Hiding from Valdez (Romance)

In the neon-lit streets of Miami, where the nights are as hot as the passions that simmer beneath the surface, Sofia Alvarez is on the run. A quiet and thoughtful woman with a hidden past, Sofia has spent the last two years trying to rebuild a life that was shattered by betrayal and violence. Once a rising star in the art world, she had been swept into a dangerous affair with Alejandro Valdez, a notorious businessman with connections to the criminal underworld. Valdez was captivating, charming, and powerful-everything Sofia thought she needed. But beneath his allure lay a man who controlled with fear, manipulation, and cruelty. When Sofia uncovered a dark secret about his criminal empire, she knew she had to escape before she became another casualty of his world. Now, hiding under a false identity in a small seaside town on the outskirts of the city, Sofia has done her best to keep a low profile, working as a bartender and avoiding the shadows of her past. But the ghosts of her former life are never far behind, and Valdez's influence stretches far beyond what she could have imagined. The past refuses to let go, and when a mysterious stranger enters the bar one fateful night, Sofia's life is once again thrown into chaos. The stranger is Gabriel Santos, a private investigator hired by a client with a vested interest in finding Sofia-Valdez himself. Gabriel is a man with his own secrets, a former cop with a complicated past that's led him down a morally gray path. He's been tasked with finding Sofia, but when he finally meets her, something shifts inside him. The woman before him isn't the calculating fugitive he imagined. She is vulnerable, haunted, and desperately seeking refuge. Gabriel finds himself drawn to her, both professionally and emotionally, and begins questioning his loyalties. As Gabriel spends more time with Sofia, he uncovers the truth about Valdez's dangerous empire-and about Sofia's life on the run. The deeper he digs, the more he realizes that Valdez's reach is more extensive than he thought, and Sofia is in grave danger. But Gabriel's growing feelings for Sofia complicate everything. As a man who has spent years in the shadows, he knows that getting involved with someone like her could put them both in grave peril. Yet, every instinct he has tells him that Sofia is not the enemy. She is the victim, and Valdez is the true threat. Torn between his duty to the investigation and his blossoming love for Sofia, Gabriel must make a choice: continue to hide the truth and keep his distance, or risk everything to protect the woman who has unknowingly captured his heart. As the walls close in around them and Valdez's men begin to track Sofia down, Gabriel and Sofia are forced to rely on each other in ways they never expected. With danger lurking at every turn, they must outwit Valdez's relentless pursuit, all while navigating their undeniable attraction and the growing emotional bond between them.