Les héritiers du silence

Belinda's POV

I'm sitting in my office reading the newspaper. We are certainly making waves in the city. My eyes are as cold as the smile on my lips. My father and ex-fiance chased me out of my mother's firm five years ago. Unfortunately, when my mother died, she left the firm to my father. She thought that one day he would give it to me. She thought he loved her as much as she loved him. Six months after my mother died, my father remarried. I always wanted to follow in my mother's footsteps. Unfortunately, she died before I could finish my studies at Yale University. I was always first in the class. Jake Green, my ex-fiance, was always jealous of me. 

My father and Jake told me I was not good enough for the firm. Jake broke off our engagement and moved on with my stepsister Amanda, an attorney. She's not very good and does not have an outstanding reputation in court. I know everything about them and what they are capable of. Jake and Amanda are not very good attorneys, and my father has retired as he is too old to practice. They must panic because I am taking most of their most prominent clients. As I know them, they do not know that I am back in town yet, and they do not realize that Morris and Partners are my mother's old firm. They are not very bright. I have been working with the best attorneys in this country for five years. My four-year-old son is home-schooled but stays with me in the office in the afternoon. I must hide him this afternoon because his father is coming to my office today. I cannot allow Chase Stone to see his son. 

Five years ago, when I was chased away by my fiance and my father and out of the firm, I got drunk at a club. Chase was there, and we had some fun together. He was as drunk as me, and I knew he was uninterested. He told me in so many words, but I laughed and said neither were I. I do not understand why the protection we used that night did not work, but it did not, and I got pregnant. It was not like I was a virgin or anything, but I hadn't slept with Jake in a long time. He stopped being interested after meeting Amanda, and I guess I was too stupid to realize they were having an affair behind my back. I called my secretary and told her to ensure that little Connor does not come to my office and that they must keep him away from Chase Stone when he comes to see me this afternoon. After all, I do not want Chase running into his little mini-me. 

"Mr. Stone is here," My secretary says, and I did not even realize that the time has passed so fast.

"Where is Connor?" I ask.

"He is on the top floor playing in the breakroom. I will keep him busy and ensure he does not Interrupt you, Miss Morris," My secretary says. I nod as I put on a fake smile. 

"Let Mr. Stone in, and please keep Connor away from here until Mr Stone leaves. I cannot afford to lose this contract. Everybody knows that Mr. Stone does not like children," I say I know it is the truth, but I also know that is not why I want to keep Connor away from him. And I can see on the face of my secretary that you also do not believe me. I know Connor looks a lot like Chase. I know she can see it. I also know that she's afraid to say anything. I do not believe in making friends. I have learned the hard way that you can trust no one.

Chase Stone looks more mature than I remember, but he still has that stone-cold expression. A sarcastic smile plays on his lips as he looks me up and down. I know what he is thinking. I know that he thinks that I have changed a lot as well. I walk around the table and hold out my hand. He raises his eyebrows as he takes my hand in his. 

"It is a little late for a handshake. Come on, Belinda. We know each other more intimately," Chase says with that sarcastic smile on his lips.

"What happened five years ago can stay in the past. Let's say it was a little night of adventure between the two of us. It is not like it's going to happen again. Now you want to talk business, or will you stand there with your sarcastic smile and try to make me feel uncomfortable the whole time?" I ask. I will not let him intimidate me.

"Well, that's a shame. I enjoyed our little adventure that night. You're a little wild one, aren't you? Anyway, let's get to business. I am here to bring you all my business, and my secretary will explain everything to you. If there's anything that I must sign, let me sign it. I trust you. I know you will not let me sign stuff I regret later," Chase says. I invite him into my office and give him the contract to sign. It is a working agreement between the two of us. He quickly looks through it, and then he starts signing. It's just a standard working agreement. I know he must have signed a lot of them by now. A billionaire with a significant development business like him always has legal problems. He gets me permission to go and fetch all his files from Jones, Green, and Partners. Of course, I will not go myself. I'm going to send somebody else. I guess his agreement with Jones, Green, and Partners did not work out.

"What made you change law firms?" I ask.

"Well, first of all, you are the new firm in town, and everybody is talking about how good you are. Secondly, your experience and his wife are not very good lawyers, and they already cost me a lot of money. I do not work with people that cost me money. I must admit that you look terrific, Belinda. Now let's hope you are as good at your job as you are looking. I have another meeting. I have to go, but I will see you again," Chase says as he stands up. I smile at him and give him my hand again.

"It's good to have you as a new client, Mr Stone," I say.

"Really, Belinda, Mr Stone? We have seen each other naked, and you call me Mr. Stone," Chase says. I know he is teasing me to see if he can unnerve me. 

"That was five years ago, Mr Stone. We are doing business. We are not having fun right now. Not that it will ever happen again. Enjoy the rest of your day, Mr Stone," I say. I will not allow this man to unnerve me. I know how he plays with people. He is a handsome, charismatic man. He is considered a very eligible bachelor by women. However, he is also known for being arrogant, cruel, overbearing, and indifferent to most people that cross his path. I prefer to stay away from him. Except when it comes to business, then I will work with him. He may never find out about Conner. Conner is my son, and I will not allow anybody to come near him, especially not a man like Chase Stone. I do not want my son to end up like his father. I do not want my son to be an asshole. 

"If that is the way you want it, Miss Morris. However, if you ever feel like having fun, call me," Chase says as he hands me a business card. 

"I have your office numbers is no need for you to give me your card," I say.

"That, my pretty Belinda, is my personal number. You know for, if you want to have a fun night again," Chase says. If I were not a professional, I would have slapped him so hard that he would have forgotten his name. However, I smile as I look at him while he walks out of my office. What a bloody asshole. I know he only wanted to make me uncomfortable, but I will not allow anybody to make me feel uncomfortable again. Besides, I am much older now and know how to handle men. I am not the young woman with dreams in my eyes when I looked at my fiance five years ago. I am not that naive anymore. I will not allow any man to come too close to me again. Yes, we had some fun, and we have a son. However, he does not have to know about it. And I prefer him to stay out of my and my son's lives.

"I don't think I will need it," I say. I throw it into the dustbin.

"I know you will take it out when I leave this office. My secretary will be in contact with you, and I will ensure that Jones, Green, and Partners will know that you are taking over my files and they have to give them all to you. I have copies of everything if they do not want to provide you with my files. I will send the documents from my office to you anyway, just in case you do not get the files from them. There are a few urgent matters that I want you to attend to immediately. I will stop teasing you now, Miss Morris. I know we have a business relationship now, and I will not pressure you into having fun with me. I was also testing you to see how professional you are. Since every time I came to Jones, Green, and Partner's offices that Amanda woman was hitting on me," Chase says as he opens the door. 

"You do not have to worry about our professionalism. We are the most professional company in town. I will not even allow my employees to hit on our clients. Never mind me. I am only here to do business. I will not ask you on a date or hit on you. What happened in the past stays in the past. What happened five years ago will never happen again. I can promise you that. We were both drunk, and we knew it. Anyway, enjoy the rest of your day," I say, and Chase greets me and walks away—the audacity of that man. I am more determined to keep him away from my son now than ever. I do not want to allow my son to become like him. He is too full of himself and thinks the world revolves around him because he is wealthy and handsome. Well, I'm also wealthy. My son will have enough money to live off and does not need his father's money. Perhaps one day, my son will be like me and become a lawyer. He's witty enough already as it is.

Connor is above average, and he drives his teachers and me up the wall because he always knows better. I cannot blame him because he is a little bit spoiled. Everyone always spoils him because he is so clever for his age. Even the staff at the office cannot resist my little boy's charm. I do not have any appointments for the rest of the day, so I will take Connor out for dinner and ice cream. I do not get much time to spend with him, and I want to spend as much time as possible with him. He is my everything, and I am unwilling to give him up to anybody. I will fight for my boy. But I also do not like to share him as he is mine, and I am the only parent he knows. Sometimes he asks about his father, but I talk it away because I do not want to talk about his father or lie to my son. I cannot tell him that his father died or anything like that because it's not true. What if he finds out the truth one day and blames me for lying to him? I go to the top floor and fetch my son for dinner and ice cream. He loves spending time with me, and I know he will love going out with me today. He is very excited when I tell him that we are going out for dinner and ice cream his favorite.