“Well, Mr. Fears,” he said. “Things are not looking good. Because of it, we have lost even more clients. If Vince is proven guilty, it could lead to an investigation into the entire firm.”
“Set up a meeting for me with the investigative lead,” I said.
He nodded as Hillary entered, bearing the files I had asked for.
“We need to turn our attention to the Avery case,” I said. “We need to win it for us to regain some standing back into the law community. Where are we with the plaintiffs?”
“We contacted a few,” Seth said. “But no one is willing to testify. It seems almost hopeless at this point.”
“There will always be hope as long as there is someone willing to fight for justice,” Hillary said, and I looked at her. She looked so beautiful and so brave, and my heart started to throb in my chest. It ached for her, and I had to control the urge to just reach out for her and hold her hand.
“Seth, keeping looking into it,” I said. “Someone will be willing to testify. They have to.”
He nodded again and walked off, and I walked towards Hillary.
“How are you doing?” I asked.
“It doesn’t matter,” she whispered.
“Hillary,” I said, grabbing her wrist. It was so hard to stay away from her. So hard to resist. How could I fight my emotions? How could I fight my desire?
“Don’t,” she whispered. “Please.”
For a minute, we both just looked at each other, the air between us tense. I reached out and traced her soft cheek, and she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath in.
“I am sorry,” I said and turned away, even though I didn’t want to.
She stood there for a while and then walked away, a broken expression on her face.
∞∞∞
“What is this?” I said, throwing the pictures in front of him.
He slowly picked them up, and a look of horror came over his face.
“How do you know about this?” he asked.
“Is it true?” I asked. “You did all this?”
“I did what I had to do,” he said. “I did it for the company.”
“Damn it!” I shouted. “Damn it all! You are going to ruin me!”
“Gale—” he protested, but I cut him off.
“Just go, Dad!” I said. “Just go!”
He took one last look at me and then walked off, and I dropped in my chair.
My own father was the reason I was stuck in this mess. He was the reason Stella had me in her grasp. But there was nothing I could do. It was all true, and Stella had the proof. I couldn’t believe that my own father would do something like this.
I picked up my phone and called the only person I trusted, the only friend I had. “Daniel,” I said when he picked up. “I need your help. I need an investigation done.”
“Of course,” he said. “I will get my private investigator on it. Who is it?”
“My father,” I said.
∞∞∞
