Chapter 1 1

1

Adrian

As the door creaked softly, its sound echoing across the storage room, I gripped the man's hair tightly and shouted,

"Why did you beat your wife!"

The man, in his thirties, trembled before me. I signaled to the two men beside me.

"Bring the bucket of water."

"Hold his head underwater until he comes to his senses. And if he doesn't... well, his last breath will be filled with water."

"Please, Attorney... I beg you, have mercy! I didn't mean to hit her," he whimpered.

I pulled my gun from my waistband and cocked it.

"The attorney is in court. There's no lawyer here. There's only my judgment now. For example... what if I put a hole right in the middle of your forehead, Austin?"

"I swear it'll never happen again. I'll sleep at her doorstep until she forgives me."

"Oh no, it doesn't work like that."

"Tomorrow, you'll go to court, and you'll give her whatever she asks for in the divorce. If she forgives you after that, it's her stupidity. But if you ever bother my client again, I'll find you-no matter where you are-and I'll drink water out of your precious skull. Got it, you filthy bastard?"

I gave a nod to my men.

"Beat him just like he beat his wife... but harder," I ordered.

My right-hand man tilted his head.

"How many bones should we break, Mr. Black?"

They called me Mr. Black.

Adrian was the name on my ID and in my legal circles. But I also existed in a world far from legal.

Not even my mother knew about this side of me.

"Leave the face clean. The rest is fair game."

"I'll report you! I'll call the police!"

I raised a brow, staring him down.

"Is that so, big man? Have you ever heard of the Alder name? Or Beyzade?"

"Before you even manage to explain your little problem to the police, someone will blow your brains out. Go ahead, try your luck."

I held the phone out toward him.

Instead of taking it, Austin fell to his knees.

"Please, Mr. Adrian, I was out of my mind. I swear-if only my hand had broken instead of hitting her! I promise I won't hurt a single soul again!"

I didn't forgive him.

My men made sure he had a long lesson-one that soaked him to the bone.

I closed the file in front of me and scribbled down my final notes for tomorrow's trial.

And just like that, another woman was saved from a psychotic husband.

--

The Next Day

The following day, I attended the hearing. Austin's face looked untouched, but his body was covered in bruises. My men were quite meticulous when it came to following my orders.

Once the case was closed, I rushed back to the office. Mrs. Elisa came along, offered her final thanks, and left. The smile on her face was enough for me.

Lately, my days had been overwhelming. Between my family's constant pressure to get married and juggling divorce cases, I barely had time to breathe. Of course, when it came to domestic violence cases, I didn't just hand them over to the team-I handled them personally.

The only person who truly listened to me these days was my cousin, Vincent Beyzade. We'd been close for years. In fact, he had even helped me when I was first dipping my toes into the underworld. Then there was Herman-my doctor and my friend. A notorious playboy, and he wore that title proudly.

That evening, Herman called just as I was leaving work. I had no plans, so I agreed to his offer to blow off some steam. We headed to a bar, and after a few shots of vodka, two women joined us. Both were dressed rather provocatively.

"Ladies," Herman said, smirking, "meet Attorney Adrian Alder. If you ever make the mistake of getting married, he's the man who'll set you free in one court session."

The blonde extended her hand. I took it and brought it to my lips. She looked pleased.

"I'm Carmen. But what if I don't want a divorce, Adrian? What if I just want... release?"

The two women burst into sultry laughter, while Herman chuckled under his breath. I didn't like their attitude.

"Tempting offer," I said coolly. "But I'm quite selective. Anything else I can help you with?"