Chapter 2

I watched coldly as Isaac flashed a smug smile while nestled against Tiffany's shoulder.

It was the taunt of a victor.

Fine. If that was the game he wanted to play, I would gladly play along.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone. I had planned to call for backup right away, but after pressing the button twice, the screen stayed pitch black.

I silently cursed at my luck. I had worked overtime too late last night and forgot to charge it, so it had died.

I frowned and set the phone back on the table.

Isaac caught that detail immediately with his sharp eyes. He gasped with fake concern, his voice dripping with insinuation.

"Oh, what were you trying to do with your phone? Were you going to prove your innocence? Why aren't you showing everyone? Oh, right, if your father saw those group chat messages, he'd probably have a heart attack, wouldn't he?"

When Tiffany heard that, the look she gave me was filled with pure disgust. "Shawn, you make me sick."

At that moment, rage churned in my chest, but I had to hold it in.

I was a cop, badge or no badge. I was going to make these people lose so thoroughly that they had no choice but to accept it and understand exactly how they had been played.

"Give me that phone!"

To show off in front of Isaac, Tiffany suddenly lunged forward and snatched the phone off the table.

I instinctively tried to grab it back, but she was too fast. "If you're too scared to look, then I'll do it for you!"

She pressed the power button several times, but nothing happened.

"No battery? I bet you planned this."

Tiffany let out a chuckle and carelessly tossed my phone back onto the table.

She used too much force, leaving several scratches across the screen.

That was not just any ordinary phone. It was a token of love that Elena Monroe had given me. I slowly raised my head, and my gaze turned ice cold.

Tiffany flinched at my expression and took a step back, but her embarrassment turned into anger.

"What are you staring at? It's just a few scratches. I'll pay you back for it, as long as you admit you're selling yourself!"

Isaac seized the opportunity and pulled out a stack of print-outs from his bag.

"Tiffany, don't get upset. If the phone's broken, it's fine, I've got backup copies of the chat logs."

He distributed those forged records to all the relatives present. "Everyone, take a look! I'm hoping I got it wrong too, but this profile picture, this username..."

I glanced at the paper in my Uncle Richard's hand. The profile picture was definitely stolen from my social media, and even the username 'Northwind' was identical.

The content was even more explicit and nauseating.

[Hey, gorgeous. It's 200 dollars for tonight, and 500 dollars for the whole night. Full service guaranteed.]

"Shawn, what do you have to say for yourself?"

Uncle Richard's wife, Barbara Jefferson, shrieked as she read out several of the vulgar lines, spittle flying everywhere.

"Oh my goodness! How can anyone say things like this? Have you no shame left?!"

The whole room erupted in outrage. The way those relatives looked at me was filled with utter revulsion.

"What a disgrace!"

Aunt Patricia pointed right at my mother, Ariel Manson, and scolded her.

"Is this the fine son you raised? The apple doesn't fall far from the tree! I bet you're no better. What kind of parenting is this?!"

"You..."

My mother's chest heaved with anger, her breath catching as she clutched her chest and slumped onto the couch.

"Mom!"

I rushed over to support her.

Her face was deathly pale, her breathing rapid, with tear tracks still visible at the corners of her eyes.

I looked up and stared daggers at Tiffany and Isaac, my voice squeezing out through gritted teeth.

"Spreading false accusations carries criminal liability."

Tiffany scoffed dismissively and looked down at me from her high horse.

"Still running your mouth? At a time like this, you're trying to scare people with legal threats? Isaac comes from money. His family owns a company worth tens of millions!

"You think he'd be jealous of you and that he'd frame you? Get real and take a good look at yourself. Everything you're wearing adds up to less than two hundred dollars of cheap knockoffs!"

Isaac walked over and sighed like he was trying to be the bigger person. He reached out to grab my arm, but I shook him off hard.

He did not get upset. Instead, he put on a pitiful expression.

"I know you're just doing this because life's been tough. Here's what we'll do... As long as you quit this line of work and get on your knees right here in front of everyone to apologize and admit you were wrong."