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Short filmTranscript
00:00I'm arguing with a federal prosecutor in a courthouse bathroom
00:03when I realize my life has officially gone off the rails.
00:06You can't just ambush me in here, Derek, I hiss,
00:10checking under the stall doors like some kind of paranoid criminal.
00:13Which, let's be honest, is exactly what I'm becoming by association.
00:18Derek crosses his arms, blocking the exit like he's got all day.
00:22You're defending a guy who runs half the illegal imports on the West Coast Isla.
00:27What did you think was going to happen?
00:30I thought I was going to pay my student loans.
00:32I snap back.
00:34Revolutionary concept, I know.
00:36Here's the thing about being a public defender turned private attorney.
00:40You don't get to be picky.
00:42Not when you're 28, drowning in debt,
00:44and your most valuable possession is a coffee maker
00:46that only works if you hit it twice on the left side.
00:50When Marcus Vitale's people called my tiny office in downtown San Diego three weeks ago,
00:55offering more money than I'd make in two years,
00:57I didn't ask questions.
01:00I should have asked questions.
01:02He's going to eat you alive, Derek says,
01:05and there's actually concern in his voice.
01:08We went to law school together,
01:10dated for about five minutes before realizing we worked better as frenemies.
01:14These aren't shoplifters, Isla.
01:18Vitale's organization has ties to,
01:20I'm aware of who my client is, thanks.
01:23I push past him,
01:25my heels clicking against the tile floor.
01:28And unlike you,
01:29I believe in the constitutional right to legal representation.
01:32I believe in staying alive.
01:35I pause at the door,
01:37hand on the handle.
01:38I'll be fine.
01:40I'm just his lawyer.
01:41Famous last words.
01:43The thing is,
01:44I haven't even met Marcus Vitale yet.
01:46All my communications have been through his people.
01:50Suited men with dead eyes who speak in monosyllables
01:52and leave cash retainers that smell faintly of expensive cologne.
01:56Today's the preliminary hearing.
01:58Today,
01:59I finally meet the man who's apparently terrifying enough
02:01to make a federal prosecutor corner me in a bathroom.
02:04I walk back into the courtroom with my head high
02:07and my stomach in knots.
02:08The gallery is packed.
02:11I spot at least a dozen men in thousand-dollar suits
02:13all watching the proceedings
02:14with the focused intensity of predators.
02:16My little pencil skirt and target blouse
02:18suddenly feel very inadequate.
02:20Then the side door opens and the entire room shifts.
02:23He walks in like he owns the building.
02:26Tall,
02:26broad-shouldered,
02:28moving with the kind of lethal grace
02:29that makes you think of panthers and bad decisions.
02:32Dark hair swept back,
02:34sharp jawline,
02:35and eyes so intensely blue
02:37they look photoshopped.
02:38He's wearing a navy suit
02:39that probably costs more than my car,
02:42my theoretical car,
02:43since I take the bus.
02:44And he surveys the courtroom
02:45with the bored expression of a man
02:47who's never been impressed by anything in his life.
02:50Marcus Vitale.
02:52Our eyes meet.
02:53Something electric zips down my spine.
02:56His gaze locks onto mine with unsettling focus,
02:59and I watch his expression shift,
03:01just barely.
03:03One eyebrow raises a fraction of an inch.
03:05The corner of his mouth does this thing
03:07that's not quite a smirk,
03:09but somehow makes my pulse spike anyway.
03:11Great.
03:12My client is hot.
03:13This is a complication I absolutely did not need.
03:16I stand as he approaches the defense table,
03:18trying to project confidence
03:19I definitely don't feel.
03:21He stops beside me,
03:22standing close enough that I catch his scent.
03:25Something expensive and woody
03:26that makes me want to lean in like an idiot.
03:28Miss Reyes,
03:30he says,
03:31and his voice is like whiskey.
03:33Smooth,
03:33dark,
03:34dangerous.
03:35A pleasure.
03:37Mr. Vitale,
03:38I extend my hand,
03:39very professional.
03:40We should discuss.
03:42His hand engulfs mine,
03:44warm,
03:45strong.
03:46He doesn't shake it so much as hold it,
03:48his thumb brushing across my knuckles
03:49in a way that feels entirely too intimate
03:51for a courthouse.
03:52You're younger than I expected,
03:56he murmurs.
03:57Those blue eyes studying me like I'm a puzzle,
03:59he's deciding whether to solve or destroy.
04:02You're exactly as terrifying as advertised.
04:05The words slip out before I can stop them.
04:08His lips curve into an actual smile.
04:10Good.
04:12The bailiff calls for order,
04:13saving me from whatever's happening here.
04:16I pull my hand back
04:17and focus on arranging my notes
04:18with fingers that are absolutely not trembling.
04:21The hearing is a disaster.
04:24Not because I'm unprepared.
04:26I'm never unprepared.
04:28But because every time I stand to make an objection
04:30or cross-examine a witness,
04:33I feel Marcus watching me.
04:35It's distracting in a way
04:37that makes me want to both flee the building
04:39and lean into it.
04:41When I argue that the search warrant
04:42was improperly executed,
04:44citing a technicality that could get
04:46half the evidence thrown out,
04:48I hear him make this low sound of approval.
04:50When the prosecutor tries to paint my client
04:53as some kind of movie villain,
04:54I shut it down with enough bite
04:56that two of the jurors actually smile.
04:58The prosecution would have you believe my client
05:00is some kind of criminal mastermind,
05:02I say,
05:03gesturing with the casual confidence
05:05of someone who definitely doesn't feel
05:06like she's swimming with sharks.
05:08But the evidence shows a successful businessman
05:10who's being targeted
05:11because of his last name and his success.
05:14This is prejudice masquerading as justice.
05:16I sit down.
05:19Marcus leans over,
05:20his shoulder brushing mine.
05:22You argue like you're already my wife,
05:25he whispers,
05:26low enough that only I can hear.
05:28I choke on absolutely nothing.
05:31Excuse me?
05:32I manage, keeping my voice down.
05:35Passionate,
05:36protective,
05:37slightly terrifying.
05:38His eyes gleam with amusement.
05:40I like it.
05:41I'm your attorney, Mr. Vitale,
05:44not your...
05:45Marcus.
05:47He shifts,
05:48angling toward me
05:48in a way that feels predatory.
05:51And I'm aware of what you are,
05:52Miss Reyes.
05:53The question is,
05:54are you aware of what you've walked into?
05:57Before I can respond,
05:59the judge announces a recess.
06:01The courtroom erupts into movement,
06:03but Marcus doesn't budge.
06:05He's still watching me
06:06with that unnerving intensity.
06:08We need to talk,
06:09I say firmly.
06:11About your case,
06:12about the charges,
06:13about...
06:14Have dinner with me.
06:16I blink.
06:17What?
06:18Tonight,
06:19we'll discuss the case.
06:21He stands,
06:22buttoning his suit jacket
06:23with practiced ease.
06:25My driver will pick you up at seven.
06:28I don't think that's...
06:29It wasn't a request, counselor.
06:32He leans down,
06:33close enough that I feel
06:34his breath against my ear.
06:36You work for me now.
06:37That means you're under my protection.
06:39Whether you like it or not.
06:42Then he's gone,
06:43moving through the crowd
06:44with two massive bodyguards
06:45materializing from nowhere
06:46to flank him.
06:48People literally step aside
06:49to let him pass.
06:51I sit there,
06:52stunned,
06:53my heart doing gymnastics
06:54in my chest.
06:55Derek appears at my elbow.
06:58Please tell me
06:58you're not actually considering...
07:00I have to.
07:01I cut him off.
07:03He's my client.
07:04He's dangerous, Isla.
07:07I watch Marcus's back
07:08disappear through
07:09the courthouse doors,
07:11sunlight streaming in behind him
07:12like some kind of
07:13dramatic movie shot.
07:15Yeah,
07:16I mutter,
07:17gathering my notes
07:17with shaking hands.
07:19I'm starting to get that.
07:21My phone buzzes.
07:22Unknown number.
07:247 p.m.
07:25Wear something nice.
07:28M.
07:28I stare at the text
07:30for a solid minute,
07:31trying to decide
07:32if I'm more annoyed
07:33or intrigued.
07:34Possibly both.
07:36Definitely both.
07:38How did he get my number?
07:39I say out loud.
07:41Derek gives me a look
07:42that clearly says seriously.
07:44Isla.
07:44He probably knows
07:45your blood type
07:46and your coffee order.
07:48Fair point.
07:49I spend the rest of the day
07:50trying to focus on work
07:51and failing miserably.
07:53Every time I close my eyes,
07:54I see those blue eyes
07:56watching me
07:56like I'm something
07:57to be figured out.
07:58Something to be claimed.
08:00At 6.45,
08:02I'm standing in my tiny apartment,
08:04staring at my pathetic closet,
08:05when a knock echoes
08:06through the space.
08:08I open the door
08:08to find a woman
08:09in a designer suit
08:10holding three garment bags.
08:12Miss Reyes?
08:13Mr. Vitale sent these.
08:15He thought you might need options.
08:17I should be offended.
08:19I should slam the door
08:20and text him
08:20that I can dress myself.
08:21Thank you very much.
08:23Instead,
08:24I take the bags.
08:25Because I'm curious.
08:26Because I'm in over my head.
08:28Because somewhere
08:29between that courtroom
08:29and this moment,
08:31I stopped being just his lawyer
08:32and became something else entirely.
08:35I just don't know what yet.
08:37The dress he sent fits
08:39like it was made for me.
08:41Because it probably was.
08:43I stare at myself
08:44in my bathroom mirror,
08:46the only mirror
08:46in this shoebox apartment
08:48that shows more than my face,
08:49and barely recognize
08:51the woman looking back.
08:53Deep emerald silk
08:54that hits just above the knee,
08:56elegant without being over the top.
08:58The kind of dress
08:59that whispers wealth
09:00instead of screaming it.
09:02This is insane,
09:04I tell my reflection.
09:06You're insane.
09:08My reflection doesn't argue.
09:11The driver is waiting outside
09:12at exactly seven.
09:14Black Mercedes,
09:15tinted windows,
09:16the whole intimidating package.
09:19He opens the door
09:20without a word,
09:20and I slide into leather seats
09:22that probably cost more
09:23than my entire education.
09:25We drive through downtown San Diego
09:27as the sun starts its descent,
09:29painting everything gold and amber.
09:31No mysterious nighttime journey,
09:33just clear daylight
09:34showing me exactly where I'm going.
09:36Somehow that's more unnerving.
09:38We end up at a restaurant
09:40I've only read about in magazines.
09:42The kind of place
09:42where you need a reservation
09:43six months in advance
09:44and a trust fund to pay the bill.
09:47The maitre d' sees me
09:48and immediately straightens
09:49like someone's warned him I'm coming.
09:51Miss Reyes,
09:52right this way.
09:54He leads me through
09:55the main dining room,
09:56full of San Diego's elite
09:57enjoying their Thursday evening,
09:59and out to a private terrace
10:00overlooking the bay.
10:02The view is obscene.
10:04Sailboats dot the water,
10:05the Coronado Bridge
10:06spans the horizon,
10:07and the setting sun
10:08turns everything into a postcard.
10:11Marcus stands when he sees me.
10:13He's changed into a black shirt,
10:15no tie,
10:16sleeves rolled to his elbows.
10:18Casual for him
10:19probably still costs more
10:20than I make in a month,
10:21but there's something different
10:22about seeing him
10:23outside the courthouse.
10:25Less controlled,
10:26more dangerous.
10:27You wore the green,
10:29he says,
10:29pulling out my chair.
10:31Good choice.
10:32You sent three dresses.
10:34All of them were green.
10:36I sit,
10:37hyper-aware of his hands
10:38near my shoulders.
10:40Subtle.
10:41I'm rarely subtle, Isla.
10:44He takes his seat across from me
10:45and the way he says my name,
10:47like he's tasting it,
10:48does something stupid to my stomach.
10:51When I want something,
10:52I make it clear.
10:54Is that supposed to be reassuring?
10:56That depends on what you think I want.
10:59A waiter appears with wine
11:00before I can respond.
11:02Expensive wine.
11:04The kind that probably has a year on it
11:05that matters.
11:07Marcus doesn't look at the menu,
11:08just nods at the waiter,
11:09who disappears.
11:11You ordered for me?
11:12I raise an eyebrow.
11:13I ordered for us.
11:16Unless you have dietary restrictions
11:17I should know about?
11:19Just a restriction against men
11:21making decisions for me.
11:23His smile is slow,
11:25predatory.
11:26You're going to be difficult,
11:27aren't you?
11:29I'm your lawyer.
11:30Difficult is literally
11:31my job description.
11:33About that.
11:35He leans back
11:36and the fading sunlight
11:37catches his face just right.
11:39Unfair.
11:40Everything about him is unfair.
11:42You were impressive today.
11:45That warrant technicality.
11:47Where'd you find that?
11:48Law school.
11:50Also known as the place
11:51where I racked up
11:51six figures of debt
11:52so I could argue
11:53with people professionally.
11:55I take a sip of wine
11:56because I need something
11:57to do with my hands.
11:59It's incredible, obviously.
12:01The search was sloppy.
12:03They wanted you badly enough
12:04to cut corners.
12:06They've wanted me for years.
12:08He says it casually,
12:10like we're discussing the weather.
12:12I've been very careful
12:14not to give them
12:14what they want.
12:16And yet here we are.
12:19Here we are,
12:20he agrees,
12:22his eyes never leaving mine.
12:24Tell me something, counselor.
12:25Why'd you take my case?
12:27I could lie,
12:28should lie,
12:30but something about the way
12:31he's looking at me,
12:32like he'll know
12:33if I'm not honest,
12:34makes me go with the truth.
12:36Money.
12:38I'm broke.
12:39You're paying obscenely well
12:41and I have principles,
12:42but I also have bills.
12:44I set down my wine glass.
12:46Why'd you pick me?
12:47There are a hundred lawyers
12:48in this city
12:49with more experience.
12:51A hundred and forty-three,
12:52actually.
12:53I had them all researched.
12:55He pauses as the waiter
12:56sets down what looks like
12:57the most beautiful appetizer
12:59I've ever seen.
13:01You were the only one
13:02who won a case
13:02against Gerald Rourke.
13:04I remember that case.
13:05Public defender days.
13:07My client was guilty as hell,
13:08but Rourke had violated procedure.
13:11I won on a technicality
13:12and lost sleep for weeks.
13:14Rourke's the best prosecutor
13:16in California,
13:17Marcus continues.
13:19You beat him your second year
13:20out of law school.
13:22That tells me you're smart,
13:24you're ruthless
13:24when you need to be,
13:25and you understand
13:26that justice and the law
13:28aren't always the same thing.
13:30That's a dangerous philosophy.
13:33I'm a dangerous man.
13:35He picks up his fork,
13:37completely at ease.
13:38Eat, Isla.
13:39You're going to need
13:40your strength.
13:42Is that a threat?
13:43It's a promise.
13:45The people coming after me
13:46won't stop at legal proceedings.
13:48They'll come after
13:48everything I care about.
13:51His gaze intensifies.
13:53Everyone I care about.
13:55The implication hangs in the air
13:57between us like smoke.
13:59I've been your lawyer
14:00for three weeks,
14:01I say carefully.
14:02You don't care about me.
14:05Don't I?
14:06He tilts his head,
14:07studying me.
14:09You stood in a courtroom
14:10full of men
14:11who wanted to see me destroyed,
14:12and you fought for me
14:13like your life depended on it.
14:15You think I don't notice
14:16things like that?
14:18That's literally my job.
14:19You could have phoned it in,
14:21taken my money,
14:22and done the bare minimum.
14:24He leans forward,
14:25elbows on the table,
14:27and suddenly the space
14:28between us feels charged.
14:30Instead, you went for blood.
14:32You humiliated their star witness.
14:34You made the judge
14:35second-guess the warrant.
14:36You did all of that
14:37in a target blouse and heels
14:39you've worn three times
14:40this month,
14:40and you didn't flinch once.
14:43The fact that he noticed
14:44my outfit repeats
14:45should probably disturb me
14:46more than it does.
14:48So what?
14:49I challenge,
14:49feeling my defenses rise.
14:51You think that means something?
14:53I think it means
14:54you're either very brave
14:55or very stupid.
14:56His smile is dangerous now.
14:58I haven't decided which.
15:00Maybe both.
15:02Definitely both.
15:03He signals the waiter
15:04who brings the main course.
15:06Something that looks like
15:07art on a plate.
15:09There's something else
15:10you should know.
15:11My cousin Enzo.
15:12He thinks you're a liability.
15:14My appetite vanishes.
15:16Excuse me?
15:18You're an outsider.
15:19You're not family.
15:20He thinks you're going to fold
15:21the second the feds
15:22put real pressure on you.
15:24Marcus cuts into his food
15:26with precise movements.
15:27He suggested I find
15:29someone more...
15:30connected.
15:31What did you tell him?
15:33I told him to mind
15:34his own business.
15:35His eyes meet mine.
15:37But he's not wrong
15:38to be concerned.
15:39Things are going to get worse
15:40before they get better, Isla.
15:42There's a family in Los Angeles,
15:44the Salvatores,
15:45who've been trying to move in
15:47on my territory for months.
15:49They're using this case
15:49as cover to make their play.
15:52That's...
15:52I process this information
15:54like the lawyer I am.
15:55That's actually relevant
15:57to your defense.
15:58If we can prove
15:59the Salvatores are behind
16:00some of the evidence...
16:01You're not understanding me.
16:03He sets down his fork.
16:05I'm not worried about the case.
16:07I'm worried about you.
16:09The Salvatores don't play by rules.
16:11They see you defending me.
16:12They see a target.
16:14I can handle myself.
16:16Can you?
16:18He's not mocking me.
16:19He's genuinely asking.
16:22Have you ever had someone
16:23follow you home?
16:25Had your apartment searched
16:26while you were sleeping?
16:27Had a gun pointed at someone
16:28you love to make you cooperate?
16:31The sun is nearly gone now,
16:33the terrace lit by warm,
16:35ambient lighting
16:35that makes everything feel
16:36intimate and exposed at once.
16:38No, I admit quietly.
16:40But I'm not backing down.
16:43Something shifts in his expression.
16:45Respect, maybe.
16:46Or concern.
16:47Possibly both.
16:49Stubborn, he murmurs.
16:51That's going to be a problem.
16:53For who?
16:54For me.
16:56He stands, pulling out his phone.
16:58Come on, we're leaving.
17:00We haven't finished.
17:01Plans changed.
17:03His voice is sharp now.
17:04All business.
17:05My head of security just texted.
17:07Someone's been asking questions
17:08about you at your office building.
17:10Fear spikes through me.
17:12What kind of questions?
17:14The kind that mean
17:15you're not going back
17:15to your apartment tonight.
17:17He's already moving,
17:19one hand on my elbow,
17:20guiding me through the restaurant
17:21with smooth efficiency.
17:24You're staying at one of my properties
17:25until I figure out who's digging.
17:27You can't just...
17:29I can.
17:30I am.
17:31We're back at the Mercedes,
17:32and he opens the door himself this time.
17:35Get in, Isla.
17:36We can argue about your independence later.
17:39Right now, I need you safe.
17:41Why?
17:42The question bursts out
17:44before I can stop it.
17:45Why do you even care?
17:48He pauses,
17:49backlit by the restaurant lights,
17:50and for a moment,
17:52he looks almost vulnerable,
17:54almost human.
17:55Because you argued for me
17:57like I was worth defending,
17:59he says simply.
18:00No one's done that
18:01in a very long time.
18:02Then he's closing the door,
18:05sliding in beside me
18:07instead of sitting in front,
18:08and we're moving through
18:09San Diego traffic
18:10as the last light fades
18:11from the sky.
18:12I should protest,
18:14should demand he take me home,
18:16should remind him
18:17that I'm his lawyer,
18:18not his responsibility.
18:20Instead,
18:20I sit in silence
18:21and try to ignore
18:22how right it feels
18:23when his hand finds mine
18:24in the darkness between us.
18:26This is a terrible idea,
18:28I whisper.
18:30His thumb traces circles
18:31on my palm.
18:33Absolutely.
18:35I could lose my license,
18:37conflict of interest,
18:38improper relationship
18:39with a client.
18:40Then quit.
18:42I turn to stare at him.
18:44What?
18:45Quit being my lawyer.
18:47His eyes gleam
18:48in the passing streetlights.
18:50Be something else instead.
18:52Like what?
18:53His smile is slow,
18:55devastating.
18:56We'll figure it out.
19:01Marcus's property
19:07turns out to be
19:08a beach house in La Jolla
19:09that makes my apartment
19:10look like a storage closet.
19:12Floor-to-ceiling windows,
19:14ocean views
19:15that seem to go on forever,
19:17furniture that's somehow
19:18both minimalist
19:18and clearly expensive.
19:21The morning sun
19:21pours through every window,
19:23making the whole place
19:24look like a luxury magazine spread.
19:26I'm standing in the kitchen,
19:28my third cup of coffee in hand
19:29because I barely slept,
19:31when Marcus appears
19:32in the doorway.
19:34Gray t-shirt,
19:35dark jeans,
19:36barefoot.
19:37Somehow more devastating
19:38in casual clothes
19:39than in thousand-dollar suits.
19:41You look terrible,
19:43he observes.
19:44Good morning to you, too.
19:46I take another sip of coffee.
19:48I was up most of the night
19:49thinking about how my life
19:50has become a Netflix series.
19:52Could be worse.
19:54Could be a tragedy.
19:56Still time for that.
19:58I set down my mug.
19:59We need to talk about
20:01what happens next.
20:02The preliminary hearing
20:03continues Monday.
20:05After that,
20:06my phone explodes
20:07with notifications.
20:09Not just a few.
20:10Dozens.
20:11Texts.
20:12Calls.
20:12Emails.
20:13All flooding in at once.
20:15My stomach drops.
20:17Marcus is already moving,
20:18his own phone in hand,
20:19face darkening
20:20as he reads something
20:21on the screen.
20:22What is it?
20:24I'm scrolling through messages,
20:26seeing Derek's name
20:26over and over.
20:27Marcus, what?
20:30Someone leaked photos
20:31to the press.
20:32His voice is cold,
20:34controlled.
20:35Of us,
20:36last night at the restaurant.
20:38My blood turns to ice.
20:40I find the article Derek sent.
20:43There's the photo,
20:44Marcus and me at dinner,
20:45the way he's looking at me,
20:46the way I'm looking back.
20:48The headline,
20:49Mafia Don's Lawyer,
20:51Romance or Strategy.
20:52Oh, God.
20:54I sink onto a barstool.
20:56This is bad.
20:57This is really bad.
20:59The conversation
21:00is exactly as awful
21:01as I expected.
21:03Words like impropriety
21:04and ethical violations
21:06and termination
21:07get thrown around.
21:09By the time I hang up,
21:10my hands are shaking.
21:12Marcus is back instantly,
21:14reading my expression.
21:15They fired you,
21:17he says.
21:18Not a question.
21:20Suspended,
21:20pending ethics review.
21:22I laugh,
21:23but it sounds broken.
21:25Three weeks.
21:26That's how long it took
21:26to destroy my entire career.
21:29Isla.
21:30No.
21:31I stand.
21:32Anger replacing shock.
21:34This is exactly
21:35what they wanted.
21:36Whoever's doing this,
21:37Salvatore's feds,
21:38doesn't matter.
21:39They wanted me out of the picture.
21:40And it worked.
21:41So we find you another firm.
21:43I'll make calls.
21:44You don't get it.
21:46I'm shaking now.
21:48Months of stress
21:48and fear
21:49and stupid,
21:50reckless attraction
21:51boiling over.
21:52I don't have
21:53powerful connections.
21:54I don't have family money.
21:56All I had was my reputation.
21:58And now that's gone.
21:59Because of you.
22:01The words hang between us
22:03like shattered glass.
22:04Marcus's expression hardens.
22:07You're right.
22:08This is my fault.
22:09Everything I touch
22:10turns to...
22:12He stops himself,
22:13jaw clenched.
22:14I should have known better.
22:16Should have kept my distance.
22:17But you didn't.
22:19No.
22:21His eyes meet mine.
22:23And there's something raw
22:24in them now.
22:25I didn't.
22:27Because for the first time
22:28in ten years,
22:29I met someone
22:30who looked at me
22:30like I was human
22:31instead of a monster.
22:33Someone who fought for me.
22:35Someone who made me remember
22:36what it felt like
22:37to want something
22:37beyond power and control.
22:39My heart is doing
22:40gymnastics in my chest.
22:43Marcus.
22:43No skulking.
22:45No hiding.
22:46Just Marcus Vitale
22:47and his former lawyer,
22:48now whatever I am,
22:50marching straight
22:50into the lion's den.
22:52Derek sees us first.
22:54His face goes pale.
22:56Isla, what are you doing?
22:58Making a statement.
22:59I'm carrying a folder
23:00stuffed with documents.
23:02Is Rourke here?
23:03In his office, but...
23:05I'm already moving.
23:07Marcus follows,
23:08his presence drawing stairs
23:10from everyone we pass.
23:12We don't look like
23:13lawyer and client anymore.
23:15We look like
23:16exactly what we are.
23:17Two people who've decided
23:18to burn the playbook.
23:20Gerald Rourke looks up
23:21when I barge into his office,
23:23his expression shifting
23:24from annoyed to shocked
23:25when he sees Marcus behind me.
23:27Miss Reyes.
23:29Mr. Vitale.
23:30This is highly...
23:31Irregular, I know.
23:33I drop the folder on his desk.
23:35That's a formal motion
23:36to dismiss all charges
23:38against my former client,
23:39based on evidence
23:40of misconduct by the LAPD,
23:42witness tampering
23:43by the Salvatore crime family,
23:45and illegal surveillance
23:47by someone in your office.
23:49Rourke's face goes
23:50from red to purple.
23:51That's absurd.
23:53It's documented.
23:54Photos, bank records,
23:56testimony from three witnesses
23:57who'll swear
23:58the Salvatore's paid them to lie.
24:01I lean forward.
24:02You've been so busy
24:03trying to take down Marcus
24:04that you missed the real story.
24:06The Salvatore's have been
24:07using your investigation
24:08as cover for a takeover.
24:11They're the ones
24:11doing the illegal importing now.
24:13They're the ones
24:14who leaked those photos
24:15of us to discredit the case.
24:17And someone on your team
24:18has been feeding them information.
24:20That's a serious accusation.
24:22It's the truth.
24:24Marcus speaks for the first time,
24:26his voice deadly calm.
24:28And I can prove it.
24:30My people have been
24:30gathering evidence for weeks,
24:32evidence I'll happily share
24:33with the FBI,
24:34who, by the way,
24:36are very interested
24:37in corruption
24:37within the California DA's office.
24:40I watch Work's face carefully.
24:42Watch him realize
24:43we're not bluffing.
24:44You've got 24 hours
24:45to review the evidence.
24:47I continue.
24:48After that,
24:49I'm taking it to the press.
24:50Every news outlet
24:51in California
24:52will know that you've been
24:53so obsessed
24:53with putting away
24:54Marcus Vitale
24:55that you've been working
24:56with the people
24:57actually committing crimes.
24:59And if I dismiss the charges?
25:01Then the evidence disappears.
25:03The Salvatore's go down,
25:05you get credit
25:05for taking down
25:06an actual criminal organization,
25:08and everyone wins.
25:10I straighten.
25:12Except the people
25:13who tried to destroy my career,
25:14but I'm surprisingly okay with that.
25:17Neither do I.
25:19His smile is genuine this time.
25:21Soft.
25:22But I'd like to find out.
25:24No lawyers,
25:25no cases,
25:26just Marcus and Isla,
25:28figuring out
25:29if this insane thing
25:30between us is real.
25:31I should think about it,
25:33should consider
25:34all the complications.
25:36Instead,
25:37I kiss him right there
25:38on the courthouse steps,
25:39in full view
25:40of anyone watching.
25:42It's real,
25:43I say when we break apart.
25:45Terrifying and complicated
25:46and probably going
25:47to give me gray hair,
25:48but real.
25:50Good.
25:51He rests his forehead
25:52against mine.
25:53Because you argue too well
25:54to let go of now,
25:56like you're already my wife,
25:57remember?
25:58I laugh,
25:59surprised and genuine.
26:01You're never going
26:01to let that go,
26:02are you?
26:03Never.
26:05His eyes gleam.
26:06Get used to it,
26:07counselor.
26:08I'm very persistent
26:10when I want something.
26:11Is that a threat
26:12or a promise?
26:15Both.
26:16We get in the car,
26:17hands intertwined,
26:18driving into
26:19whatever comes next.
26:20Three months later,
26:21Rourke drops all charges.
26:23The Salvatores
26:23go to federal prison.
26:25I start my own practice.
26:27Small,
26:27scrappy,
26:28funded by a mysterious investor
26:30who definitely isn't
26:31Marcus Vitale,
26:32but somehow has his same taste
26:33in office furniture.
26:35And every Thursday,
26:36we have dinner.
26:37Sometimes at fancy restaurants.
26:39Sometimes at the beach house.
26:42Always in daylight.
26:43Always honest.
26:45Always arguing about everything
26:46and nothing.
26:48You're impossible,
26:49I tell him one evening,
26:51after he's insisted on
26:52renovating my office
26:53without asking.
26:55You're stubborn,
26:56he counters,
26:57pulling me close.
26:58We're a disaster.
27:00We're perfect.
27:02And somehow,
27:03impossibly,
27:04he's right.
27:05Claude is AI
27:05and can make mistakes.
27:07Please double-check responses.
27:09Did Marcus and Isla's story
27:11make your heart race?
27:12If you loved watching
27:13a broke lawyer
27:13go toe-to-toe
27:14with a mafia don
27:15and fall hard in the process,
27:17smash that like button.
27:19It lets me know
27:19you want more sizzling,
27:21sun-soaked romance
27:22with sharp banter
27:22and even sharper suits.
27:25Drop a comment
27:25and tell me,
27:26would you have taken
27:27Marcus's case?
27:28Or would you have run
27:29the other direction?
27:31No judgment either way.
27:32The man is both
27:33a green flag
27:34and a warning sign
27:34wrapped in Italian leather.
27:36And hey,
27:38subscribe so you don't
27:38miss the next story.
27:40Because trust me,
27:41we've got more
27:41dangerously handsome men,
27:43fierce heroines,
27:44and daylight drama
27:44coming your way.
27:45Each story is brand new,
27:47completely unique,
27:48and guaranteed
27:49to make you feel things.
27:50Your girl's got a whole vault
27:51of mafia dons
27:52who need lawyers,
27:53bodyguards,
27:54rival heirs
27:55who need saving,
27:56and women brave
27:57or crazy
27:57enough to love them.
27:59See you in the next one.
28:01Where every romance
28:02is cinematic,
28:03every ending is earned,
28:04and the tension
28:05always worth it.
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