LOGINDaniel's Pov
The precinct's records department took two days to locate the original file.
"Sealed," the clerk said, sliding a printout across the counter. "You'll need a court order or written consent from all involved parties to access the full report."
I got the court order within forty-eight hours. Money moved fast when it needed to.
Rosa sat beside me in my office when the unsea
Daniel's PovI found the cafe address on Rosa's phone through the family locator app, panic driving me across the city faster than traffic should have allowed.I walked in to find her standing near the door, her face pale, something broken already visible in her expression."Rosa."She looked up at me, and I saw it immediately. The recording. Johansson's work. Everything I'd been terrified of finally catching up to us."Daniel." Johansson's voice carried satisfaction from somewhere behind her. "Perfect timing."I crossed the cafe fast, my hand finding Rosa's shoulder. "We're leaving.""Did your father tell you to marry me?"The question stopped me completely."Rosa, let's talk about this at home.""Did he?" Her voice cracked. "Answer me right now, D
Rosa's PovThe cafe was small, tucked away on a side street Johansson had chosen specifically, no cameras, no witnesses who mattered.She was already seated when I arrived, a cup of untouched coffee in front of her, her composure perfectly intact. She looked like she'd been waiting for this moment for a long time."You actually came." She gestured at the chair across from her. "Bold, given what you claim to know."I sat down, my folder on the table between us. "I'm not here to play games, Johansson.""Pity. I was looking forward to the games." She leaned back, studying me with the same cold assessment she'd shown at the gala. "You've been busy. I'll give you that. Most people would have crumbled months ago.""Katherine Wells," I said, no preamble. "Seventeen years old. You were driving. You were drunk. She died and your family made the ent
Rosa's PovI turned the laptop toward him, my heart pounding.It was a juvenile record, sealed under a different name, filed in a different state. But the identifying details matched. Johansson's age. Her family's address at the time. A name I'd never heard before but that I recognized immediately as the missing piece of a pattern."Fifteen years ago," I said slowly. "Johansson Theron, age seventeen."Daniel leaned closer, his face going pale as he read."Vehicular manslaughter," he said, his voice barely above a whisper."Her best friend." I kept my voice steady despite the shaking in my hands. "A girl named Katherine Wells. They were both in the car. Johansson was driving. Blood alcohol content recorded at the scene despite her age.""Someone died.""Katherine died at the scene. Johansson survived with minor injuries." I scrolled further. "The report was sealed under juvenile protection laws, which is standard for minors. But there's a note here about political intervention. Her fam
Daniel's PovThe precinct's records department took two days to locate the original file."Sealed," the clerk said, sliding a printout across the counter. "You'll need a court order or written consent from all involved parties to access the full report."I got the court order within forty-eight hours. Money moved fast when it needed to.Rosa sat beside me in my office when the unsealed report finally arrived, both of us silent as I opened the file for the first time in years."There." Rosa pointed to a line halfway down the second page. "Blood alcohol content, point one six.""Twice the legal limit.""Recorded at the scene, before anyone had a chance to alter anything." She kept reading, her finger tracing down the page. "This is Johansson's actual toxicology result, Daniel. Not yours."I s
Rosa's PovI sat down slowly on the edge of the bed beside him, my mind still catching up to what he'd just told me."You took a criminal record for her," I said quietly. "To protect her family's political career. Because your father asked you to.""Yes.""And she's been threatening you with the truth ever since, the truth that would actually clear you.""Yes.""That's insane, Daniel." My voice came out shaky. "You've been living under a lie for years, carrying blame that isn't even yours, and the one person who could clear your name has been using that same truth as a weapon against you instead.""That's exactly what she's been doing."I reached for his hand, threading my fingers through his despite everything we'd fought about hours earlier."I'm not angry at you," I
Daniel's PovI found her sitting on the guest room bed when I got home, a folder open beside her, her face pale in a way that stopped me in the doorway."Rosa.""I know about Robbie." Her voice came out flat, exhausted. "The photos. The money Johansson paid her. All of it.""I suspected as much when the tabloids started.""You suspected." She looked up at me. "You suspected my own stepsister was selling information about me and you didn't tell me.""I didn't have proof until the security firm confirmed it." I crossed the room, sat carefully on the edge of the bed. "I was building the case before I brought it to you.""That's what you always do. Build the case privately before deciding what I'm allowed to know."I didn't argue that point, because after tonight's fight, I understood exactly h







