A Devil's Advocate

Prologue III

Nicolas laughed, pulling in the pile of chips with a greedy flourish. “I told you—you’re out of your depth. Maybe you should stick to what you’re good at, mi primo. Spending daddy’s money and chasing women.”

Kade stood up, his chair scraping against the marble floor. “Maybe I will. Though I’d watch your back, Nico. The game isn’t over yet.”

He turned and walked away, ignoring his cousin’s mocking calls. He made his way through the crowded casino, his mind racing. He had to get to Barcelona—now. If Marcial was planning something, Javier was in danger.

Outside, the Madrid night was cool and clear, the streets lined with palm trees and the glow of streetlights. Kade climbed into his black Mercedes, his hands tight on the steering wheel as he pulled away from the curb. He’d been driving for less than ten minutes when he noticed the black SUV that had pulled out behind him at the casino entrance. It stayed two cars back, matching his speed exactly.

He pressed his foot down on the gas, weaving through the traffic on the Paseo de la Castellana. The SUV followed, its driver showing no hesitation in breaking every traffic law to keep up. Kade knew he couldn’t lead them to his apartment—too many of his secrets were hidden there. Instead, he headed toward the outskirts of the city, toward the winding mountain roads that led to the small village where his grandfather had grown up.

The rain started just as he turned onto the narrow road that climbed into the Sierra de Guadarrama. Kade’s tires skidded on the wet asphalt as he took a sharp curve at high speed, the SUV right on his tail. He could see their headlights in his rearview mirror, could hear the roar of their engine as they pushed harder.

Suddenly, the SUV accelerated, pulling up alongside him. Kade saw the driver reach for something on the passenger seat—something dark and metallic. Without thinking, he jerked the steering wheel to the left, slamming his car into the side of the SUV. The impact sent both vehicles careening off the road, Kade’s Mercedes crashing through a wooden fence and rolling down a steep embankment.

He felt the world spin around him, the sound of metal crunching and glass shattering echoing in his ears. Then everything went black.

When he woke up, he was in a small hospital room in Segovia, the smell of antiseptic filling his nose. His left leg was in a cast, his head was wrapped in bandages, and his body ached everywhere he moved. Braelyn sat in a chair beside his bed, her face pale with worry.

“You’ve been out for two days,” she said softly, standing up as he tried to sit up. “The doctors said you’re lucky—broken leg, concussion, a few cracked ribs, but nothing life-threatening. The men in the SUV weren’t so lucky. Their car went over the edge of the cliff. They didn’t make it.”

Kade closed his eyes, the image of the crash flashing through his mind. “Javier?”

Braelyn’s face fell. “He fell from the crane yesterday morning. The official report says it was an accident, but I found this.” She pulled out her phone and showed him a video clip—taken from a security camera high above the dock. It showed Javier climbing onto the loading crane, his safety harness securely fastened. A few minutes later, a man in a dark hoodie approached the base of the crane, pulled out a knife, and cut through the harness line before disappearing into the shadows.

“Marcial,” Kade said, his voice low with fury.

“He’s cleaning house,” Braelyn said. “Anyone who questions him, anyone who tries to speak up—they’re being silenced. I’ve been able to cover my tracks so far, but it’s only a matter of time before he finds out I’ve been helping you.”

“Then you need to get out,” Kade said, reaching for her hand. “Go somewhere he can’t find you. I’ll make sure you’re taken care of.”

“I can’t leave,” she said, shaking her head. “There are too many people who need help. Too many who are counting on us to stop him.” She squeezed his hand. “I have more information—about the operations in the Philippines, about the land they’re seizing, about the workers they’re exploiting. I’ve sent everything to a secure server. Only you have the access codes.”

“Good,” Kade said. “Because I think I’ve found someone who can help us. A lawyer in Manila—Charlie Fuentes. She’s been building a case against us for months. If I can get her to trust me, if I can give her what we have, we might finally be able to bring Marcial down.”

Braelyn nodded. “Be careful, Kade. Marcus won’t stop until you’re dead. And if he finds out about this lawyer—about what you’re planning—she’ll be in danger too.”

****

Pasay, Philippines • Present Day

Charlie sat at her kitchen table, the documents from Kade spread out before her. The sun was starting to rise over Manila Bay, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink, but she hadn’t slept a wink. She’d spent the entire night reading through every page—every email, every financial statement, every damning piece of evidence that proved Marcial Devaroux was running his company like a criminal syndicate.

She’d called her boss at the Legal Aid Foundation, explained what she had, and been told to proceed with caution. “This is bigger than anything we’ve ever taken on,” her boss had said. “If what you say is true, we’re not just going up against a corporation—we’re going up against a man who has the power to influence governments, to buy anyone he wants, to silence anyone who gets in his way. You need to be careful, Charlie. For your own sake and for the sake of your clients.”

She’d also called the lead investigator from the Department of Labor and Employment, a woman named Lauren Santos who’d been working on the Devaroux case for months. “I have something you need to see,” Charlie had said, and arranged to meet her at a small café in Malate in two hours.

As she stood up to make herself a cup of coffee, she heard a knock at her door. She froze—she hadn’t told anyone where she lived, not even her closest friends. She moved quietly toward the door, peering through the peephole.

Standing on her doorstep was a woman she’d never seen before—tall, with dark hair pulled back in a tight bun, wearing a tailored gray suit and sunglasses. In her hand, she held a small envelope.

“Atty. Fuentes?” the woman said, her voice calm and steady. “My name is Florence Martinez. I work for Kade Devaroux. He sent me to give you this—and to warn you.”

Charlie hesitated for a moment, then unlocked the door. “Warn me about what?”

Florence stepped inside, closing the door behind her. “Marcial Devaroux knows Kade met with you last night. He knows he gave you documents. He’s not going to let this go. He’s already sent men to find you—men who won’t hesitate to hurt you or anyone you care about.” She handed Charlie the envelope. “This has information about safe houses in Manila, Cebu, and even in the US if you need to leave the country. Kade also wanted me to tell you that he’ll be in touch again soon. He’s working on getting more evidence—about the human trafficking ring Marcial is planning to start, about the corrupt officials he’s paying off in Spain and France.”

Charlie opened the envelope and pulled out a single sheet of paper with addresses and phone numbers typed on it. “Why are you helping him?” she asked. “Why risk your life for someone like Kade Devaroux?”

Florence removed her sunglasses, and Charlie saw the sadness in her dark eyes. “Because he saved my life five years ago. I was working as a clerk in our Miami office—just out of law school, trying to make a difference. Marcial found out I’d been looking into some irregularities in our shipping routes, routes that were being used to smuggle drugs into the country. He was going to have me killed, but Kade found out and got me out of there. He gave me a new identity, helped me build a new life. Now it’s my turn to help him.” She paused, her gaze serious. “He’s not the man everyone thinks he is, Atty. Fuentes. He’s been carrying the weight of his family’s sins for years, and he’s finally ready to do something about it. But he can’t do it alone. He needs you.”

Charlie thought about everything Kade had told her, about the documents he’d given her, about the risk he was taking to help her clients. She thought about the workers in Tondo, the families in Batangas, the young dockworker in Barcelona who’d lost his life for speaking up. She knew that working with Kade was dangerous—maybe even suicidal. But she also knew that this was her chance to make a real difference, to hold accountable the people who were responsible for so much pain and suffering.

“I understand,” she said, looking up at Florence. “Tell Kade I’m ready to work with him. But we do this my way—no secrets, no lies, and the safety of my clients comes first.”

Florence nodded, a small smile touching her lips. “He wouldn’t have it any other way. He’ll be in touch by the end of the day. But be careful, Atty. Fuentes. Marcus’s men are already looking for you. Don’t trust anyone—no one—unless Kade or I have cleared them first.”

With that, Florence put her sunglasses back on and left, disappearing into the morning crowd that was already filling the streets of Pasay. Charlie stood there for a moment, the envelope in her hand, her mind made up.

She didn’t know what lay ahead—what dangers they’d face, what betrayals they’d have to overcome, what sacrifices they’d have to make. But she knew one thing for certain: she and Kade Devaroux were about to start a war. A war against greed and corruption, against family loyalty that had turned to betrayal, against a man who thought he was above the law.

And as she looked out her window at the city waking up around her, she couldn’t help but wonder if love would be enough to see them through—or if it would be the very thing that destroyed them both.