"No, Sam doesn't know. He's just fixated on what a manipulative bastard I am. Doesn't realise he can wrap me around his little finger." Not that Barty was complaining about Sam's lack of awareness in that area, he didn't exactly enjoy having such an obvious weak spot. Luckily only Jonathan truly knew about it. Or not so lucky, he supposed. "I reckon Cheon and his people caught on somehow. Probably because one of the undercover cops they used was Sam and Sam can't do undercover work."

He just exuded 'cop', it was kind of obvious. "I tried warning Sam. That had the obvious effect, obviously."

He did regret that. Not only because of how much Sam hated that he had been right. "Cheon took Sam to intimidate him. Get blackmail material. He drugged him, he raped him, he left him cuffed to his own shitty bed. All of this on film, of course." Barty leaned back, looking at Jonathan. "So I'm going to destroy him."