The Bait's Verdict

In the waterfront city of Rivermark, Detective Sylvie Reed is recruited for a clandestine operation: pose as a fugitive whose murder trial collapsed due to a corrupt plea deal, and draw out the "Verdict," a killer executing those who manipulated the legal system. Told she is a valued asset, Sylvie instead discovers she is a sacrificial pawn in her own department's cover-up—a betrayal that cuts deeper than any weapon. As she entangles with the enigmatic suspect Dorian Ash, love blurs the line between predator and prey, forcing her to question whether the greatest wound comes from the knife or from the truth of her own abandonment.