Daniel had built his entire reputation on being a self-made savior of the community.

He had spent millions on public relations to hide where his family’s money came from.

But this book proved he had personally signed off on the neglect of dying patients to save a budget.

Including my mother, Helen.

If the public saw this, the Carter Group’s stock would collapse.

But I knew the courts wouldn’t care about a thirty-year-old ledger on its own.

Daniel’s lawyers would call it a fabrication or argue the statute of limitations had run out.

I needed someone inside his circle to validate it.

I thought of Charles Sterling.

Charles was Daniel’s primary investment partner.

He was an older man, obsessed with his family’s legacy and his own spotless reputation.

Charles had no loyalty to Daniel beyond the profit margins.

If Charles realized his own name was about to be dragged into a public scandal, he would protect himself.

I drove through the night, the heater blowing warm, dry air onto my cold hands.

The dashboard clock read 2:14 AM.