantly.

He took a deep breath, leaning closer so that no one would hear.

— I know that Project Aurora is not just about immortality. I saw the reports that talk about the experiments with… people. And I know that you have more information than I do.

Lara swallowed hard. He was closer to the truth than she expected. The silence between them was thick, full of tension.

— And why should you care about that, Dante? — she asked. — You are one of them. You are part of the system that is exploiting these people.

Dante clenched his jaw, feeling the weight of her words.

— I know. — He looked down, before looking at her again. — But maybe I don't want to be a part of this anymore.

Lara watched him carefully. He seemed sincere, but she still didn't know if she could trust him. Still, something inside her wanted to believe.

— And what do you want from me? — she asked, crossing her arms.

Dante gave a half smile.

“I want to help. I want to find out the truth, just like you. And somehow, I think we’re on the same side.”

Lara pondered for a moment. Marco’s words echoed in her mind: “Don’t trust anyone.” But Dante wasn’t like the others she’d faced. He wasn’t there to arrest her, but to understand what was happening. Maybe he could be the ally she needed.

“Do you really want to help?” she asked, with a hint of suspicion.

“I do,” he said without hesitation.

She sighed, closing her eyes for a moment, before opening the tablet again and pushing it to Dante’s side. On the screen, the data she’d hacked from the event appeared in detail.

“This is what I’ve got so far,” she said quietly. “If what I’m reading here is correct, Project Aurora is much more than we imagined.” They're using people as guinea pigs, and no one will know, because they're all from the poorest strata of society. Disposable.

Dante frowned, sliding his finger over the screen.

“This is monstrous.” He paused, looking at her. “Do you think you can expose this?”

Lara gave a half smile.

“I can, but not alone. I'll need someone with access to information that I don't have. And, honestly, you could be that someone.”

Dante leaned back in his chair, considering the proposal.

“And if I help you, what happens to me?” he asked.

“I don't know,” she answered honestly. “But if we don't do anything, what will happen to these people?”

He nodded, knowing she was right. Maybe it was the first time in his life that Dante had been faced with a real choice. And at that moment, he knew what his decision would be.

“Okay,” he said firmly. — I'm in.

Lara stared at him for a moment, her eyes trying to decipher if he was really serious. But deep down, she knew she had no other option. If she wanted to expose Project Aurora, she needed to trust him.

— Okay — she said, extending her hand.

— Welcome to the team.

Dante shook her hand, feeling that from that moment on, there was no turning back.