When Lemira reached the campus gates, she immediately spotted Sebastian Bennett's flashy sports car idling by the curb.

She slid into the passenger seat. "What's his status? Is it critical?"

"Hard to say until we get there," Sebastian said, slamming his foot on the gas. "I strongly suspect the Sinclairs orchestrated this."

"How?"

"Sophia Sinclair recently shacked up with a major underworld boss. The guy runs illegal empires he has his hands in every dirty pot in the city. For a guy like that, his reach inside the prison system is even deeper than it is on the streets. Getting someone to silence Hale on the inside would be a walk in the park."

Lemira frowned. That perfectly aligned with her own suspicions.

She muttered, "I didn't think the Sinclairs would strike back this fast."

While waiting at a red light, Sebastian tossed a tablet into her lap.

"You have to hand it to Ms. Sinclair. A crime lord like him isn't lacking in women. For him to stick his neck out for the Sinclairs, Sophia must be working serious overtime behind closed doors."

Or, more accurately, between the sheets.

Lemira powered on the tablet. A profile photo of a middle-aged man filled the screen. He wore a massive emerald thumb ring, and even his smile radiated a chilling, predatory cruelty.

One look at him made her stomach turn.

The man was clearly a ruthless monster.

Scanning his file, she saw he was heavily involved in black-market trades, with his primary cash flow coming from illegal gambling syndicates.

Lemira asked, "Is this him?"

"Yeah. Read up on them. Memorize the faces. Neither the father nor the son are anything but pure scum."

At the mention of the duo, Sebastian's brow furrowed in deep disgust.

Catching the shift in his demeanor, Lemira asked, "You've crossed paths with them before?"

"I defended his son a few years ago."

Sebastian's lips pressed into a thin, angry line. "It's not exactly a highlight of my career."

Lemira connected the dots. "Don't tell me... a murder trial?"

"No. Sexual assault."

Sebastian rolled his window down, his mood rapidly souring. "If those two end up in my crosshairs this time, I swear I'll bury them."

Lemira completely understood what had happened.

She asked quietly, "As a defense attorney, does it eat you alive when you have to protect a monster?"

"In the legal world, my reputation is practically radioactive compared to my mentor's. People say I'm the designated fixer for wealthy psychopaths the guy who gets

them out of facing justice content

As Sebastian spoke, he stared out the windshield with feigned indifference, but a deep shadow lingered in his eyes.

Lemira didn't judge him. "If you didn't take the case, someone else would have. They only talk trash about you

because you're a legal shat you

who

wins every time."

Sebastian looked at her in genuine shock. "You're the first person who's ever said that to me."

"The fact that you know exactly how these monsters operate is exactly why I trust you to handle this case. It's your greatest weapon."

Sebastian pulled his gaze away, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. Without another word, he rolled the window back up, shutting

out the city noise. fo

They pulled up to the hospital shortly after.

Lemira's heart hammered anxiously against her ribs. In a twisted stroke of irony, she desperately wanted Hale to survive.

He was a piece of trash who deserved to rot for what he had done to her parents.

But right now, she needed him breathing.

At least until the Sinclairs paid the price.

Sitting outside the ER, every second stretched into an eternity.

Not long after, a heavily pregnant Evelina came waddling frantically down the hall. "How is my dad?!"

Right behind her came the entire Langston family, swarming the corridor and choking the space.

Lemira glared at them, her mood instantly souring. "No idea. He's still in surgery." "My dad would never kill himself!" Evelina cried.