Chapter 1

Warren Sutton had married Rose Chapman in secret at the height of his legal career and his professional reputation.

Five years later, she sat across from him and slid her phone over with a smile. A video of his younger sister filled the screen. She was naked, with pale skin and a flushed face with a man who had his mouth on hers.

He passed a mouthful of expensive 1982 Chateau Lafite between her lips. She tried to turn away, but the camera made her resistance look bashful.

Rose kept smiling as Warren's face went white. She tapped a finger on the table and said, "Come on, Warren. Look at them. Do you really think anyone's going to call that rape? They're obviously enjoying themselves, correct?

"Three minutes. Give me the evidence, or Mia will become famous instantly. There's only room for one at the top, and Joe can't have a loss on his record. So, just quit. I'll take care of you after this."

"Rose…" Warren's voice trembled. "That's my sister you're talking about. She means everything to me… That lowlife drugged her…"

Rose simply flicked a card across the table. "It wasn't anything that serious, Warren. I'm not upsetting Joe over two people having a little consensual fun. Joe could be stubborn, and he'll cry if he loses."

Warren stared at her. Suddenly, he realized what a fool he had been all this while.

A little fun?

"My sister was raped, and my family's falling apart. You call that a little fun? The waste of space who did it is still walking around free… Is that fine with you too?

"But the possibility of Joe crying over losing a case is a disaster? Is his precious reputation all that matters? What kind of man is he?"

Rose frowned, upset. She leaned forward and explained in annoyance, "What did you expect? I owe him, Warren. Nobody comes before him. Nobody.

"That's five hundred thousand dollars in the account linked to the card. Give it to your sister, and tell her to buy whatever that makes her happy—a purse, a car, whatever. They're young, and it's normal for people to try things in bed."

Warren shook with anger. He could not understand… How had she turned into someone he could barely recognize today?

"Ro… Rose." He could barely get her name out. "If I say no, are you really going to destroy us?"

"Try me!"

Warren had first heard of Joe River a year earlier in court. Joe had been the defense attorney on one of Warren's cases.

He had a shaky grasp of the law and a habit of lecturing everyone else about moral rights and wrongs.