Chapter Two

Brandon’s POV

“Well, Mr Trainer, I found a brilliant solicitor with an immaculate reputation. Ms. Harris has an enviable track record for cracking unwinnable cases. But…” My personal assistant, Alicia Scott, hesitated.

“But what?”

“Well, today I sent your brief over to her law firm, Tomkins & Sawyer, requesting representation by this partner, and it was immediately returned with a refusal to take the case.”

“What? Just like that?” I leaned forward, frowning. “Has Ms. Harris represented us in the past?”

 Alicia consulted her notes. “Ah, no sir. I believe it was… another partner at the firm.”

My concern for Elena was mounting. She was incarcerated in a detention center and her mental health is deteriorating under the stress.

Winning her release as soon as possible, is paramount.

At the same time, in order to prevent further losses to the company, I have to resolve this dire legal matter as fast as I can.

“We’re running out of time, Alicia. This case can’t wait. Can we find someone else?” I asked.

Alicia sniffed and shuffled her notes. “Our case is a particularly difficult one, and everything tells me she is our best chance.” 

She continued. “She’s currently defending a contentious virtual asset transfer case - the trial starts tomorrow. Why don’t we attend and judge for ourselves if she has the expertise we need?”

“Great idea. We’ll sit in on the court proceedings and get a feel for her delivery. Maybe even introduce ourselves, you know, to plead our case.”

***

The trial commenced at 10.00 am, when the judge appeared.

Amongst the defence team, I spied an elegant woman, dressed in a stylish but modest fashion. She had lovely fair hair, a trim but curvaceous figure and a quiet, confident manner.

As the trial progressed, I couldn’t help but admire Ms Harris’s handling of the case.

Her calm, authoritative approach engendered confidence and trust, while her smooth delivery was a joy to watch.

It was a complex case, involving a multinational logistics company which had received a venture capital investment of around $300 million, three years ago. 

Recently, the company declared bankruptcy and entered liquidation. However, during an audit, the investors discovered that a large amount of assets had vanished from the company’s ledger.

The funds were suspected to have been transferred to several cryptocurrency wallets and multiple overseas subsidiaries.

It was charged that the founding shareholders had deliberately transferred assets, cashing out in advance, thus avoiding debt, then maliciously collapsing the company into liquidation.

As a result, the rest of the investors have sued the board for ‘virtual asset transfer’ and ‘executive misconduct,’ demanding that both their personal and corporate assets be frozen, and the losses recovered.

The company’s Chairman, O. Arthur Le Bruin, engaged Ms Harris from Tomkins & Sawyer, as his defence attorney.

I was skeptical at first – everyone said this case was hopeless. The evidence against them looked overwhelming.

Frankly, no one else would touch it. Even someone like me, who knows corporate law inside and out, felt the case was a dead end.

Then she began – calm, understated, with no theatrics. But what she said in her opening statement flipped the mood entirely.

“Perhaps those funds were transferred,” she said evenly, “but did they ever legally belong to the company in the first place?”

Her tone was composed, but every word cut deep.

She cited an obscure clause in the appendix of the investment agreement: “According to Section B on page 15, if a sub-fund used for R&D was not registered as an official sub-account of the company, then it is not affected by company bankruptcy.”

I blinked. That was... clever. Very clever.

This slick defence attorney then tabled a document: the so-called ‘subsidiary’ where the funds went was actually a legally established incubator project in the original investment agreement — overlooked at the time, but now made a scapegoat.

The defence then questioned the opposing expert witness: “How many years of hands-on experience do you have in blockchain asset evaluation?”

The man hesitated. That was all it took.

“So,” she followed up coldly, “what you’re offering is speculation – not legally admissible evidence?”

Game over.

On the final day, I sat in the courtroom and listened to her closing statement – measured, precise, devastating.

“My client may be a poor manager,” she said, “but he is not a fraud. The issue here isn’t whether he moved money – it’s that you never understood what you were investing in.”

Then she paused, and said quietly: “I rest my case.”

The room went still. The prosecutor’s confidence had vanished; even the judge looked thoughtful.

“Statement noted,” he said at last.

And just like that, the defense won.

Touché. She wasn’t just beautiful. She was brilliant, and lethal in court.

“We need her,” I whispered to Alicia.

While the courtroom was clearing, we pressed our way through, toward the defence table. Ms Harris was packing up.

“Excuse me, Ms Harris?”

She looked up in surprise but quickly regained her composure. It struck me that no lawyer should possess such exquisite blue eyes.

“Can I help you?”

“Ah, I’m Brandon Trainer, CEO of SkyWorld Enterprises. I recently sent a brief to Tomkins & Sawyer for a case I’m backing, requesting your services to represent us. I was surprised when it came back refused. I’m wondering if you would reconsider?”

A frown flickered across her face momentarily. “I apologise, Mr Trainer but I already have a heavy case-load.” Picking up her dossier, she made to leave the courtroom.

Her stark refusal sounded final, and my heart sank.

But I knew, no matter what, I needed her – it was as if I were utterly captivated by her – I had to make her agree!

“No really,  Ms Harris. I wouldn’t be here asking like this if it weren’t urgent and you’re the only one who could help her. I’m willing to agree to any terms you feel appropriate.”

She smiled, and it was as if the sun had come out from behind a cloud.

Looking me straight in the eye, she asked, “Anything? This woman must be very important to you. Is she your partner? Your girlfriend, perhaps?”