“Max,” she whispered, tears welling up as she reached for him.

He took her hand gently, his heart aching. “I’m here, sis. I’m here.”

For a long moment, they sat in silence, the gravity of her situation sinking in. “He won’t get away with it, Erica. I promise you that.”

Her eyes flickered with a mixture of hope and fear. “They say there’s nothing we can do. His family—”

“Forget what they say,” Max interrupted, his voice firm. “I’m not leaving until this is made right.”

Max spent the next few days gathering information, piecing together the events leading up to that horrific night. He visited old friends in law enforcement, called in favors from former colleagues, and quietly collected evidence that painted a different picture than the one Brad’s family was spinning. Brad had underestimated not just Max’s determination, but also his training. This was not a battlefield mission with clear rules of engagement; this was a chess game, and Max was always thinking several moves ahead.

The breakthrough came when Max discovered surveillance footage from a neighbor’s security camera. The grainy video showed Brad outside the house the night of the incident, his demeanor aggressive and unhinged. It was the leverage Max needed to challenge Brad’s alibi and the false narrative his family had constructed.

With the evidence in hand, Max approached Curtis Hubbard one last time. Even in retirement, Curtis’s contacts remained a powerful asset. Together, they orchestrated a quiet meeting with the district attorney, someone Curtis trusted would see the case objectively. The DA agreed to reopen the investigation, promising to keep the newfound evidence under wraps until the right moment.

As Max left the district attorney’s office, he felt a sense of calm. The wheels of justice were in motion. Brad Perry, with his smug sense of invincibility, was about to learn a harsh lesson. Max had kept his promise to Erica: her fight was his fight, and together, they would ensure that Brad never hurt anyone else again. The truth had a way of coming out, and Max would be there to see it through.