Power of Attorney: A Novel (A Greenburg Family Book 1)

by Lang, Alice

  Even if many inmates considered her odd for befriending their detainer, she couldn’t care. Aiden was there for her. It wasn’t until 1944 that Kanade knew what the air outside the camp was like. This time, she wasn’t alone on the road.

  Kanade Tsukimori decided to stay in America with Aiden and move to Illinois where they were married. Under the glare and criticism of their neighbors, they lived happily together for a long time with their son, Daisuke, who grew up under that house. Daisuke was raised with an amour of steel, forged by the pride of having an Asian mother. He was proud of carrying his mother’s blood as well as living in his father’s country.

  Years past and globalization advanced. The Terres house was sold off to others when the 1973 oil crisis hit the United States. Daisuke felt bad for leaving the house in the hands of others, but he also vowed he would get it back someday.

  Daisuke pursued his passion for literature and became a novelist. The first story he wrote was about his parents’ love in the midst of war. Surprisingly, it became a bestseller immediately after publication. Many years later he was able to recover his family home, but it wasn’t in the condition he remembered. The home of his childhood had been abandoned, just left to rot and ruin where it stood.

  The person he had sold it to had planned to redecorate it. But he went bankrupt and left the house half way complete. What was left of the house was now a shell. It was a half demolished, half standing house that used to be his home. The next thing Daisuke did was begin restoring it in memory of his parents.

  Unfortunately for Daisuke, he didn’t live long enough to see the house restored to its original beauty. He and his wife perished in a car accident. His death was a great loss to the literature community.

  His children, Diana and Shunsuke, vowed to complete the project their father started. They too wanted to restore the house that symbolized the love of their grandparents.

  The construction company decided to ditch the restoration before it was complete. They claimed the deal was signed with Daisuke, and that the payment wasn’t completed prior to his death. For those reasons, they said the restoration contract had been nullified. However, they did not refund the down payment Daisuke paid before his untimely death nor did they accept an extension of the contract under his children. They demanded a new contract instead.

  Angered by the decision of the greedy company, Diana decided to take action and wrote a letter to Johnson and Smith. Many of Daisuke’s loyal fans and Japanese-American population were watching this case carefully and with anticipation. Those eyes were now glaring on Sarah’s and Patrick’s back.

  If they lost, Patrick would only have one more story to dirty his almost clean track record of flawless cases he had won. Yes, he would probably get a lot of hate from the fans and other concerned people but then again Patrick never cared for his fame.

  For Sarah, a lost was more critical. She was just trying to establish herself into her law career, and this case could cloud her future. She needed to be prepared. She needed to win. They would officially meet their client on the next day to discuss the case.

  “It’s nice to see you devote yourself to work, but they’re going to cut the power out soon. Green energy policy or something,” Patrick’s voice startled her out of her mind palace. She had been so absorbed with the new case she forgot what time it was. She could see from the window that the sky was already dark. Everyone had probably left the office…but why had Patrick stayed? For someone as arrogant as him, why did he stay over with her?

  “I thought you left.”

  “I don’t want someone working with me but now that you are, you become my responsibility.” Patrick’s way of speaking was different from the first time they met. Maybe it was because he finally accepted he would be working with her whether he liked it or not. Sarah wanted to praise all the supernatural deities for making Jane Hunt exist. Even if he didn’t acknowledge her yet, it was a great start to know he would work with her. Now, she just had to continue where Jane left off.

  “I want to make sure I’m prepared for tomorrow since we’re meeting the client.” Sarah saved all of her work and put on her coat. Patrick stayed silent as they both were preparing to leave.

  “That’s good,” he replied firmly after a while. Even if Sarah was a bit discouraged by him earlier, she felt a little light hearted when she heard the praise. “Come with me for dinner, I want to run through the background with you. At least, I want to make sure we both know the same thing.”

  Sarah was surprised by the invitation. She knew from Henry and Jane’s reaction that Patrick had partners and associates before, but did he do the same thing with them? Still, it was important they were on the same page before the actual meeting. She could tell from Patrick’s expression that he knew how big this case was going to be, and he had a reputation to defend. The weight of the case was pushing down on their shoulders, and they could not fail this. The house was more than just a love story of two people; it was a monument of hope and love for interracial couples.

  “Ok,” Sarah replied awkwardly. It was necessary, nothing but a professional outing to discuss work. He stayed silent for a long time before he let out a small sigh.

  “I hope you like Chinese.”

  Apparently, her dinner wasn’t at a fancy restaurant with a candle lit room. It was a simple Chinese fast food restaurant with stir fried noodles and tea. It was, surprisingly, not a loud outlet like she expected it to be which is why he probably brought her here.

  “The last owner had never stated who would get the house in his will, and none of his relatives want to claim ownership of it. Probably because of the property tax. That house is worth five times its original value. No wonder he went bankrupt.”

  So far, they seemed to understand the same thing to Sarah’s relief. Talking with Patrick about work reminded her of one thing she already knew, he was a prodigy. He instinctively knew their weaknesses and strengths and his head was already in the game four steps ahead.

  She also learned that Patrick was very talkative when it came to work discussion. And by talkative, she didn’t mean he was cutting her off or retorted her ideas. Patrick was listening. Actually listening and thinking about what she just said. He was attentive to everything she offered and responded back after he carefully scrutinized her words. When he wasn't a jerk, Patrick Greenburg wore an entirely different persona. He became a professional lawyer. They talked for a long time, probably an hour, until they had nothing else to say.

  “You want to know why I was pissed when you first arrived?” Patrick asked her out of the blue. Sarah was extremely curious. Maybe he was trying to make sure she understood the situation from his perspective too. She just shook her head, because there was no way she could understand what was going on in that man’s head.

  “Every time I was assigned a new partner, they were all full of disappointment. They barged in saying what they could do and did the opposite.” He took a sip of the tea and looked back at Sarah. She didn’t know what to do but stared right back. It was true that compared to Patrick; others were nothing. Didn’t he realize this? “It wasn’t the confidence that disappointed me. It was when they did something wrong they always found an excuse to justified their actions.”

  “The moment you walked into the room, you looked at me as if I’m something…some kind of role model for lawyers. It was that kind of reaction I hate. People tend to put me where I never wanted to be, and when I don’t meet their expectation, they blame me for being myself.”

  Sarah could remember that feeling well. The feeling of what it was like to wake from the dream you had all your life. “What I’m trying to tell you is this; I am not your mentor or someone you should look up to. I am not here to praise you or mentor you. If you want my respect as your partner then, you need to prove yourself to me, but more importantly, you need to prove yourself to yourself.” He paused to take a sip of his water. “Stop admiring me and start working with me as if you want to beat me. I have no time for those who
cannot work fast enough because they are busying trying to make someone notice them with half-hearted work.”

  It was the moment when Sarah finally understood what she did wrong in the beginning. Listening to Patrick was like being lectured by her professors all over again, but it was worth it. Sarah wore criticism like knights wore armor. Every time negativity hit her; it hardened her resolves.

  It was true. If she continued to admire him as an idol, she would never move forward from where she is now. Patrick may have helped her during her time in law school, but that was in the past. She needed to look forward. She achieved her wish to work with him. It was finally time to set a new goal.

  Patrick challenged her, and she would meet his challenge. It would be rude to not accept his challenge after all. From this moment forward, Patrick Greenburg would no longer be her idol. He was now her rival as well as her co-worker. She would gain his respect because of her hard work and dedication. Sarah was a battle-harden warrior who had been fighting against people who deemed her as incompetent for all her life. Her parents, friends, professors and clients.

  Sarah felt strength build inside of her, strength she didn’t realize had been missing until she felt it straighten her spine. With a voice full of confidence, she said, “Don’t worry. I will surprise you.”

  Sarah may yet know what kind of person Patrick really was or what he had up his sleeve, but at the same time, Patrick also knew nothing about her. It was time to show him what Sarah Blake was made of.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  The next morning, Sarah purchased a copy of Daisuke Terres’ book from the bookstore and flipped through it on her way to work. Although Terres was a respected novelist with a wide fan base, she had never read his work herself. Now was the perfect time to start. After all, who best to learn about the Terres family than Daisuke himself?

  Although it was a biography about Kanade and Aiden Terres, the book was labeled as fiction. Once upon a Sunshine was the title. There was also a sequel called, Once upon a Moonlight. The first line of the book was simple, “For my mom and dad, the ones who forged my life and kindled my heart.” She was still flipping through it when she entered the office, greeting Patrick with a “good morning.” He looked grumpy.

  “You think this is a good time to start reading novels?” He eyed the book suspiciously. Granted, he wasn’t one for love stories anyway. Sarah could see his copy of “A Civil Action” right on the corner of his desk. The bookmark was still in the same place since the last time she saw it.

  “Don’t judge,” I said. “I have a feeling it may help us learn something… I don’t know. Maybe I just need something for my free time and besides it’s a bestseller.” Daisuke Terres was a big deal in romance and war novels after all. His mother came to United States to study literature, and his father was a soldier. He had all the materials in his hands.

  The clock stroke nine o’clock sharp when there was a knock on the door. It was their client, Diana, the daughter of the late Daisuke Terres. She was already in her thirties but still looked bright and young like a woman in her twenties. Sarah had seen a picture of Daisuke, and she could see how Diana was similar to him right away. She had Daisuke’s sharp hazel eyes and his jet black hair. There was a formal aura radiating from her that made Sarah straighten a little bit from her seat.

  “Good morning, sir and miss. You two must be my attorneys. I am Diana Terres.” Diana bowed a little before extending her hands and greeted both Patrick and Sarah. They accepted her greeting formally though Sarah wasn’t quite sure if they should bow back or not.

  As soon as they settled down in their seats, Diana handed over the necessary documents they had requested. She had been thorough. They received everything from the original contract Daisuke had signed with the construction company, Golden Dome, as well as the old property transfer document. It detailed the sale of the home to the Dennis family, who had then abandoned it mid-way through the renovation.

  “There are also formal letters I received from the company regarding the contract,” Diana said. “Most of it states that they cannot refund the down payment per contract agreements. However, when I look back into the agreements, they said nothing about withholding the payment. The only case where they stated that the company can withhold the payment was if the buyer refused to pay for the balance. They are saying that because my father is dead, he cannot pay for the rest, and that’s why they are withholding the payment. They will not accept the payment with other parties.” Diana carefully stated the main problem out carefully. It seemed that their opponent would rely solely on working their way around the contract that already seemed very skeptical from the beginning.

  “We have the important documents, but do you have anything we can use to confirm the state the house was in before the restoration project began? Perhaps a picture or an inspection report?” Sarah looked back at their checklist for the evidence they had at hand. All they had right now was mainly papers and contracts. They needed evidence to confirm to the court that the Terres house was left half done by the construction company and that the owner before them was the party who demolished half of the house structure.

  Diana’s face already displayed the concern both Patrick and Sarah feared. There were no available photos.

  “Golden Dome’s agent and my father were the only two who went to the house to discuss the project. He was the only member of our family who was involved. Golden Dome was the one who took the pictures. The chance that we could get them in their original state is probably zero.”

  It wasn’t the lack of pictures that worried Sarah now. It was the fact that Golden Dome had the pictures. There was a good chance they would manipulate those images to support their own stands. For what purpose, she had no idea yet. Golden Dome’s biggest defense would be how they did not violate any of the agreements in the contract anyway, why would they need the pictures?

  “Could it be that they wanted to prove that they already did some of the work, and that’s why they withhold the payment?” Sarah asked Patrick after a long moment of silence. It was the only possible answer she could think of. Golden Dome sure wanted to win. Sarah just underestimated the obstacles they had to face in this case.

  “If we could prove that the down payment was worth more than what they restored,” Sarah voiced faltered as she went deep into her thoughts. Other than a contract, how could Daisuke be sure they got the construction the way he wanted? He must have a blueprint or a picture somewhere. At least he would need something for his book. Sarah’s gaze fell back to the book on her desk which was left untouched since the morning. Well, if Patrick wanted a surprise she was going to give him one.

  “Miss Terres, were there any research documents or photos your father created regarding his first two books which feature your grandparent's stories? The house was featured in both books.”

  Sarah didn’t even need to finish everything when Diana suddenly took out her phone and started to call someone. She had no idea who but as soon as Diana started to speak Japanese, she could only assume that it was her sibling, Shunsuke. Sarah could not make anything out of the conversation and from his confused face she doubted Patrick could either. Diana’s language changed back to English as she spoke back to both of them.

  “Can you come to our current house? I might need help.” Sarah nodded and looked back at Patrick with a smirk. As usual, he tried to look unamused but deep down Sarah knew that she just gain another point on her scoreboard. What a good way to start the day.

  The house the Terres family currently lived in was smaller than Sarah imagined for a successful novelist like Daisuke. It had two stories just like the old house but, with a modern touch.

  Shunsuke was waiting in front of the house when we arrived. Unlike his sister, his hair was dyed golden brown with blond highlight streaked through it. Just like Diana, he inherited Daisuke’s sharp hazel eyes. He was tall and had a handsome looking face, and Sarah thought he could have been a model. He was a star in his own right, an artist who
released several albums with his band. Diana mentioned how he had just come back from a world tour and was taking a break from his work so that he could help his sister with the case. Shunsuke bowed deeply and greeted them just like his sister.

  “Thank you for taking your time. Do you want any drinks or other refreshments?” The first thing Sarah wondered when she met both of Daisuke’s children was how Daisuke raised such exceptional children. Both of them were polite and very considerate of others. Despite the success and fame they all achieved, they seemed to be very modest and down to earth. The living room was not even as fancy as Sarah’s own living space. Just a very plain looking sofa, a coffee table and an old wooden chair. The only expensive items Sarah could see in the room were the television and stereo set that looked too modern for the simple place. There were many photos on the wall and table; most of Daisuke and his family. Some were Daisuke with his wife and children while the others were him and his parents, Kanade and Aiden. Shunsuke came back with coffee and biscuits as Diana came back with some of her father’s work.

  “Most are just documents about the world war and the camp. I don’t think he even needed it because he lived there for more than twenty years before he had to move. Writing about that place from his memory would not be hard.” Sarah went through several photographs from Daisuke’s youth and his family. She saw Kanade and Aiden as children. Kanade was truly beautiful with her long luscious hair. Diana did resemble her, in a way.

  “Of course, for Daisuke himself, he may not need a picture or blueprints, but what about his audience? Or perhaps the book illustrator?” In the pile, Patrick held up a piece of paper that has a sketching of a house they were looking for. The artist name was signed at the bottom of the page with the note that said: Sketch from received photo.

  “Right! I will try to contact him right away!” Diana took the picture from his hand and disappeared from the room with haste. This time, Patrick looked back at Sarah with a smirk. Strike one for me, his face said. Of course, this was just the beginning of the battle, and that was just one blow. No way was she going to lose just yet.