The Royal Contract

They were on their way to meet with her ex-boyfriend with his panel of lawyers. They were about to discuss the case she was filing against him. Adam said it would be better if they could settle this out of court.

But, of course, they had to hear what the other panel would say on the matter and see if they could agree on acceptable terms. But at the end of the day, it was her final call. Whatever she decided, that was what they would do.

“Are you ok?” Nora asked her, concern covering her face beside her thick makeup that tried to conceal her age.

In this industry, age was not just a number. It was everything. Youthful appearance would always be the key to reaching the top. So, better milked it while young before the beautiful and youthful appeal fade.

She had hoped that she would have established a reputable career before that happened, but it seemed that her career would never see the next light of day. She could kiss what she had worked hard for goodbye.

“Yeah, I am good, just thinking,” Serena answered her manager, not wanting her to worry about her.

.....

Since she had left her family, Nora had acted more than just a manager to her. She was not exactly a mother figure, but she had been there for her through thick and thin.

“I know that I rather had my legal team handle this. But Serena picked you, so I hope you are up to the challenge.” Nora was not the type who would play with words. She spoke her mind with brutal honesty.

She would not sugarcoat her words to please anyone but because she only wanted honesty. According to her, that was the only thing in this world that worked.

Saying things that she meant and not lying about anything. At least to the people that mattered to her. But for the rest, the hell with them. Those were her words.

“You can trust me that I will do my best and would only have her best interest at heart,” Adam said, and he meant every word.

He had already made that promise to his friend, David, and he was not in the habit of breaking his promises. He would defend her case in his best capacity and find a way to win her case if need be.

In case, the other panel decided to take this to the next level and disagreed with their proposal. Sometimes, even the best-laid plan could mess up because the other party thought they had something better.

“I know you will,” Serena said as she extended her hand to his, squeezing his hand tight.

She did not know why she did that. Maybe a force of habit, but if David trusted him enough to recommend him to her. Then just maybe, he was better than all those expensive lawyers who only looked at the big picture but not what was best for her.

Half an hour later, they sat in a large conference room in one of the largest firms in the city. Of course, only the best for the famous movie star, the son of a great producer.

“Can you wait here?” The woman who escorted them into the room said. “They will be here in a few minutes.” Then, she was gone, leaving the three of them to stare into each other and the view outside the massive windows.

“This is just how they play. They make you wait and believe that they have the upper hand. So, don’t let them intimidate you.” Adam whispered to her ears, seeing the growing agitation in her eyes. This time, he took her hand on her lap and squeezed it firmly, reassuring her that he got this.

It was not his first battle against corporate giants like this. He knew the rules they were playing, and he had beaten some of them in their games. However, they had many tricks in their sleeves, so he could not let his guard down.

Besides, he was not entirely alone in this battle. He also had the backing of one massive firm behind him. He was not showing them all the cards to make them believe they had the upper hand.

“Ok. As I said, I trust you.” She nodded in his direction before looking at her manager. “Thank you.” She knew she had not thanked her enough for all her support.

She did not have to be here, risking her career for her. But she chose to stand by her instead of saving her skin. By supporting her, she was putting her profession in jeopardy.

The influence of Elliot in the industry was enormous. His family could have Nora banned from the business if they wished. Make it hard for her to get new clients or make it hard for her clients to get a job.

“You know I can never abandon you,” Nora said, tapping her shoulder to show support. “After this, we have to talk about your next contract.” Her manager said, but she knew Nora was only trying to cheer her up.

Soon, the meeting started, but her ex-boyfriend was a no-show. The lawyers only offered a counteroffer but did not accept theirs. Adam had warned her about this, but she hoped they could have settled it and gotten it over with now.

Now, they returned to her apartment with Adam promising to review the counter-proposal before advising her anything. Somehow, she believed she might not like it from the initial look on his face and the way he had argued with the other lawyers.

She might not be a lawyer, but she also did not like the sound of what they offered. However, she would wait for Adam’s advice before making any decision.

“Thanks!” She said to him when he offered to walk her back to her apartment. Nora opted to leave after dropping her back at the hotel. She did not know why, but she felt safe when he was constantly around.

“I better go. I still have other cases to deal with.” He said as he stood outside her door. “But are you sure you are ok?” Adam asked, feeling slightly reluctant to leave her alone.

“Yeah, I am good. Go and save other lives.” Serena could not help but tease him, making him smile like a schoolboy with the dimples displayed on his cheeks.

“I’ll call you to set up another meeting soon.” He told her before walking away.

Soon, she was alone again in her room. She suddenly felt alone, a feeling that she had never enjoyed. She liked to be surrounded by people or even just one, but not on her own.

Maybe that was why she could not get out of a terrible relationship, even if it had not been healthy anymore, because she was afraid to be alone. But she would soon change that.

Then, a knock on her door made her turn around. Quickly, she opened the door, wondering why Adam would return. Or was she hoping he had come back?

A man stood outside her door with flowers, balloons, and chocolates.