"Ms. Judy Howard: I have something that may interest you. If you want to know more, come to Vanilla Coffee in Times Square, Manhattan, tomorrow."
Signed: A Just Man.
A liar? Or someone with ulterior motives?
Judy didn't believe in pure altruism. In her eyes, even her current investigation was ultimately motivated by personal ambition and career gain.
Should she go or not?
After much hesitation, she finally made up her mind.
——
The next day.
Times Square, Vanilla Coffee House.
Judy stared openly at the man sitting across from her, idly stirring a spoon in his cup.
The man had brown hair, brown eyes, and vaguely Latin American features. His skin wasn't particularly fair.
His looks were completely ordinary—he could vanish into any crowd.
He wore an expensive Armani suit, but his bearing suggested he wasn't used to such high-end clothing.
And something about him felt oddly familiar—the way he observed her, that subtle calculating gaze. He looked… like a reporter.
"So, Mr. Justice, what exactly do you have that might interest me?"
"Eric," the man interrupted.
"What?"
"Call me Eric, Judy."
Judy chuckled, dropped the formality, and said, "Alright, Eric. Can we talk now?"
Eric, of course, was that Eric—the leader of the News of the World paparazzi team who worked closely with Martin.
He hadn't approached Judy on a whim. It was a calculated decision.
This woman was ambitious. She craved the big scoop, aimed at the Pulitzer Prize, and dreamed of becoming a feminist opinion leader.
She would want what he had.
Naturally, Eric wouldn't expose himself. If the material he had ever saw the light of day, the fallout in Hollywood would be seismic. And if there was a backlash, he couldn't bear that weight. Judy, on the other hand, had powerful support from feminist groups—and had connections with Sheila.
Eric leaned forward. "Judy, I know what you're investigating. I have something that can help you. Big time."
He opened his black handbag and pulled out a laptop. After booting it up, he inserted a USB drive and smiled mysteriously.
"Put on the headphones. I'll show you something… but the audio cannot be played out loud."
As the video played, Judy's eyes widened. Her breathing quickened.
"This… this…"
She sat in stunned silence long after the video ended.
Eric leaned back, calm and casual, wearing a faint smile.
Truthfully, when he'd first seen these clips, he'd been just as shocked as Judy. Martin had been holding onto this much dirt on Harvey for who knows how long… and hadn't even used it. That in itself was terrifying.
Eventually, Judy snapped out of it.
Her mouth was dry; she reached for her cup but realized there was no foam left.
Looking up at Eric, she forced herself to remain composed.
"Where did you get these? Are there more?"
Eric grinned. "Where I got them isn't important. As for more—no more videos, but I do have plenty of photos. And I've compiled the contact info for the women in the footage."
A jolt of excitement surged through Judy.
"Where are they?" she asked eagerly.
"They're all yours," Eric replied.
"What do you want for them?" she asked, finally regaining control.
Eric originally wanted to say "nothing," but figured that would raise suspicion. He changed his mind.
"Five hundred thousand dollars."
"Deal," Judy said without hesitation.
It was more than worth it.
Of course, she didn't have that kind of money—but the feminist organization backing her did.
Liberty, one of the largest feminist organizations in North America, received eight-figure donations annually.
——
Trish Paillos, one of Liberty's three presidents, was a congresswoman from New York.
She was also Judy's key backer.
When Trish saw a snippet of the footage Judy sent her, she was stunned.
"Harvey?"
"Harvey Weinstein?"
She was both disgusted and appalled.
Since the 1980s, rumors had swirled about Harvey molesting women. And the scandals had only grown more frequent since. It was practically an open secret in Hollywood that he preyed on actresses. But the industry turned a blind eye.
Every time a woman tried to sue, Harvey used his connections and deep pockets to silence them—legal intimidation, cash settlements, gag orders.
The cruel irony? Harvey had carefully cultivated a feminist image.
He donated to feminist journalists. His company released a documentary condemning sexual harassment. He even joined the Women's March in January 2002.
Trish wasn't shocked by what Harvey was doing—it had been whispered about for years.
What stunned her was the scale. The women in these clips weren't nobodies—they were famous.
How had this footage leaked?
She knew who backed Harvey.
For a moment, she considered whether she should respect that relationship and suppress the scandal.
But she quickly dismissed the thought.
If the source had found Judy, they could easily find someone else.
If Liberty didn't act, someone else would.
And if it got out that the material had been handed to Judy and Liberty did nothing—Liberty would be discredited. After all, Judy's association with Liberty was no secret.
In recent years, Martin and Meyers Pictures had steadily eroded Harvey's power. But a starved camel was still bigger than a horse.
Still, Trish feared not Harvey's Hollywood clout—but his political connections.
For years, he'd been a devoted supporter and fundraiser for Hillary Clinton. Word was, he'd even been eyeing investment opportunities in Aguan Bay.
After some careful thought, Trish called Hillary Clinton, who served as Liberty's Special Advisor.
Following their conversation, Trish made her decision.
The next day, Judy received a phone call.
"Judy, the five hundred thousand dollars has been transferred to his account. You can begin."