Rift in the perfect picture

A man shouldn’t be pampered. They’d only learn to cherish things once they were sated every once in a while.

Early the next morning, I specifically instructed Wendy to tell Nicholas that I prepared breakfast for him and Claudia. Then, I took my bag and left.

I had no idea what kind of consensus Nicholas and Pete reached. After all, the only reason Jay Caldwell & Co. could reopen was that now it belonged to the Hawk Corporation.

But I couldn’t care less. As long as I could work at the firm with Yasmine and Silas unaffected by the change, I’d be fine with it.

The three of us huddled in Silas’s office, and Yasmine held my hand tightly. Concern filled her eyes. “Ari, are you okay? You should rest a bit longer.”

“I’m fine actually,” I said, blinking my dry eyes.

I I I recalled the past few weeks I spent alone abroad. All my tears had already dried up. back then.

“The doctor said my mom passed away without much suffering,” I said calmly before shifting the topic.

“I’m sorry f

“I’m sorry for what happened before. I’ve always wanted to apologize, but I haven’t

had the chance to.” Looking solemn, I got up and started to explain.

Startled, both Yasmine and Silas sprang to their feet. “Don’t, Ari. We should thank you instead. Otherwise, the law firm would’ve….”

“Is it really okay? What kind of deal did you make with Nicholas again?”

A sharp ache bloomed in my chest. My breathing suddenly became labored.

I wasn’t made of stone, so I was touched when people cared about me. As I spotted the concerned look in Yasmine’s eyes, I yearned to lean into her embrace if it weren’t for the presence of other people. Silas was very close to Pete, after all.

Not wanting to lose my composure and say something misleading, I merely responded, “Well, you know how much I love Nicholas.”

If my Facebook account was a diary of my teenage dreams, then Yasmine was the only one with the key to that diary. She had witnessed the emotional turmoil I went

through throughout my relationship with Nicholas.

But now that I was with Nicholas merely out of tolerance, I couldn’t tell her.

I sighed and met her gaze. Her lips parted, as if wanting to say something but ultimately decided against it. Little did I expect Silas to expose me.

“Ariana, you can’t hide it from me. You’re clearly unhappy!”

Well, he had the perceptiveness of a lawyer Indeed. Though Silas was my senior, we hadn’t interacted enough to be so close that I could share such personal matters

with him.

“Silas, you don’t know me well,” I replied coolly.

All his words of concern ceased once I countered him with this response. Looking uneasy, he adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat.

“Sorry,” he muttered.

“It’s fine,” I said with a smile.

Then, Silas helped me outline the direction for my future work. “Are you still interested in non–litigation cases?”

I shook my head. Having experienced too much lately, I felt like non–litigation cases weren’t enough to sate my ambition.

I had to grow quickly and become as capable as I could. I also wanted fame. The last thing I wanted was to be plunged into another helpless situation again–I wanted to have my future under control.

“A celebrity couple is currently going through a divorce. The woman has already filed a lawsuit. I think you’d be interested in this case.”

Handing me a stack of documents, Silas flashed a smile at me. “I was worried that you might want to join my team. I wouldn’t be able to resign then.”

I was the only one who looked surprised in the office. Clearly, Yasmine had known. about it.

“I’ll still be around for nearly one month for the handover. I’ll continue to guide you during this time.”

Silas didn’t elaborate on his reasons for resigning, and I didn’t ask any further. It was obvious, in fact. As Pete’s close friend, he couldn’t possibly work for Nicholas.

Silas intended to take me to the detention center to visit Brittany, saying that the things that happened in the past had to be resolved.

I couldn’t be bothered and declined his offer. After all, the resolve he meant wasn’t what I really wanted.

The person who should be judged in the detention center had just eaten the breakfast I made this morning.

Dismissing Silas with a wave, I left the law firm promptly and headed to my own apartment.

The solitude of my own space allowed me to focus on the materials Silas gave me. In this divorce lawsuit of a celebrity couple, I was the woman’s lawyer.

She was a former actress who had announced her retirement three years ago, while her husband was a newly crowned best actor.

Rumors online claimed that the husband only succeeded thanks to his wife’s resources. There was no way that he was going to file a divorce unless he wanted to become the target of the online backlash.

Yet, the materials said otherwise as the case was indeed quite odd. Even though the woman filed the lawsuit, she was actually suing herself. She accused herself of infidelity which led to a fallout in their relationship, and she wanted a divorce.

Just as I was about to call her to schedule a meeting, I received a message.

“Where are you?” It was Nicholas.

I hesitated, but I ultimately replied, “At my apartment.”

“Wait for me.”

I couldn’t discern his emations behind his brief response. As I tidied up the documents on my desk, I became slightly distracted.

If it were before, I would’ve found his response sweet. Receiving what I desired most back then in this way only made me realize how dominant and arrogant he was.

My phone rang again when I went to the bathroom.

“Come down,” Nicholas ordered from the other end of the line.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .