Chapter 1

The mountain road had collapsed. My son was trapped.

I was the only rescue driver who could get a vehicle up there.

My wife was on the phone, screaming herself hoarse — the only one who knew exactly where our son was:

"West road! Our son is on the west road!"

Without hesitation, I yanked the wheel — then a stream of floating comments flashed across my vision:

[you have no idea you're being played.]

[The kid trapped on the west road is the son of Elise's ex, Renato!]

[If you actually take the west road, your son will die on the east road waiting for help that never comes!]

[And after you save some other man's kid, Elise will report you for deliberately taking the wrong route.]

[You'll think you just misheard her. You'll jump off a building.]

[Elise will marry Renato. The kid you saved won't just survive — he'll get into Stanford and pull in seven figures a year.]

I stared at the words floating in front of me.

Elise's voice was breaking apart on the other end of the line, screaming "west road" over and over.

I hesitated for a moment — then wrenched the wheel hard.