Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Evie

Blocks of texts began to merge into one another. After researching case after case about athletes and club related lawsuits for

hours, my eyes had become red and strained.

How could I help Timothy get more out of this case? From all the lawsuits I’d investigated, not one seemed to give the athletes a

very favorable outcome. It would be a miracle if he didn’t have to pay a large amount of money for breaching his contract.

The most recent one was a football player who had to pay about a billion just to settle it. Instead of finding a more respectful

team and continuing his success, he was living in a small apartment while working an hourly wage that hardly covered rent. I

couldn't let that happen to Timothy, especially after seeing how hard he’d worked throughout the years.

My stomach grumbled and I bent over to ease the hunger pangs away. It was unhealthy, but I often ignored my bodily needs. I

could get more done if eating and sleeping weren’t required.

I'd have to leave soon, and it wouldn't do me any good to head to the firm on an empty stomach. I could only hope that I wouldn't

wither away by the time the case came to a close.

With a sigh, I stood and stretched my limbs before padding into the kitchen. Aria kept a few snacks around, but they were entirely

health-conscious items that lingered between low-fat and low-sodium. I snatched a bag of unsalted chips. before going back to

the living room.

I paused when I spotted Aria on the couch, scrolling through my laptop. Her eyes and mouth were wide with shock as she clicked

on the page with Timothy’s face plastered all over. At that point, it was too late to make an excuse.

I hadn’t even heard Aria open the door, let alone walk in.

“What? Your client is Timothy?!” Aria screamed, rubbing her hair. She placed the laptop back on the couch and stood abruptly.

“Oh my God!”

I squirmed, tossing the bag of chips on the couch as Aria paced the room with

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shallow breaths. Her face was growing redder by the second as she waved her arms around. I knew the news would shatter her.

Timothy was practically Aria’s imaginary husband. She had dedicated so much to him over the in sickness and in health. It

years, even attended all of us games,

probably looked bad that I was hiding my deal with him, no matter how innocent

it was.

“Oh, I’m so jealous!” Aria panted, looking almost wild. “Ugh, I hate you! I mean F do love you, but I hate you right now! Why didn’t

you tell me?”

I opened my mouth to speak, but Aria had fallen to her knees and was glaring at the ceiling. She had her arms stretched upward,

as if to shout at some cruel deity in the sky.

“Why didn’t I just stick with law school? Timothy could have been my client!” Suddenly, she hopped up off the floor and came

rushing over to me. She smoothed down her shirt and put on her best puppy—dog eyes.

“Can I at least know what kind of lawsuit he’s fighting?” Aria asked, fluttering her eyes. As always, Aria figured that her pathetic

display of desperation would sway

1.me.

Not this time. I shook my head firmly. “No. It’s confidential, Aria.”

“Evie, please!” Aria grabbed my shirt sleeve and tugged me backward before I could reach the door. “I need to know he'll be

okay!”

I rolled my eyes and tried to pull my arm away, but Aria had a tight grip on me. “I have to get back to the firm,” I said impatiently.

“To work on his case? Well, take me with you!” Aria begged. She was hugging my arm at that point. “I can drop you off and pick

you up after work.”

After watching Aria’s desperate display, I felt my resolve slowly slipping away. Aria was just going to keep pushing, being as

stubborn as she was. It wouldn’t hurt to give her the chance.

“Fine,” I said gently, shaking Aria off my arm. “You can come.”

Aria jumped up and down. “Oh, sweet! Maybe if I’m lucky, Timothy and I will cross paths!”

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I cringed at the mention of his name. I could only hope that Aria wouldn't get so lucky, as that was clearly her only reason for

coming. That would mean trouble for

1.me.

When I arrived at the office, my heart was racing. I felt a curious set of eyes staring at me from across the office. They

unfortunately belonged to Jasper, who appeared just as shocked at my presence.

“Evie?” He was leaning against his desk, coffee mug in hand. As I walked closer, he wrinkled his nose. “I didn’t expect to find you

back at the firm.”

Without responding, I strode past him and toward my desk. I had learned not to fuel his fire. However, this seemed to encourage

him to dig his claws in deeper.

“So, how’d you do it, Evie?” He took another sip of his coffee before setting it down. on his desk. “Last I checked, you were

packing your things and jumping ship. Why are you even here?”

I kept walking. That was all I could do. This one case was my only hope and I'd be damned if Jasper psyched me out.

He began to slowly approach me, hands stuffed in his pockets as he cracked a grin. Jasper was like a snake in that way, slow

and steady as he approached his prey. He wouldn't give up until he satiated his hunger, no matter how long it took.

“Or did you get here from doing certain favors?” he said, his voice low and suggestive. “Got some backdoor tricks up your

sleeve, Evie?”

I gritted my teeth, ignoring his verbal tactics. Carefully, I set my things down on my desk and took a deep breath.

Jasper sauntered over, his hand sliding along the edge of the desk before landing on my pile of research files. He tapped his

fingers on them, as if to command my attention. Defiantly, I kept my eyes trained on my laptop as I went to open the

screen.

“That’s what I thought. You’re from the gutter, after all. It’s no surprise at all that you’d stoop to disgusting levels to get what you

want.”

His lips curled, and with one sweep, he sent the files crashing into the trash can by the desk. I gawked in horror when his hands

found my laptop, which he then

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snatched from my grasp.

“You're just a piece of trash. Go back to where you belong,” he said venomously, then raised the laptop over the trash can.

At that moment, a hand snatched his wrist before he could dump it. He turned in awe at the man standing beside him, his eyes

obscured by a pair of sunglasses. Although he couldn’t see his expression, the man’s muscular frame and cool temperament

made it clear that he was not someone to mess with.

It didn’t take too long to figure out it was Timothy that had walked in. How long had he been standing there?!

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