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I haven’t forgotten what he did, far from it, but nobody can blame me for enjoying the sex while I’m here. He won’t let me go and will probably kill any man that comes near me. I’d bet on it. I crave his dominance, and he knows it. But I also love to push his buttons. I trust him with my body; that’s not even a question, but I have no faith in him with my heart. He broke me. That’s not something I can just get over.
I shift my attention back to the files in front of me and frown at what I see. Picking up the phone on the desk, I ring Emilie’s desk.
“Em, can you come quickly, please?” She remains silent on the other side of the line, but I can see her movements behind the glass door. She hangs up without a word and walks towards my office.
“What’s happening?” she asks, taking the seat in front of her.
“Can you explain to me why George thinks I would take on this case? All the documents he transferred show that the guy is guilty.” She takes the documents from my hands and reads them attentively.
“If I’m understanding you correctly, you need me to be your buffer while you shout at him on the phone?” I smile because she knows me so well.
Even though it’s my job, I have one rule that I follow religiously when choosing my cases. If all the evidence is stacked against the defence, I won’t take them. With nimble fingers, she quickly types in his number on her phone and hands it to me. The sound of the ringtone has barely started when he answers the phone.
As soon as he starts speaking in French, the room is filled with the sound of his voice. “Emilie, ma douce. Qu’est-ce que je peux faire pour toi?” *Emilie, my sweet. What can I do for you?*
She replies in English. “Hey George, you’re on speaker. Boss wants to speak with you.”
Although I’ve lived in France for eight years and am now fluent, speaking English always comes more easily to me.
“George,” I say, my voice tinged with annoyance. “I’m curious. Why did you think I would agree to take the Dubois case?” I can hear him exhale slowly on the other side of the phone as if he’s trying to keep his emotions in check. George has been working with us for five years now, but he always makes the wrong decision when taking cases. That’s why he is not an associate.
“I… hmm… because.” He’s at a loss for words, which means he just saw a big check and thought it was a great idea to accept.
“Have you read the files? Or have you seen the video that accompanied the files? There’s nothing I can do. The video is really explicit, and you can clearly see him with a knife in his hand.” I’m waiting for him to confirm what I already know. He hasn’t read the files or watched the video.
“No. I haven’t seen the video. But—” I cut him off, not wanting to hear about the enormous check that has been proposed.
“George, I’m going to say this as nicely as I can. I don’t care about the money. I don’t care if he’s the son of the president. Damn, I don’t even care if he’s the King of England. He killed someone with a knife. The video is proof of that. So, you’re going to gently refuse their offer and tell them they need to find someone else to represent them. Am I clear?” Using my index finger, I adjust my glasses and wait for him to answer.
“Yes, ma’am. Very clear.” In my mind’s eye, I can see beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
“Very well, then. Have a good day.” As soon as I end the call, Em’s eyes lock onto mine, raising her eyebrow.
“What? I’ve been gentle with him.” A wide grin spreads across her face as she smiles.
“I’ve been thinking,” she says, changing the subject.
“Oh, oh. It’s never good when you start a sentence like that.” I joke, leaning deeper into my seat.
“Smartass. So I’ve been thinking. Why are you still working in Paris? I mean, I love it there. That’s my country. But you’ve been more on edge than usual lately.”
“What are you really trying to say?” I ask, not sure I understand her point.
Aye, with everything happening here, my stress levels have been through the roof, and the situation in France only adds to it. Don’t get me wrong, I used to love what I do, but the culture shift within the company has made it unbearable. Some newly minted lawyers are more concerned with the size of their paycheck than the significance of the case they are handling. That has never been my goal.
Would it be hypocritical of me to refuse a case with undeniable proof that the suspect committed murder? Maybe. Especially when I know the blood that’s been spilled by my brother and Aidan’s hands. But I know the reason for it. Is it ethical? Nope. But I never claimed to be a saint.
“Alright, I’m just going to come out and say this, and I want you to take a moment to reflect on it, okay? You hate working there.” I open my mouth to defend myself, but she cuts me off. “Tss, don’t interrupt me. As I was saying, you hate working there. Damn, I hate working there as well. So why don’t you move back here? You have the option of starting your own firm or collaborating with Caleb. Not only do you have a high IQ, but you also graduated from law school early, which is quite an achievement. You’re smart enough. I don’t understand why you keep working for a shitty company instead of starting your own. And your family is here. I know you miss them. I’ve seen you struggle for years now. And the cherry on top- Aidan is here.” I wait patiently for her to finish her long tirade before daring to ask.
“Can I speak now?”
“You may.” I shake my head, feeling the weight of my curls against my face.
“One. Saying that I haven’t thought about coming back to Scotland would be a lie. Two, I can manage Caleb’s business from overseas like I’ve been doing for years now. Three, bringing Aidan into the equation doesn’t help your point. It has the opposite effect on me.”
“Liar! Do you think Bai and I don’t know you’re sleeping together?” My eyes feel like they’ve popped out of their sockets. “Who do you think we are? You could cut the sexual tension with a butter knife.” She snorts.
“I… We’re not together if that's what you’re asking.”
