TWO

Vincent Patrick Academy, Nick thought with a dark scowl, with a curse he pushed away from his desk and went to stand in front of the massive window overlooking the city of New York, at night the view would be breathtaking but Nick rarely ever had the time to appreciate it, his father often accused him for not having the eye or the patience to appreciate beauty but Nick had the eyes and patience what he didn't have was the understanding for it.

As he looked down at the busy streets and colorful shops, he couldn't help but think back to eight years ago, when all he had ever thought of was leaving the small sleepy town that seemed like a prison to him and a chance at a new life for his father. The days he had lived in lover's valley still had him clenching his fist. ''Lover's valley my ass'' There was nothing lovely about the town, there were only hateful and sad memories for him there. Highschool had been a nightmare, he could only get through it because of his father. His father was the only person that had accepted him the way he was when everyone pushed him away even his own mother hadn't wanted him, his father Ryan Stone was Nick's happy place but the people of lover's valley didn't spare him that small bit of happiness.

Nick's mother had walked out of his and his father's life when Nick was only eight years old, he had cried and begged her not to leave but she left anyway screaming that she couldn't deal with a failure for a husband and a child who was nothing but a burden although Nick had been so young he didn't understand and all he had wanted was for his mother to stay. His father had told him that if he was a good boy his mother would let him come visit her so a young Nick so eager to please his mother had studied hard, never got in trouble, ate his vegetables and never stayed up late he had practically been the epitone of a perfect child and every christmas he would write his mother a letter telling her how he had won many awards and how well behaved he had been and then drag his laughing father to the post office and everytime the letter would be sent back to him unopened but that hadn't been enough to dampen his young spirit. He did that for ten years.

James stared at the minute of the meeting in his hands, this had to be the tenth time he had gone through it, he doesn't think his sanity could afford any more scolding from his boss. Nickolas Stone was all about perfection and organizing, he had the looks of a greek God, black raven hair and piercing green eyes that most times seems like it could see through a person, every fashion magazines dubbed him as prince charming only those who knew him knows that he was far from charming, sure he was a generous and fair boss but that was as far as nicities went for Nickolas Stone. People at the office nicknamed him 'stone heart' James doubted there was anything in the man's chest.`

''James'' Nick called out, startled, a bunch of papers fell out of the young secretary hands, Nick used to his secretary clumsiness rolled his eyes.

''Yes sir''.

''When is the meeting with Blake and Co?''.

''The people from the law firm?''.

"No James, the people from the chocolate factory" Nick retorted with a blank look.

"Oh I don't think you have any meetings scheduled with any chocolate_".

"For fuck's sake james!" Nick gawked at his secretary not sure if the boy was serious or just messing with him.

"I'm sorry sir, I'll find out right away...".

"Christ I swear I can feel myself getting dumber just by looking at you".

"I'm sorry sir, I'll try my best to look smart so you'll feel smart by looking at me".

"Oh my God".

"Should I email you the schedule of the meeting for Blake and Co?".

Nick stared at his secretary and wanted to bust into tears, when Mrs Asher got back from her honeymoon he would pay her a handsome fee and make her promise to never leave his side. James stared at his employer's back as he walked out of the conference room. He let out a breath of relief and bent to pick up the papers on the floor.

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"That would be all ma'am, whenever you're ready just give me a call and I'll prepare the papers for you right away".

"Thanks Kimberly, you're a good kid".

"You don't have to thank me, I'm just doing my job". Kim stood up to walk the elderly woman out. "Have a nice day Mrs Smith".

Walking back to her desk she pressed the intercom. "Sarah I need a minute".

A few seconds later her secretary Sarah Baxton entered her office. "You called for me upholder of justice" Kim rolled her eyes at the statement.

"I need you to reschedule any meeting I have, move the important ones forward and postpone the other ones".

"Why, are you travelling?" Sarah asked, tapping on her tablet already making changes as instructed.

"Kinda. I won't be coming to work for a couple of days......I'm going home".

Surprised by her boss's words sarah paused to take a good at her employer. "Is everything okay?".

"Oh yeah just something I need to take care of".

"Okay then, when will that be?".

"Eighteenth of febuary till the twenty-second".

"Alright, I'll make some changes and get back to you, in the mean time you have a meeting with the crew in five".

"Okay, I'll head to the meeting room when I'm done here".

"Alright let's start" Kim said as soon as she took her seat in the meeting room. "Charlie do you have the file from Stone Corp?".

"Yeah, this is big Kim, if this goes well and we become their legal team then.....Wow".

"Cool your horses Charlie".

"I can't boss, this is huge for me, for us".

"I know that, which is why we can't mess this up, why do they want to change their legal team in the first place. We need to find that out so we don't make the same mistake, whatever that is".

"You're right" Britany said making everyone turn towards her, she had that arresting aura about her, she always seem to grab everyone's attention whenever she spoke which was why Kim hired her, that and the fact that she was a damned good lawyer. 

Blake and Co was everything to kim, it had always been a dream of hers to be able to defend people and stand up for what was right. It had been hell opening a business of her own but it was worth it even though she had started alone. Immediately after college she had used up every single penny she could raise to buy a building, the economy wasn't exactly friendly to a fresh out of college dewy eyed girl looking to open her own business. Kim had graduated top of her class, which had of course opened up a few doors for her but she had refused to work under anyone, the part-time jobs eventually paid off, plus her parents worried about her, gave her more money than she actually needed. She had won the very first case she took on then, her parents had been overwhelmed with joy and she had even cried right along with her client, ever since she had always won every case she fought, she called the first win luck but the rest had been solely based on her hardwork and studying and she was proud of herself. The media had called her 'The upholder of justice' she was vicious and merciless in the courtroom and now she had six employees who were just as hardworking.

"I'll be absent for a couple of days so we need to finish up this deal with Stone Corp and Charlie I need you to draw up a contract, I'll brief you on the contents later. Zoey how's the boyfriend case going?".

"Miss Olivia still doesn't want to press charges agaisnt her boyfriend, I've tried everything I can to convince her. She believes he's going to change and her mother wouldn't stop calling".

"I know, I had to send the poor woman away again with a promise to press charges against him, I'm running out of excuses and legal soothing words".

"We can only do so much, we can't force her that would be against her rights".

"Send me her details, I'll speak to her hopefully she will still be alive by the time I get to her".