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“Not going to happen,” I declared firmly. “You can keep your secrets about River Stevenson.”
A wicked grin spread across Drake’s face as he dangled more tantalizing details in front of me. “Are you sure you don’t want to know about his father and his ties to the Mafia?”
My stomach churned at the mention of organized crime. “Absolutely not.”
“Well then, I suppose learning about his brothers wouldn’t interest you either.” Drake paused for a moment before continuing with a sly smile. “I would think you would want to know everything you could about your new client.”
My grip tightened on my notes as I weighed my options. But ultimately, I decided it wasn’t worth compromising my professionalism for insider information. “I have no interest in learning about Mr. Stevenson’s family,” I said firmly, pushing past Drake and continuing down the hallway to the conference room.
Drake was on my heels with no end in sight. “Harper, you should really reconsider.”
I bristled at his tone, but maintained a calm exterior. “Look, Drake,” I replied coolly. “If River Stevenson wants to share any details about his family, he will do so in his own time. I will respect his boundaries and not pry into personal matters.” My tone was firm, but inside I couldn’t help but wonder what secrets lay within the dysfunctional family that Drake seemed so eager to reveal.
But my resolve to maintain professionalism remained strong. Whether Drake had any legitimate information or not, I was determined to keep a clear division between personal and business matters.
I inwardly groaned as Drake persisted, knowing that he had a way of getting under my skin with his persistent questioning. I only hoped that once my meeting with River began, Drake wouldn’t barge in and disrupt our discussion. The last thing I needed was for him to cause a scene and give the impression that the lawyers at Black, Worth, and Shell were incompetent.
The air between us crackled with unspoken tension as we stood there, locked in a silent battle of wills. Despite my resolve to maintain professionalism, I couldn’t shake off the feeling that Drake was purposely trying to rile me up.
As we parted ways, I made a mental note to remain vigilant during my meeting with River. The last thing I needed was for Drake to barge in and disrupt our discussion, painting our law firm in an unfavorable light. Keeping a tight rein on my emotions, I prayed for a smooth and successful meeting ahead.
~8~
River
Dominic Rivera’s words streamed into my ear, a constant drone that I couldn’t seem to tune out. He was my biggest client, but also my biggest headache. “Sally,” and the memory of her smooth skin underneath my fingers consumed my thoughts. Who was she? How could I find her again? These questions plagued me as I remembered the promise I made to her about finding her. With these thoughts swirling in my head, there was no way I could focus on the meeting at hand.
“Did you even hear what I just said?” Dominic’s voice snapped me back to reality, filled with thinly veiled annoyance.
“I apologize. I was simply pondering the potential consequences of your innovation,” I replied coolly, knowing that our meetings always followed the same pattern. “Electric cars may be one thing, but electric buses have the potential to bankrupt your company.”
His eyebrows raised in surprise, but he quickly composed himself. “That’s why I propose we become partners. With my expertise and your financial backing, we can make this a success.”
I had a reputation for investing millions into new ideas and never failing. The proposition laid out before me was unlike any I had encountered before. The sheer cost alone made me hesitate, not to mention the daunting task of creating electric buses that could withstand harsh driving conditions and still have enough range for practical use. For every potential benefit, there seemed to be two formidable obstacles standing in the way. It would take a great deal of convincing for me to dive into such a risky venture.
“I don’t want to jump into this without giving it some thought. Let me do some research and meet with you again at the end of the month.”
As I left Dominic’s office, I couldn’t shake the feeling that he wasn’t satisfied with my response. Little did he know, I had already made up my mind. Not that I wasn’t a risk-taker, but his proposal seemed downright foolish and a poor investment.
When I got back to my office, I immediately set out to learn more about this mysterious “Sally” before my dreaded meeting with my newly assigned attorney at Black, Worth, and Shell. If this meeting didn’t go well, I would be requesting that Sidney Black remove her from my account.
Despite an hour of scouring the Internet, I couldn’t find any information on the enigmatic woman known only as “Sally.” With a sigh, I realized it was time to head out for my meeting. As always, Sarah was diligently working at her desk, likely organizing my schedule for the week ahead.
I stopped abruptly in front of her desk, and she looked up from her computer screen. “River,” she greeted me with a small smile. “Can I help you with something?”
“I’m going to the meeting with my new attorney. I don’t plan on coming back to the office. Text me if Davian calls.”
“Of course. Good luck with Ms. Scott.” Sarah replied smoothly, though there was a mischievous glint in her eye that hinted at some underlying sarcasm. But I didn’t have time to dwell on it as I made my way out of the office toward my meeting with Ms. Scott.
~
As I waited anxiously in the conference room for Harper Scott to arrive, my mind wandered back to my recent meeting with Dominic Rivera. The last thing I wanted to do was research electric buses; it felt like a waste of valuable time. In the past, whenever an investment opportunity arose, Hugh would handle all the necessary research. But now, without him on my team, I was unsure if Ms. Scott would be up to the task. Part of me wanted to give her a chance to prove herself. After all, I knew Sidney well enough to believe he wouldn’t assign an incompetent attorney to replace Hugh. As I fiddled with my pen, the ticking of the clock felt like a countdown to either disappointment or success. I was unsure which way it would go—only time would tell which one it would be.
As the office door opened, a young woman in her early thirties swept in. It was clear that this was Harper Scott, and as I watched her approach, I was captivated by her stunning looks. She walked with confidence, as if she owned the room. As I examined her features, it was her dark auburn hair that caught my attention, cascading down her shoulders in soft waves. And even though she wore glasses, her green eyes sparkled with intelligence and vitality.
Despite her stunning appearance, I couldn’t help but wonder if it was just a façade for what lay beneath—was an incompetent attorney hiding behind the beautiful mask?
“Good afternoon, Mr. Stevenson. It is a pleasure to finally meet you.” She held out her hand, her smile warm and inviting.
