Chapter 2

Aurora's POV

Oh my God! The damn alarm clock didn't go off! I was running toward the building as fast as my heels would carry me. I was coming by taxi, but there was a huge traffic jam, and I knew if I waited for it to clear up, I wouldn't make it in time. I'm not about to ruin my good image by being late.

I wasn't far from there when the traffic jam started, so I paid what I owed the taxi and ran from there to the building. I should have a medal for running for five minutes straight in high heels. When I arrived at the company, I took a couple of minutes to catch my breath and then walked through the employee entrance.

I greeted everyone I passed with a smile. I had been here for three and a half weeks and I was truly delighted. Most of the people here were very kind and polite to me. As always, there were some exceptions, but for the most part, I had a great time and was learning so much about everything and everyone.

I finally arrived at my assigned floor with 10 minutes to spare, which was perfect.

-Good morning- I greeted the people who were there, I walked towards my small office that was next to that of a good friend I had made these last couple of weeks.

-Aurora, good morning- she greeted me with a smile.

-Hi Darcy , good morning- I responded in the same way.

Darcy Cohen, I've had a connection with her since the first day I was here. She's kindly supported me all these days and has been a great support to me, earning my affection in a very short time. Darcy is only a couple of years older than me; she works as a family lawyer at the firm, and although I specialized in criminal law, Darcy always looked for ways to support and guide me. I consider myself to have made many wonderful friends during my short stay here.

"What time did you leave yesterday, darling? You were still here when I left," the blonde asked curiously.

"I think a little after 8," I replied without giving it much importance.

-I don't think you should push yourself too hard, from what you've told me, I know it's part of you to do things perfectly, but you should rest- He asked protectively, I greatly appreciated his gesture and concern, I gave a short sigh before answering.

-I must admit that although in part you are right and I stay here so I can continue working a little more, on the other hand I stay here because I hate arriving at my apartment and seeing only an empty place, it is a very strange feeling that I am not very used to, to tell the truth- I admitted, opening my heart a little, she approached me and squeezed my shoulder comfortingly.

-I can understand perfectly, you know you can count on me, we can go out one of these days to clear that restless little mind of yours- He offered kindly with a smile, I could only smile back and nod.

"Thank you so much, Darcy . I really appreciate it. We'll make arrangements to go out these days," I finished. She agreed, and we each went about our separate business.

As I mentioned, most people have been extremely kind to me, although, as always, there were a few exceptions. The person in charge of telling me what my daily to-dos were didn't seem very happy about my stay here. Miss Greta, a woman in her 50s, always seemed annoyed at even having to speak to me.

"Good morning, Miss Greta," I greeted her cordially as I approached her desk to ask about my obligations today.

-Your earrings are on the table, girl. I want them ready before noon- He said dryly without even turning to look at me.

I gave a short sigh and simply picked up the folders on the desk; there was no point in dealing with those uneducated people. I returned to my office and started on my to-do list. Just as Mrs. Greta had requested, an hour before noon I finished everything I had to do. I was about to get up to take the documents to her, but before I left, I heard the office phone ringing.

"Hello?" I answered, still holding the folders.

-Hello beautiful, good morning- The other person on the other end of the line responded happily, it was Sebastian . -How are you?- He asked with his characteristic humor.

Mr. Stan had won my affection very quickly, he has been extremely kind to me, I went to his office very frequently, he let me contribute ideas with the new cases that were assigned to him and he also looked for cases that had already been solved to test me and see how I would have done, fortunately I was prepared for it and I managed to solve them without much effort, managing to impress Sebastian , I think I could consider him a friend at this point, although I still try to behave with a lot of respect towards him.

-Good morning Mr. Stan, everything is fine, I just finished what Miss Greta assigned me, I was just going to hand it in to you- I informed him in a calm voice.

-Excellent, I was calling to tell you that I have a new case for us to analyze, and I found a couple of old files that you could use to study- He offered me kindly.

-Sure sir, I'll hand over the documents and I'll be right there-

-Prefect, I'll be waiting for you here, darling- He said before finally hanging up.

As I was saying, we could say we've established a nice friendship. After making progress on the cases, we usually just talk about ourselves, our hobbies, and what we like in general. It's a lot of fun spending the afternoons with Sebastian . I left my office, closing the door, and walked over to Miss Jones.

"Here's what you asked me for, Greta," I said, placing the folders on her desk.

-It's good that you're done so you can help me by doing my thing too- She commented with an air of superiority and in a somewhat rude manner.

What the hell is wrong with you? I'm not your fucking PA, I'm not doing your job.

"Excuse me, I can't. Mr. Stan called me, and I'm on my way there right now, excuse me," I said in a neutral tone and with a serious face. I didn't give her a chance to respond as I left her office, heading for the elevator, dialing the top floor.

I knew she'd be upset with me, but I wasn't her assistant, and I had to understand that. She was only in charge of assigning me the daily work. But she had to understand that I wasn't going to do the work she was paid to do. I knew she didn't like me, but it wasn't my problem that she didn't like me. That was her problem.

I reached the top floor and walked inside, like most of the time, the large mahogany door at the back was closed, which meant the boss didn't want to be disturbed, it's impressive that in almost all this month that I've been here, I haven't seen him once, not even a photograph of him, but hey, it's not like I'm dying to meet the grumpy old man everyone describes; I continued on my way, passed by the boss's office and arrived at Sebastian 's where he was already waiting for me.

Omniscient narrator

Let's talk about Rafael Novoa, the best criminal lawyer in the United States, the one who has the best law firm in all of Boston and one of the best internationally. There's definitely a lot to say about him, but we could start by saying that he's an extremely indecipherable man.

Novoa was a powerful man, very powerful. He was highly respected by those who sought his help, but also greatly feared by those who stood up to him. We couldn't say he was a bad person, but having so much power definitely made him a dangerous man. There were many words that could describe him: self-centered, narcissistic, perfectionist, cold, arrogant, among many other things, but one word that wasn't in his vocabulary was love.

He knew nothing but perfection when it came to work; there wasn't a single case he lost, so he also demanded that perfection from his employees, and failing to do so could result in their automatic dismissal. As expected, Novoa maintained important rules that were unbreakable for both himself and his employees.

For example, no one could contradict him; for everyone, he was the highest authority and above all else. Most importantly, he didn't mix emotions, fun, and much less love at work, and that went for everyone, including himself. Outside of his company, he could have fun with any woman he wanted, but he never, under any circumstances, did anything at all inside his company, with anyone.

Simply put, the word "feelings" was not in his vocabulary.

At this moment, Novoa was busy in his office finishing up some paperwork for a current case they were currently dealing with. He was engrossed in reading said documents until he heard someone knocking on his office door.

"Come in," he spoke loudly so they could hear him, still keeping his eyes on the documents.

"It's me, idiot. Take off your sour face." Sebastian entered Rafael's office. They were lifelong friends, so he didn't mind talking to him however he wanted. They had that trust. He was one of the few people Rafael could be relatively open with.

"What do I owe your annoying visit to?" Novoa asked, still without turning to look at him.

"I'm here for the folders of solved cases I asked you for," Stan said, sitting confidently in the chair in front of the desk.

"I left them on the table over there," he replied simply, finally raising his gaze to see his friend. "What did you want them for?" he asked out of curiosity.

"I'm giving them to Aurora so she can study them and practice," he informed with a small smile. Sebastian liked the young woman.

"What Aurora?" Rafael asked, even more confused.

Benedict 's student - She answered, clearing up any doubts.

-Ah, her- He added with some disinterest –You know I'm not very happy with her being here, I don't want my company to be that little girl's guinea pig- He said with his characteristic cold tone.

-Believe me, she's not, I'm really impressed with her, she's very brilliant, she's managed to solve every case I've given her without any failure, you should meet her...- Sebastian commented with a smile, feeling somewhat proud of the girl.

"Why are you so fixated on the girl, Stan? Is something going on I should know about? You know perfectly well how I feel about combining work and play. You're not exempt from the rule even if you're my best friend..." He began, sounding a little annoyed, until Sebastian interrupted him.

-Hey, hey, hey, calm down, nothing like what your stupid head is thinking is happening, I'm just telling you things as they are, Aurora is a very intelligent girl and it seems to me that if she continues on the path she's on she could be a great asset to the firm, consider getting to know her, you'll like her- Sebastian informed , calming the situation and getting up from his chair. –See you, I have things to do- He finally said, taking the folders and leaving Novoa's office.

Sebastian arrived at his office and called Aurora, informing her that he had new cases he could work on. He admitted that he really enjoyed spending time with her. He saw her as a little sister, that she was a lot of fun to be around, and that he considered her a great friend. Sebastian heard someone knocking softly on his door; he knew immediately that it was Aurora.

-Come in- He said in an audible voice.

"Good morning, Mr. Stan," she greeted him with a big smile.

-Come in, darling. Sit down... and please, just call me Sebastian , we're friends- He corrected her kindly, returning her smile.

Stan admitted that the woman was a walking temptation, she was a girl too beautiful in his eyes, beautiful brown skin, green eyes that could hypnotize anyone, full lips and a body that more than one would desire, but as he confirmed to Novoa, nothing was happening between them, he saw her more than anything as a sister, he knew her and he knew that he was not the type of man that a girl like Aurora deserved, so he was okay with being her friend.

"I like to treat you with respect, Mr. Stan. I don't want you to think I'm rude," Aurora admitted with a small, shy smile, sitting down at the desk and taking the folders Sebastian handed her.

-I would never think that of you, if you feel comfortable calling me "Mr. Stan" in public, that's fine, but between us, I'm just Sebastian - He said in a friendly manner.

-Okay...- She agreed. -What are we going to see today?- She asked, interested in knowing about the case that was being presented.

Sebastian began to explain to him the case he was currently working on, and they began to share vague ideas about what they could do, agreeing on what occurred to them.

They worked like this for a couple of hours. It wasn't such a complicated case they were facing, but like everything, it required time and dedication, which consumed a lot of energy. Fatigue was beginning to set in for both of them.

"God! My butt hurts from sitting in the chair," Sebastian said , getting up from his chair and stretching. Aurora just laughed at the comment.

"We've been sitting for at least two hours," she added, standing up in the same manner. "Do you want me to get you some coffee?" she offered kindly.

"Sure, I'd love to. Thanks, darling," he replied with a smile.

She returned the gesture and left the office. Sebastian also went out to stretch his legs a bit, but he stayed in the hallway where he could see almost the entire floor, having a perfect view of Aurora who was at the table where they had the coffee maker, rolls and that sort of thing.

Aurora was at the coffee table preparing a cup for Sebastian , she was somewhat immersed in her thoughts when someone positioned himself next to her.

-Hello Aurora- the man next to her greeted her, she turned to look at him as soon as she heard her name.

-David... How are you?- He asked politely with a kind smile.

David Allen, a guy a couple of years older than Aurora, worked in the software department of the private investigators team, which was on the top floor next to the main offices. From the moment he saw her, he was undeniably attracted to her, although she wasn't the least bit interested, even though he was a handsome guy.

-Perfectly, and you? I'm glad to see you around here more and more often.

"I'm fine, thank you. Mr. Stan has been teaching me a little about some cases, which is why you've seen me here more often," she replied, her attention focused on the cup of coffee she was preparing for Sebastian . "Well, I'm a little busy. See you later, David." She said goodbye, cutting the conversation short.

Aurora noticed David's insinuations, but she didn't pay much attention to them, other than that she thought he was a nice guy with whom she could have pleasant conversations, nothing more than that. Without thinking more about that subject, she walked again in the direction where Sebastian 's office was , noticing that he was outside of it and was accompanied by a man who in her opinion was very handsome, too handsome to be true... He walked without showing any expression until he reached them.

Rafael's POV

I wanted to get the seemingly endless paperwork over with. That's how it is in this business; it consumes a lot of your time and energy, but this is what I live for, it's who I am. After a couple of hours that seemed like a fucking eternity, I was able to finish what I was doing, got up from my chair, and walked toward my office door.

I figured that after these hours, Sebastian would have finished working with the college student. I wasn't at all keen on her being here, but an old friend asked Sebastian and me to take her on. I refused, but I had no choice since Stan had said yes. I'd be the one to judge whether she knows as much as Sebastian claims; I didn't want just any brat in my company.

I left the office and ran into Sebastian leaning against a wall staring into space. I approached him with my hands in my pants pockets until I was standing next to him.

"Are you done with the college girl?" I asked in a serious tone. He turned to look at me for a second and then looked back into nothingness.

-No, we were analyzing the new case a little, we're quite advanced- He informed me.

I followed his gaze since I noticed he wasn't paying much attention to me and I realized he was looking at a woman standing in front of the coffee table...

Who was she? Her back was to us, but I could tell she had a fucking perfect body...

"Who is the woman with Allen?" I asked, more than interested. She was wearing somewhat tight dress pants, an olive green blouse, and high heels. She looked very professional, so I could assume she worked here... She looked really sexy.

-It's Aurora, she told me that David has made some advances to her, I'm just making sure that the idiot doesn't bother her- Sebastian said , he knew he was very careful with that, he used to take great care of women.

I kept staring at her until she turned around, and... Shit... It can't be.

"Is that Aurora?! You're messing with me, Sebastian ," I said in a low voice, unable to believe it.

"What are you talking about, man? Why would I lie to you? Of course it's Aurora, what's up with that?" He returned the question, looking confused.

What do you mean, what's up with that?! Hasn't he seen the beautiful girl in front of him?!

I didn't have time to answer her anything since she was right in front of us, I noticed that she looked a little confused at me, I would love to know what was going through that pretty head of hers.

"Here's your coffee, Mr. Stan," he said to Sebastian directly in a soft voice. He had a nice voice.

She held the cup out to him but before he could take it I grabbed it from her hands and brought it to my mouth tasting the coffee she had prepared.

"That was mine, idiot," Sebastian scolded me as he watched me drink his coffee. Aurora was a little impressed by my actions.

As I drank the coffee, I noticed it had sugar in it. I'd never been a fan of sweet coffee, but the coffee she made tasted particularly good...

"I'll get you another coffee, Mr. Stan," the girl offered timidly.

-No, don't worry Aurora, I'll do it-

-No, I insist... I'll bring it right away- He finally said, before leaving he gave me a quick glance, I was able to briefly observe his face, and what I saw honestly left me impressed.

As he walked completely away from us, I turned to Sebastian , looking at him with a completely serious face.

Benedict 's student was a fucking model?" I asked in a whisper.

"And why would that matter? And why the hell did you steal my coffee?" He returned the question just as indignantly.

-What do you mean, why?! I don't think you don't realize what a spectacle that girl is- He said, still dazed, remembering that woman's face.

"And I ask again, why would I have to tell you whether she's pretty or not? As far as I can remember, you're the first to say there's no fun or feelings at work," he scolded me.

That made me react a little... He was right.

-I know, idiot. Of course she wouldn't do anything, but at least it would be nice to see her around here- I tried to justify myself a little. -Schedule an interview with me tomorrow, let's see if she's as pretty as she is, she's as brilliant as you claim- I said to Sebastian finally, returning to my office with the cup of coffee that I took from Aurora's hands.

I sat back in my chair and thought of her. God! It's been a long time since I've seen a face as perfect as hers. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen a woman so beautiful. Just because he's a heartless jerk didn't blind me. I might be cold, but I couldn't deny that girl's sheer appeal. She was simply gorgeous.

So she was Aurora West, we'll see what you're made of, pretty...