The Royal Contract

She guessed it had something to do with a case they were working on together. David volunteered to help her in one of her cases.

She knew that they were still handling her with kid gloves as if she was a delicate flower that would wither away if put under pressure.

“It is a good case. I think the chance of us taking the lead in this one is high.” Dani said after a few minutes of discussing her latest case with David in his office.

She could see him nodding with some portions that she pointed out. So far, he had not said anything to make her think that she had made a mistake. Anyway, it was what she wanted to show him.

She only wanted to establish that she was more resilient than they thought. She hoped to prove to her boss and the rest of her colleagues that she was ready to get back to her routine.

“I think so, too,” David responded, agreeing with her assessment.

.....

He had always known how strong her personality was. Admittedly, recently, he had been concerned about her condition after the ordeal she had gone through.

But seeing her today, doing what she did best, he could not deny that he was impressed at how well she had bounced back to her responsibilities.

“I know you mean well. But trust me with this. I know I can handle this without you checking on me every minute.” Dani said calmly, finally confronting the elephant in the room.

She was done asking everybody to stop treating her like she was a victim. Because she was not. But she considered herself a survivor. What happened to her was not easy, but she would fight it all the way through.

“Then, don’t let me keep you from your work,” David stated, finally conceding to her. After all, he was satisfied with her work and the courage she displayed.

He was convinced that she could manage it on her own. At least, he would like to give her a chance to prove to everyone that she was a fighter and not a quitter.

“Thanks.” She felt a sense of relief that David finally understood her. “I promise you that you will not get disappointed.”

She soon left his office to go back to her office when she noticed another room that she was thinking of visiting. She could come by later after she called for an appointment or just pop in to see if he was not busy.

After a few seconds of deliberation, she decided that she might, as well, drop by and see if he was available since she was already in the vicinity.

When she reached his door, she did not find his secretary around, so she decided to try her luck that he was not busy. Then, she found him alone in his room.

She did not see him since he faced the window away from her. She also did not hear anything since he had already ended the call when she arrived by the door, but she saw the chair move as he shifted on his seat.

“I hope I am not catching you in terrible timing.” Dani apologized again for coming to his office without any appointments, occupying the seat he offered her when he finally noticed her presence.

She just thought that she might as well take her chances that he was not swamped with work. However, she could always come back if he was. Luckily, it seemed that he had a few minutes to spare for her.

“I have a meeting in thirty minutes, but until then, I am all ears. So, what can I do for you?” He closed the files on his desk and set them aside, putting his whole attention on her.

He decided to deal with his cases later after she left. At the moment, he was more interested to know her intentions for coming to see him without prior notice.

“Well, Alex and I have discussed our case, and we both decided that it might be better if we find a lawyer that we can trust to help us with our situation.” She said, placing her hands on the top of her lap, trying to find a more relaxed position.

She could see from his eyes that her mentor was already analyzing what she was implying in her words. Well, she wanted the idea to register with him before she eventually spilled the rest of her statement.

She had met several good lawyers she could count on handling what they needed. But she just did not feel that they were a good fit.

“Ok,” Gerald did not want to assume anything, but he could guess what she was trying to say. “Tell me what you have in mind.”

He pushed himself away from the table and stood from his position, walking towards her. He would like to show her that he was a friend she could trust with whatever was bothering her.

His mind debated if she was about to hire him for a case or ask for some recommendations. Still, he waited, not wanting to make a conclusion.

“Well, I think you are the best to handle our lawsuit against Nick. Even Alex thinks so.” She finally said, turning in her seat to face him.

She looked up to him, observing his reaction to her unusual request. “You see...” She continued, hoping that she could convince him to accept it. “I believe that you are the best to litigate our case against Nick.”

She could not think of anyone else that she could trust to do the job as well as he would. He had an almost perfect record of bringing criminals to justice.

His records were impeccable. Besides that, his advocacy against crime made him the best candidate for the position. That was if he would take on the challenge.

Although the District Attorney’s office was taking the lead in persecuting Nick for his crimes. She still wanted an outside counsel that she could use to solidify their case against Nick.

“I will say I am surprised with your decision.” Gerald rubbed his chin, feeling the small stubbles of beard growing on his skin.

He was not expecting that she would consider him as their lawyer. He believed that Ethan had enough great counselors under his belt that could easily win their case.

“I know this is a big ask.” She could see that her boss was thinking about her offer. “I know money is not what motivates you in taking a case. But I hope that you will try to think about it first before giving me a decision.”

Based on her observation since she started working for him. Gerald was not the kind of lawyer that accepted cases based on the value of the client.

She believed that he valued more the merit of each case, not how much money would go into his pocket. A quality that she had learned to admire about him.

“As much as I want to say yes to your request, you will have to give me a moment to evaluate the situation.” He hated seeing the slight disappointment on her face upon hearing his response.

However, he had to tread lightly since one wrong step could lead to his downfall. He had to consider all aspects of the case and how they could affect his situation.

He could not deny he was tempted to take a chance. However, he still had no idea what the couple knew about the organization. For all he knew, he could be walking into a trap.