Martin Shepard could live a sheltered life in academia with his wealthy fiancee Jessie Bartolome, but he's seen too much to settle for comfortable. The wounds Alex Sheldon inflicted on Martin's loved ones have finally healed over, but what if they weren't his only victims? Finding out that Alex was enabled by the political network he'd carefully built over time might disgust most people, but maybe that double-edged sword can work against him too.If politics is the art of the next best, shouldn't everyone in it start with a dream?