The night after Sam's accusations, Alex sat in his darkened apartment, staring at the letter that warned him: "A friend becomes your enemy." He wanted to believe Sam was just scared, confused—but the way his partner had looked at him? That wasn't fear. That was conviction.
His phone vibrated again. This time it was Lila Carter.
"Alex… we need to talk," her voice cracked. "Grace gave me something—old ledger pages from the library fire. Your father's name is all over it."
Alex's chest tightened. "Lila—"
"Meet me at the Gazette office. Midnight. And come alone."
The Trap
When Alex arrived, the Gazette was eerily quiet. The hum of old fluorescent lights filled the empty newsroom. Lila stood by her desk, clutching the ledger.
Before Alex could speak, Marcus Flynn stepped out of the shadows, smirking. "What did I tell you, Carter? The detective's in this up to his neck."
Lila's face was pale. "Alex, I didn't—he just showed up—"
Marcus threw a folder onto the desk. Inside were photos: Alex's father shaking hands with Victor Kane, Ethan Blake, and others from The Circle.
"Your daddy wasn't just part of Ravenwood's corruption," Marcus sneered. "He helped cover up a murder in 1987."
Alex's blood ran cold. "That's a lie."
Marcus leaned in, eyes sharp. "Then explain why a victim's body was never found. Explain why the records burned in that fire pointed back to him. Maybe the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."
Before Alex could lunge at him, a window shattered. A Molotov cocktail ignited the newsroom in flames. Someone outside had set the trap.
"Move!" Alex shouted, grabbing Lila as the fire roared. Marcus darted for the back exit, his smirk gone.
Through the smoke, Alex glimpsed a figure outside—Derek Vaughn, watching, unmoving, before vanishing once again.
An Unlikely Ally
The trio escaped into the street. Fire crews raced toward the Gazette as the building collapsed in sparks. Marcus staggered, coughing, but still grinning.
"Looks like someone doesn't want us digging deeper," he rasped. "Maybe we should work together, detective."
Alex wanted to punch him—but he knew Marcus was right. Whoever orchestrated this was always one step ahead.
The Mayor Speaks
The next morning, Alex and Clara visited Ethan Blake, recovering in a guarded hospital room. The mayor's face was pale, his voice weak.
"They'll kill me for this," Blake whispered. "But you deserve to know."
He nodded toward Clara. "She's right. Your father… he wasn't innocent. The Circle wasn't just laundering money. In 1987, they silenced someone. A whistleblower. Your father helped cover it up."
Alex's throat tightened. "Who?"
The mayor's hand trembled as he scribbled a name on a scrap of paper.
When Alex unfolded it, his stomach dropped.
Maya Reed.
Alex's mind reeled. Maya was alive—he'd met her a week ago at the precinct, helping them with tech support. But if she was the whistleblower…
"She disappeared," Blake rasped. "Or so we thought. If she's back… she's the one pulling the strings."
Before Alex could ask more, the heart monitor spiked. The mayor convulsed, gasping. Nurses rushed in. Someone had poisoned him.
The Real Snake
Outside the hospital, Alex found Sam waiting, eyes dark.
"Don't you see?" Sam snapped. "Everywhere you go, bodies drop, buildings burn. And now the mayor's dead after meeting you. Maybe you're not the detective here, Alex. Maybe you're the bait."
Alex stared at him, broken. "You think I'm behind this?"
Sam stepped closer, his voice low. "I think someone's using you. And I think you're too blind to see it."
The Mastermind's Voice
That night, another letter arrived—but this time, there was no paper. Just a phone call.
Alex answered. A distorted voice crackled through the line.
"You're getting closer, Detective. But you'll never catch me. This town belongs to the past, and I am its reckoning. Every secret, every betrayal—it all leads back to you."
Alex gripped the phone. "Who are you?"
The voice chuckled. "You already know. You've known all along."
The line went dead.
And Alex realized the truth: this wasn't just about The Circle. It wasn't just about his father. The mastermind was weaving everything into a single story—one where Alex Monroe himself was meant to play the final victim.