I don’t even look up, sure he’s going to keep talking, like usual.
“There’s a class action lawsuit underway against one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the country.”
There he goes again, though I am intrigued by this information.
“What’s the number they are coming at them with?” I ask nonchalantly.
We may pretend to be indifferent, but both of us know this could be big bucks.
I grab my cup of coffee and turn around.
Pierce is smirking at me knowingly. “Five hundred million.”
Fuck. Winning a case like this could set my reputation for life. If won, the payout alone would be insane. He knows I want it. I know he wants it.
That is, if Stewart and Henry win over the client. They are the majority-owned partners of the firm. Two men in their sixties, who started this firm thirty years ago.
Pierce and I only have a small amount of equity in the company. We don’t get a say in who gets assigned these cases. There are three of us that it would come down to.
Pierce, Cody, and me.
“Let’s hope Stewart and Henry bring them in. It’d be a huge win for the company.”
“I look forward to seeing who they see fit to take over the case,” Pierce eyes me contentiously.
I clap him on the shoulder. “May the best man win.”
I know he wants to shrug me off of him, but he stands tall and proud, like we’re the best of buds.
It’s survival of the fittest up here on the fifty-second floor of Decker and Maxfield. The polished glass walls don’t just reflect city lights; they mirror every ambition, every calculated smile, every late-night strategy to climb higher. Associates hover like sharks, sensing weakness, ready to pounce on a dropped client or missed deadline.
Even partners like Pierce and me circle each other, alliances shifting with billable hours and courtroom wins. There are no friends here, only competitors in expensive suits. You either bill like a machine, bringing in million-dollar clients, or get replaced by someone who can.
In this place, loyalty is a myth, and rest is a liability.
I stroll back to my office with a spring in my step and a new objective—find Stewart and Henry to remind them who their best attorney is.
First things first. I need more information on the case that’s being brought against them.
I halt at my assistant, Bradly’s, desk just outside of my office.
“I need you to look into a possible class action lawsuit being filed against one of the leading pharmaceutical companies based here in the US. See if you can find out which company it is against.”
Bradly nods his head. “Sure thing, Mr. Harlow. I’ll let you know what I find.”
Once inside of my office, I close my door and slide off my jacket. I don’t have to be in court today, so it’ll be a bit of a slow-paced kind of day.
I stand in front of the floor-to-ceiling window of my office, the city sprawled beneath me like the board of a game I’m determined to win. This case is my shot—the kind of high-profile litigation that could elevate me to a top-tier partner with more equity in the firm. I could be a legend in the industry.
I want it. I need it.
Though this is what I live for, I feel my body coiled too tight. What I need is a good lay. No strings, no morning-after-brunch nonsense—just sweat-slicked skin and a moan that would chase away the stress for a few hours.
I have numbers. Hell, half the women in this building would jump at the chance.
But it could be a distraction. Winning this case is what matters. It’s not about the money that would come with it—I have enough money. It’s about the power and prestige. This opportunity is exactly what my parents would want. A reason to brag about his son at the club.
Not sure where that came from. I haven’t thought much about pleasing my parents in a while. It’s been an itch of mine that I’ve realized is futile. Nothing impresses them or makes them proud. It’s just not in their DNA.
