Evidence of Us

"She profiles motives. He prosecutes them.
Together, they walk the fine line between truth and destruction."

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Four years ago, FBI agent Tessa Martin and ADA Rafael Barba worked one brutal case together - a case that ended in justice, headlines, and a deep, mutual dislike.

He thought she was reckless.
She thought he was arrogant.
They were both right.

Now, Tessa's back in Manhattan - newly returned from maternity leave, freshly reassigned as a Behavioral Science Unit liaison to SVU. The Bureau calls her "the golden girl" - brilliant with the media, sharp with profiles, and unshakably calm under pressure. What they don't see are the cracks she hides - the trauma, the sleepless nights, and the baby she's learning to raise on her own.

When a high-profile assault case at Hudson University ignites a media firestorm, Tessa is brought in to manage public fallout and provide behavioral insight.
What no one tells her?
The ADA handling the prosecution is Rafael Barba.

Their reunion is instant friction - her warmth against his precision, her empathy against his logic.
But as the case unfolds, old grudges begin to blur into respect, and respect turns into something far more dangerous.

In a world where justice demands control and truth demands vulnerability, the two find themselves fighting side by side - in the courtroom, in the chaos, and against feelings neither of them asked for.

Tessa reads emotions for a living.
Barba hides behind them for survival.
And somewhere between the law and the lies, they'll both have to decide how much of themselves they're willing to risk for the truth - and for each other.

Golden retriever × black cat dynamic