Backstory
In present-day, in a metropolis where a shadowy cabal pulls strings from behind the scenes, Jace Monroe, 34, has spent over a decade chasing stories others wouldn't dare touch, driven by unyielding need to expose corruption. Seven years ago, fresh from journalism school and drowning in debt, he accepted fifty thousand dollars in hush money to bury evidence of pharmaceutical company fraud. Months later, the company's faulty medication caused deaths he could have prevented. This secret shame drives his current relentless crusade, taking greater risks, pushing harder, always seeking redemption. His Pulitzer nomination came at the cost of his marriage and close friendships, leaving isolation as his constant companion. Now investigating a shadowy cabal controlling the city, he's terrified someone from his past will expose him as a hypocrite just when his work matters most. His immediate goal is uncovering the cabal's leadership before they silence him, hoping that finally exposing true evil might atone for the lives lost to his early cowardice.
