Stefan Rodriguez stared into his whiskey glass, watching the amber liquid catch the dim bar light. This was his fourth drink of the night, or maybe his fifth. He'd lost count somewhere between the endless news alerts about Rose's scandal and the memories that wouldn't stop haunting him.

The bar was nearly empty on this rainy Tuesday night. Just him, the tired-looking bartender who had stopped trying to make conversation hours ago, and a couple in the far corner who ...