Adriana sat in her office chair with her eyes closed.
She seemed to be having a nightmare. Her snow-white face was creased with frowns, and cold sweat trickled down her temples.
"No... Don't take my brother away... He's not guilty..."
"Mom, Dad, I'm sorry, it was my fault... Please forgive me..."
Adriana mumbled, her voice barely audible.
"Mom..."
Suddenly, she cried out, jerking awake. Her breathing was uneven as she opened her eyes.
'That nightmare again... No matter how much I try to run from my past, it seems the past isn't going to leave me alone!' she thought.
Adriana poured herself a glass of water when suddenly, someone knocked at the door.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
"Come in!" she called out.
The door to her office opened, and Mona, Adriana's assistant, walked in holding some files. Mona looked at Adriana's pale face and asked with concern, "Ma'am, are you alright? You look pale!"
Adriana took a sip of water to calm herself and replied, "Don't worry, I'm fine. I just didn't sleep well last night. Why are you here?"
Mona nodded but hesitated before speaking. "Oh, yes, I've prepared all the materials against the Smith family, as you requested," she said.
Seeing Mona's hesitation, Adriana took the file from her hand and asked, "Is there something else you want to say?"
"It's…, are you sure you want to take over this case?" Mona asked, her voice uncertain.
"Yes, what's wrong?" Adriana responded, her brow furrowing.
"When I was preparing the materials for the case, I realized that the Smith family is not easy to deal with. The last lawyer who fought against them died in a car accident just before the hearing."
"Even though the police closed the case as an accident, everyone knows who was behind it."
Hearing Mona's words, Adriana smiled. "Mona, we are lawyers. Our duty is to help the innocent and fight for justice. If lawyers start refusing cases because they're afraid of criminals, where will victims like White family go?"
The reason Adriana studied law was to help people in need. That was also why, despite what happened three years ago, she hadn't given up.
"Is there anything else?" Seeing Mona still standing there, Adriana smiled and asked.
"Oh, yes! The boss asked you to come to his office. He tried calling you, but you didn't pick up!" Mona said.
Adriana glanced at her phone and saw a missed call from Aidan. She hadn't heard it ring earlier.
"Okay," Adriana nodded.
After delivering the files, Mona left the office.
Adriana put down her work and headed to Aidan's office.
Aidan Baker was one of the founders of the Justice Law Firm and also one of Adriana's seniors from law school.
Adriana knocked on the door and entered.
Aidan was making coffee, and when he saw her, he asked, "Would you like some coffee?"
Adriana walked in and nodded. "Of course!"
After she sat on the sofa, Aidan handed her the coffee and sat opposite her.
Adriana took a sip and said, "Why did you ask me to come here?"
Aidan pulled a folder from his desk and handed it to her. "We've received a big case. The other party is from Sky Group. They have some patent issues with another company. I want you to take this case."
Adriana nodded and glanced over the file. But as soon as she saw the column about liquidity damages they had to pay, Adriana's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Twenty million dollars?" she looked up at Aidan, stunned.
"Aidan, haven't you read the contract before signing it? How could you sign something that unreasonable?" she asked.
"I have seen it," Aidan replied.
"Then why did you sign it? What if the other party is planning some kind of trap for us?" she asked, still in shock.
"To be honest, I also found that amount a bit unreasonable. However, I've read all the documents, and there's nothing wrong with them. What's more, the other party is a well-known company. If we win this case, not only will we gain the litigation fees, but our reputation will rise!"
"Aidan, people say that lawyers take money and do things indiscriminately. Don't tell me you also want to be that kind of lawyer?" Adriana said.
"Adriana, don't you know me? How could I do something like that? You know I value my principles. However, I didn't find any issues with the case," he replied.
Aidan had always been a rational person, and Adriana respected him deeply. That was why she decided to work with him. He had also helped her a lot in the past, so she owed him a great deal. She thought for a moment and nodded. "Okay, I'll go over the documents."
"Very good! You read them carefully. I've already made an appointment to meet with the client at Heart Coffee Shop the day after tomorrow," Aidan said with a smile.
Adriana took the file and returned to her office.
However, as Adriana sat down at her desk and looked at the contract, she had a very bad feeling in her heart, as if something bad was about to happen.
****
At Heart Coffee Shop.
The appointment was set for around ten o'clock in the morning. However, Adriana arrived ten minutes early, as she preferred being punctual in her professional life.
This was one of the high-end coffee shops in New York City, very famous and exclusive. There weren't many people who could afford to come here, and those who did were all from the upper class. It was the perfect place for meetings and appointments.
She walked to a seat by the window and ordered a cup of coffee. As she settled in, she took out some papers and began reviewing them again. Suddenly, a pair of black leather shoes appeared in front of her.
Looking up, Adriana's gaze met the owner of the shoes, and in that moment, she was stunned.
It felt as though she had been struck by lightning.
The man standing before her was none other than her ex-husband, the man she had once loved with all her heart—and the man who had turned her life upside down three years ago: Calvin Walker.
