Avery Mason, whose real name is Claire Montgomery, is the protagonist of the novel. She is a journalist who, after graduating from law school, decided to pursue news media following her father Garth Montgomery’s arrest. Finding out that her father had betrayed her and her family, which forced her brother into hiding and indirectly caused her mother’s death, damaged Avery’s sense of self and ability to trust other people. The novel follows Avery as she tries to overcome this trauma through investigating the Victoria Ford case and helping her brother, Christopher, escape the country.

As the protagonist, Avery is at the center of the novel’s action, and her goals and desires are the driving forces of the narrative. In an attempt to prove herself to HAP News and negotiate a better contract, Avery seeks to maintain American Events’ high ratings. She plans to do this through a story on Victoria Ford, exploiting another person’s tragedy for personal gain. However, as additional details about Victoria’s involvement in Cameron Young’s death surface, Avery proves herself to be a talented journalist and shows her complex ethical understanding of journalism in the way she chooses to present specific details of the case.