CHAPTER FOUR

As I grabbed the door handle and entered my office, the words "Good morning" died in my throat because it’s empty.

But I thought Marina said someone was waiting for me.

Then where is the client?

Did they vanish into thin air?

“Marina!” I called out, my voice echoing through the hallway, but there was no answer.

Stepping out of my office again to ask her where the client was, I noticed her desk was vacant as well.

Oh God! What am I going to do with this girl?

Marina had been transferred to me after my previous assistant got married and relocated to our Italian branch, and since then…it's been a headache.

Why me?

Okay, she’ll eventually come back and tell me where the client disappeared to.

Entering my office again, I slammed the door shut behind me and walked toward my seat. But as I was about to sit down, my eyes caught a bouquet of crimson roses perched on my mahogany desk and for some unknown reason, something about them made my skin prickle.

Is this for me?

I wasn’t really expecting flowers from anyone.

I reached out, lifting the bouquet from the desk, and wondered who could have sent it to me. No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t think of anyone close enough to me to make such a gesture.

Could it be Alexander? I think he’s the only one who could do this for me.

No, I doubt that. We haven't gotten that close.

Or is it Carmen pulling a prank on me? Trying to make me think I’ve got one secret admirer at one corner?

Whatever.

I'm sure the person will eventually reveal himself.

I draw the flowers closer to my face to inhale their rich fragrance and just then a small cream-colored card fluttered to the floor. I stared at it for a moment, hesitating to pick it up or not.

But curiosity got the better of me as my mind was already thinking of seeing something…..like that of a confession.

So I slowly crouched down and picked it up. I flipped the card open with one hand as my eyes traced the jagged handwriting that slashed across the paper:

“I can see you smiling. It seems something good happened to you after ruining my life. I will make you pay for what you did to me, you fuckin’ bitch!”

I stared at the card with a blank expression, despite the shock rippling through me as this wasn't what I was actually expecting to see.

But wait, did he just swear at me?

For what?

I tilted my head, wondering who could have left this for me as I didn’t remember being on anyone’s bad side except…

Just then, the door burst open, startling me from my thoughts.

“I’m sorry, ma’am. I quickly went to…..” Marina began.

“Who came in here?” I demanded, cutting her off as I turned sharply toward her.

“What?”

“The client you left in my office. Who was it?”

“Has he left already?” she asked an obvious question that only fueled my frustration.

“ No he's under the fucking cabinet.” I shut my eyes, my grip tightening around the bouquet in anger.

“I swear I left him right here. Where did he go now?” she asked, glancing around as if the person might be hiding in plain sight.

“I said, who is it?!”

She flinched in fear. "Jake Hermilton," she quickly said.

The name hit me like a physical blow and I crumbled the card into my fist as a wave of anger and disgust washed over me.

That piece of shit.

But has he been released?

Oh crap! This is one headache.

My hand instinctively flew to my neck as I vividly remember what happened two years ago and how he broke free from the cops' grasp and almost strangled me to death on the day he was arrested.

His case was my first case as a lawyer and it made me who I am today.

Mr. Hermilton wasn't my client but my opponent. Two years ago, Hermilton Jake owned one of the biggest construction companies in Brazil but in his company, his workers kept getting hurt and some even died in the process of working.

And Mr. Hermilton? He refused to take any responsibility, claiming that it wasn't an industrial accident.

And at that time, I was just a struggling lawyer and my boss needed someone inexperienced and incompetent to take the case so that could lose and that was why he gave it to me as my first case, thinking I would definitely fail.

I also remember meeting Mr. Hermilton and my boss offering me money to lose the case on purpose. But after meeting the victims' families, I just couldn't do it. I had sworn to fight for justice, not against it, so I turned down their offer but the two paid little concern to me as they thought I had nothing against them.

I even heard them saying "what can someone like her do?"

And yeah, they were right, because I had no power like they did. But lucky for me it became my first big case as a lawyer.

At first, I thought I would lose as Mr. Hermilton had powerful lawyers and friends in high places and me... I was just starting out, fighting for workers who couldn't afford fancy attorneys. It's not that there wasn't any evidence against him but the evidence wasn't strong enough to make him pay and his team kept finding ways to explain away the accidents.

But after the second hearing which I thought I already lost, another employee died again and this made the case catch media attention which led the public to pressure the authorities to conduct a deeper investigation. And that's when everything changed for Mr. Hermilton as investigators discovered his hidden criminal activities which he ran underground.

Behind the legitimate business he was doing, he was also into a money laundering operation. They also found offshore accounts, fake companies, and evidence that he'd been bribing safety inspectors for years.

Unlucky for him, what I started as a workplace safety case turned into something much bigger and I ended up winning the case as many of his supporters began to back away from him.

And my boss, who had seen that Mr. Hermilton's ship was sinking, quickly changed lanes and started supporting me.

Hermilton lost everything and he couldn't even avoid going to prison.

Now it seems he's free again.

And I'm certain he hasn't forgotten who put him there... no, I didn't put him there. He did that to himself so he can't just blame me for that.

Looking at the crumbled card in my hand, I couldn't help but think that he's made a mistake thinking any of his threats will scare me.

What can an ordinary, pathetic human do to me? Whatever he has planned, I'm ready for it. He can bring it on.

After dismissing Marina, it wasn't long before other clients started arriving and I attended to them. Most came for counseling, which made me leave work late, as I had to listen to their bitter accusations and arguments.

Some who came with their partners even ended up fighting and pulling each other's hair. Yet at the end of the day, they both claimed they didn't want a divorce as they loved each other.

Human love is difficult to understand. Even we werewolves, whose mates have already been chosen for us by the moon goddess, end up getting betrayed and rejected. Not to talk of humans who don't have the connection we have with our partners.

I'm a little envious of them. I wish my own story was a bit better.

It was around 3:30 when Carmen's text message came, saying she wouldn't be able to pick Hailey up from school. But I didn't see it immediately because I was with a client. By the time I checked my messages, it was already 4:00, the exact time that the school's after-care program ends. The drive to the school is about thirty minutes.

Which means by the time I get to Hailey's school, it would be around 4:30.

My mind flew to Hermilton immediately, and fear gripped me.

I saw my last client for the day entering, but I quickly apologized, packed up my bags, and left in a hurry. As I drove to Hailey's school, I kept calling her teacher's line, but it went straight to voicemail.

"Damn it!" I yelled, slamming my hand on the steering wheel and stepping hard on the accelerator.

Some minutes later, I arrived at Hailey's school, driving as fast as I could as flashes of that bastard's threats rushed through my mind.

My heart raced faster, thinking something bad might have happened to my poor girl. That man is a psycho.

What if he went after her?

I parked the car quickly and rushed out, scanning for her as I made my way inside. Luckily for me, I met her outside, also waiting for me and I felt a huge wave of relief.

“Cupcake!” I yelled.

I ran toward her happily, and she welcomed me with open arms.

“Mama.”

“Yes, baby.” I hugged her tightly. I was scared something might have happened to her, and seeing her now made all my worries go away.

“You are late,” she feigned anger, pulling away from the hug.

"I'm so sorry, baby. Mama got the message from Carmen late and…” I stopped, as I knew no matter what, she should always be my first priority, and me not seeing Carmen’s message earlier was really my fault. “I’m just sorry.” Holding the tip of my ear as if I were chastising myself. “I promise that won't happen again.”

Then she smiled, “I missed you, Mama,” hugging me again.

“I missed you too,” I said with a smile as I wondered how I got so lucky to have the most amazing five-year-old as my baby.

“Did something happen today?” she asked, pulling away and looking at my face.

“No, baby. It's just that…” I sniffled, just noticing that my eyes were glossy. “I feel so lucky you chose me to be your mom.” I stared at my daughter's beautiful eyes, even though they reminded me of someone very painful.

She smiled, “I love you, Mama.”

“I love you too, sweetheart.” I embraced her in a warm, long hug and then placed a kiss on her forehead.

Then we went to the car and headed home. The drive was very silent, with me just being grateful for everything. But I noticed the silence was too much, which was unlike my Hailey.

I looked at the mirror, and I noticed her expression had changed. Her usual bright eyes were clouded with something I couldn't quite place, and she was fiddling with her fingers, just like I used to do whenever I was nervous.

"Should we grab some pizza for dinner?" I asked, trying to break the thick silence in the car. "Maybe with extra cheese, just how you like it?"

But she still didn't say anything or show any excitement. Just more fidgeting with her fingers.

"Mama..." her voice suddenly shot up, but it was low and somehow sad.

"Yes, baby?"

"Where is my daddy?"

That question hit me like a physical blow, and I quickly slammed on the brake to steady myself. The car halted immediately, making us jerk forward. My hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles turned white.

What did she just ask me?

I blinked in utter shock, my mind racing to find the right words… just any words to say.

"D... do I even have one?" She asked again.

"Hailey..." I called, disbelief and shock washing over me.

My throat felt tight, constricted with emotions I'd been holding back for years.

She is only five. Who taught her how to ask this kind of question? Oh what are you even saying of course it's normal for her to ask such questions. But it's just that she has never asked me before.

And I know something must have happened for her to do now.

"Why? Did someone say something to you?" I asked, removing my seatbelt.

But she didn't say anything.

I moved to the back seat where she was sitting and took her small hands into mine.

"Can you tell me what happened? Please... uh-huh? You can tell me anything, you know that, right?”