Chapter 4

"SO Jeremy emailed you…like he literally sent you an email to ask you out?" Sophia asked, amazed. "So old-school romantic. I like it!"

Natasha and Sophia had met for a morning run at the Norman B. Leventhal Park. Natasha was eager to discuss the events of the previous night with her and sent her a stream of messages at 6 in the morning. Sophia, on the other hand, had been jolted awake by Natasha's flurry of messages, one of which included a screenshot of Jeremy's email. Her eyes had snapped open in excitement, dispelling any grogginess.

Immediately, Sophia had called Natasha, her voice a mix of excitement and urgency. "We need to do a thorough analysis of this, pronto!" she demanded. "Meet me at Post Office Square." And so, here they were, jogging through the park's winding paths, the early morning light bathing the landscape in a soft, warm hue.

"Yeah, I was kind of expecting it," Natasha said, a slight smile on her face. Her hair, tied back in a loose ponytail, bounced with each stride, her eyes sparkling with the excitement of talking about Jeremy with her best friend.

"And you told us 'It's just a cordial chat.' I knew something had happened between you two at the bar." Sophia said. "Your face right now too is giving everything away," Sophia said gleefully, her tone a mix of anticipation for her best friend, and a teasing edge.

"Well, I didn't want to put any thought into it at that time," Natasha said. "I didn't want to be just another hookup at the bar, you know."

"To be fair, Tash, he didn't seem that kind of guy either," Sophia replied thoughtfully. "But I get it. You can never know with these rich, brooding types."

The two took a turn on the winding path, the gravel crunching lightly under their running shoes. They passed by an elderly couple walking hand in hand, their pace leisurely as they chatted quietly. Nearby, a father was teaching his young daughter to ride a bicycle, his encouraging words blending with the little girl's squeals. The park was coming to life with Boston's typical weekday morning hustle—office-goers briskly walking to the subway, joggers and runners focusing on their laps, and dog walkers struggling to keep up with the overexcited pets.

"So, what are you gonna wear for your date?" Sophia asked, a teasing lilt in her voice.

"Honestly, I haven't put any thought into it yet," Natasha admitted with a shrug. "I had too much going on in my head about the new story the team was looking into."

Sophia's eyes widened in disbelief. She stopped jogging and faced Natasha, prompting her to stop as well. "Tash, are you serious? This is a big deal! You should be thinking about this on priority." She paused, her mind already racing through Natasha's wardrobe. "What about that little black dress you have? The one with the lace neckline?"

Natasha laughed, a bit of color rising in her cheeks. "I guess that's an option. But I don't know if it's the right vibe for a first date."

"Well, we can always go shopping!" Sophia suggested. "We need to find you something that will have Jeremy swooning the moment he sees you. Maybe something a bit more casual but still super chic."

Natasha's eyes twinkled with amusement. "I don't know if I need him swooning. I just want to be comfortable and feel like myself."

Sophia shook her head vehemently. "Trust me, you can be comfortable and still knock his socks off. How about we hit Newbury Street after our run? There's this new boutique that has the cutest dresses. I saw one in the window the other day....I think that would be perfect for you."

Natasha smiled, appreciating her friend's enthusiasm. "Alright, alright. I'll consider it. But no promises that I'll go all out. I just want to enjoy the date and not stress too much about what I'm wearing."

Sophia beamed, satisfied with Natasha's response. "That's the spirit! But I'm still making sure you find something fabulous. We'll make it fun, I promise."

Natasha laughed. "Alright, let's finish this run and head to work first. We'll see about shopping in the evening. Yeah?"

"Done," Sophia agreed, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Now, let's pick up the pace. We've got a busy day ahead!" With that, the two friends quickened their strides, their laughter mingling with the sounds of the bustling park around them.

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The newsroom of The Boston Inquiry was buzzing with the familiar hum of activity, a blend of ringing phones, clicking keyboards, and low murmurs. It was nearly 4:30 pm, the critical hour when Natasha's team raced to submit their articles and photos for the next day's publication. Natasha was sitting in her glass-walled cabin, her eyes darting between the emails for the latest submissions and her research for the next newsworthy story. It was a routine weekday scene, the ebb and flow of deadlines setting the rhythm of the office.

A soft knock on Natasha's door pulled her from the screen.

"Come in," Natasha called, not looking up.

Peter, one of the news investigators, stepped inside, his expression a mix of curiosity and concern. "Natasha, there's a man on the phone asking for the journalist who covered the CUB piece. He won't say his name."

Natasha frowned, her curiosity piqued. "Put him through," she said, pushing her chair back for Peter to transfer the call on her cabin's phone line.

Peter pressed a couple of buttons on the landline and said, "Alright, he's on line 2, I'm pressing the speaker now." Natasha nodded, and leaned towards the desk.

"Hello, this is Natasha, Editor-in-Chief. How can I help you?"

"Are you the one who wrote about the things going on at the Commonwealth University?" the voice on the other end was low and hurried.

"If you mean the article on the cybersecurity issues, yes, I'm the one who wrote it," Natasha replied, composedly. "Can I know who's calling?"

"I can't tell you my name, but you need to know about the same kind of things happening at other colleges in the city." The caller's voice was tense, Natasha felt it was almost frantic. "The social media accounts of the students are getting hacked, information in college and university records is being changed without anyone knowing. It's happening under everyone's noses."

Natasha's eyes narrowed, and she and Peter exchanged a glance. Peter was taking notes rapidly. "Can you give me more details? Which colleges? What kind of information is being changed?" Natasha prompted.

The caller hesitated. "I don't have all the details. I just know it's widespread and serious, and nobody seems to care. You need to look into it."

"Can you give us anything to start with? Any specific incidents or leads?" Natasha's voice was steady but insistent.

"Check the IT departments, look for unusual activity. I've said too much already. Just...get on it fast." The caller's voice grew more urgent.

Before Natasha could ask more, the line went dead. She slowly lowered the phone, her mind racing.

At that moment, Mark and Sophia entered the cabin, laughing. "....and what about that reel of the ridiculous fruit seller?" Mark chuckled.

Sophia grinned, "That was crazy! But the dude's a marketing genius if you think about it..." Their laughter faded as they noticed Natasha's tense expression.

"What's going on?" Sophia asked.

"We just got an anonymous tip about some serious cyber activity at colleges in the city. Accounts being hacked, records altered. It sounds very suspicious," Natasha explained.

Mark's eyes widened. "Do we know which colleges?"

"Not yet. We need to start digging, fast." Natasha turned to Peter. "Get in touch with our contacts in the IT departments of the major colleges. I also want you to look through any recent reports of cyber incidents or anomalies in university systems."

Peter nodded and went out, already dialing a number on his phone.

Mark had a thoughtful expression on his face. "Natasha, we should also monitor social media and forums. Sometimes students discuss these issues online before they report them officially."

"Good idea, Mark," Natasha said, nodding in approval. "Set up some alerts for Peter and the team, and ask him to start scraping for relevant keywords."

As Mark stepped out of the cabin to relay the instructions to Peter, Sophia stepped closer to Natasha's desk, her eyes soft with concern. "Tash, I know we were supposed to go shopping for your date outfit, but if you don't wanna, we can just raid your closet and find something amazing. What do you think?"

Natasha looked up, her tension easing slightly as she met Sophia's supportive gaze. "Thanks, Soph. Shopping is the last thing on my mind right now. If what the anonymous caller said is true, this could be big, and I want to stay ahead of it."

"I know," Sophia smiled, understanding her best friend's commitment to her work. "Hey, I'm sure we can find something killer in your closet. Besides, Jeremy won't care what you're wearing. He's already smitten."

Natasha rolled her eyes in good humor. "Well, if he's so smitten as you say, I might as well show up in pajamas," Natasha said, chuckling at Sophia's mock-horrified expression.