Clarity of deception

In the shadowed streets of Detroit, 1997, a young Bernard Drive stands on the cusp of a new life at his high school graduation, with his fingers nervously twisting a diamond wedding ring. Haunted by a dark secret from that day—a mysterious incident in the basement that leaves blood on an unseen student's hands—Bernard’s world begins to unravel. Years later, now a cunning defense attorney, Bernard secures a stunning not-guilty verdict for Tracey Hun, accused of first-degree murder, reuniting her with her children in a courtroom filled with cheers and tension. His triumph is short-lived as a cryptic encounter with a homeless man, Tim, outside the courthouse ignites a chilling past. Tim’s taunts and a blood-streaked note reading, “Vengeance is only sweet, when you make the person you love realize how sweet it is,” plunge Bernard into a spiral of guilt and paranoia. Flashbacks reveal a tender yet tragic bond with his mother, whose pain over his father’s death drives her to vodka, shaping Bernard’s own reliance on cognac to numb his memories. As a brutal murder unfolds in an abandoned building—where a killer carves flesh with chilling precision—the lines between justice and vengeance blur. Bernard’s scar, a relic of a past stabbing, pulses with every step toward a truth he can’t escape. Confronted by Tim’s claim that “she’s not here to help you,” Bernard’s polished facade cracks, forcing him to face the demons of his youth.