Page 84 of Resisting the Lawyer (Dirty Hot Resistance 3)

I wince at this. “That’s not what I want, Father. I don’t want you to make anything up to me. I don’t want your money or your company. If anything, keep the company for Sophie. Maybe she’ll want to be part of it someday.”

My father looks conflicted.

I continue, “Now that this whole Darren issue is sorted, I want to go back to work soon. I—?”

“What Darren issue?”

The suspicious look on his face has me cursing my big fat mouth.

“Elise, stop hiding things from us.” My father takes a step towards me. “Is he the one responsible for what happened to you? And before you think of lying to me, I will find out one way or another. I have been a negligent father for far too long.”

From the look in his eyes, I know he means business. Knowing when to pick my battles, I nod. “Let me see Sophie first. Then, we’ll talk.” And somehow, there’s a smile in my heart, a small growth of happiness.

15

Lucas

“…So, they want me to stay with them. I’ll go pick up some things from my apartment in a while. And my mom wants me to invite you for dinner tonight.”

I listen to the voice message and then play it again, to simply hear Elise’s sweet voice in my ear.

I should offer to take her.

I’m about to call her back when Roger marches in and drops a huge stack of files on my desk, announcing, “Auditing.”

I look at the huge stack and frown. “Isn’t that your job?”

He gives me a look, “Receipts have to be verified by you. Case files have to have your signature. I can’t do that.”

I groan out loud.

Like always, Roger tunes me out, picking up a file and handing it to me. “I have to meet my girl and her ex-boyfriend for lunch. I can’t afford to be late. Chop-chop.”

“You’re a pain in my ass, Roger.”

The younger man opens another file. “So fire me.”

“You’re like a fucking leech. I can’t shake you off,” I grind my teeth, dreading this paperwork.

“Too bad,” he replies, tonelessly. “Sucks to be you. Now get to work.”

Despite my attempts to avoid the looming stack of paperwork, Roger corners me and has me spend my entire morning behind my desk. By the time the lunch hour arrives, I’m drowning in receipts that are now being filed away.

“I need an assistant for this shit,” I declare, ominously.

“So fire me,” my current assistant deadpans, his fingers quickly inserting the papers in the correct files.

“Stop saying ‘fire me, fire me’,” I growl, annoyed. “What if I actually do fire you?!”

“You did.” Roger isn’t even looking at me. “Two weeks ago. And then you told me to go get you a Macchiato with extra sugar.”

“So, why are you still here?” I ask, nastily.

“Force of habit, sir. Wake up, come to the office, listen to you throw tantrums.”

My retort is stolen from me when a quick rap on the office door has us both looking over.

Oliver looks in, his face grave. “Meeting in Caleb’s office in five. We got some news.”

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