by Kaylee Lynn
"Time will tell, George, time will always reveal true intentions."
Silence fell upon them both and Mr. Pius could sense his son regretting his past mistakes so he started talking again. "How's that case of Tobias Smoke going?"
George chuckled. "The young man's a total mess if you ask me but I will represent him like I'm expected to do. It's just a pro bono. Our more interesting cases involve multi-million companies and drug stores and manufacturing industries. That's where the real excitement is and most of them just settle to save their time."
"I know son, I'm so proud of you. In what? Two months, your law firm is already paving its way amongst other top firms to sue the giants. This is all I need to hear, what I wanted all along. You have made me a happy man."
George's eyes got wet; he couldn't remember the last time he got teary.
"Just make your mother happy, she wants grandchildren yunno, she misses you being at home with her."
"I'm very much with her now, dad, I've practically moved in, you'll see when the doctors discharge you. They say you are recovering very quickly. You will be at home soon."
Me. Pius smiled a crooked smile then closed his eyes.
George excused himself hoping not to find anyone who might have questions for him about his business on the corridor. The coast was clear.
************
George sat in his new office. His last client for the day just left the office and he turned his swivel chair towards the transparent walls of his office. He looked out the glass walls and noticed the very busy city, and a bill board not so far away from the building advertising their legal services. Price and Sons.
He wasn’t even married yet, he didn’t have his kids yet but the firm was already suing million dollar companies. It was already an empire in the legal world. It had been a huge success and he was impressed, the progress was even far more than he’d imagined for a start. He smiled at the city’s view and turned around almost immediately as his door swung carefully open. His P.A Mr. Picker walked in quietly.
“Sir, your driver is already in the parking lot. You’re 7minutes behind schedule”
“Thank you Mr. Picker, you can carry the necessary files, I’ll be in the car in a few minutes”
He took a glance at his wristwatch; it was sixteen minutes to 5pm. His day had been a really hectic one. He’ll drive straight to see his parents, he’d probably have dinner there and then come back home. He looked at his watch again, it had been almost ten minutes after Picker had come to call him and carry his suitcase and files. The life of the rich, they wouldn’t try to bother him about the time anymore, one time was always enough. He would come down whenever he wanted and sadly they’ll have to wait. He didn’t like that life. He had to leave immediately.
**********
He walked into his parents’ house, the house where he grew up, lived and accomplished almost everything he had today. His father had been discharged after spending months in the hospital. He was getting a lot better, though he still used a wheel chair. At least he looked a lot happier, and he felt his success in the legal world had a lot to do with his speedy recovery. His mother walked towards him
“Welcome home my dear, you look exhausted” she said hugging him warmly
He hugged her and kissed her hair. “I am exhausted mom”. He replied honestly as he walked with her into the kitchen.
“Would you like to shower before you have dinner?” she said dishing out what she prepared.
“That won’t be so necessary mom; I’ll still get back home. So I’ll just have dinner instead. Where’s dad”
“He’s asleep, he just took his medication and I think one put him to sleep every time”
“I’m really glad he’s getting better”
“Me too my dear, ever since your firm hit the legal top chart, he’s been all over it”
He smirked shyly. He was glad that his success could bring his father so much joy. “He doesn’t talk about anything else, I don’t even know how he gets so much information about the firm and I don’t. I even get worried most times”
“Worried?” he asked slightly confused.
“Yes dear, I feel like that’s the only reason he’s so happy these days so much that if anything goes wrong with the firm, he’d even wish to die. This has always been his dream”
He didn’t even want to imagine what would happen to his father if anything ever went wrong with the firm, he wasn’t just living his new dream, he was also bring his father’s dreams to life and he’d never let anything wrong happen to it.
He sat down to eat with his mother. He didn’t feel so hungry after he learnt that the fall of the firm would literally be his father’s fall.
CHAPTER EIGHT
The firm had just won a case over a multi-million dollar make up company and the news, just like every other case win had gone wild. It was on the magazines, newspapers, and every social media platform. It was a big win for the company and it helped publicize the firm to more states. George walked into the building behind Mr. Picker with his suitcase. He got into an elevator and was about to shut the door when the prettiest lady he had ever noticed walked past the elevator. He let his eyes go to work as she stopped at a counter top and engaged the receptionist in a conversation. He couldn’t take his eyes off her radiant glowing brown skin and her natural blown hair. He slowly walked out of the elevator and sat on a sofa behind her, all the while pretending to be waiting for someone. He noticed her wide curves and snatched waist in her cooperate two piece suit. He wanted to approach her so badly.
He got back to his senses when he realized she had walked away and Mr. Picker was standing right beside him. He turned to him;
“Who is she?”
“I don’t have much information about her Sir”
“Then find out, I want to know who she is and what role she plays here”
“Alright sir, I’ll do just that” he replied as they walked into the elevator.
**********
He just couldn’t get his mind off her. What was happening to him? Why was she so different from the others? He asked himself as the door swung open and Picker walked in holding a file.
“Her name is Rachelle sir; she is a paralegal for Joe”
“Alright” he said stroking his chin “I’ll handle the rest from here” he got up from his chair, he knew Joe’s office and definitely she would be working there. He’d have to find a way to talk to her before the day ran out. He walked out of his office and went down to where he knew she’d be working. But what did he have to say? He wanted her to feel free with him. At this point he wished he understood ladies the way Quincy did. He walked towards the counter where she was supposed to be working, but it was empty, he pulled out his phone to check what time it was and if it was possible that she had gone home.
It was only a few minutes past two pm. He walked up to the counter. “Where is the lady that works on this counter?” he asked tapping his hands lightly on the counter top.
A blond well-dressed lady replied him “She just left now sir, not too long ago, she has a three year old daughter she picks up from school everyday”
He shook his head lightly. She was already married, with a daughter. He comported himself enough to ask the next question “What is the name of the school?”
The blonde’s action gave away the fact that she didn’t know even before she said it “I don’t really know sir”
How could she not know? “Alright…”
“Miss Anderson” she said
“Thank you, you’ve been helpful”
He turned to move back up to his office when the thought of going after her occurred to him. He walked out to the parking lot and called his driver who turned up almost immediately. He got into the car as the driver maneuvered his way out of the parking lot.
“Stop” he said calmly as he tapped his driver’s seat lightly. He had just seen her. “Drive towards that dark skinned lady” he said pointing to her direction, she definitely won�
�t see him. The glasses were tinted. The driver obeyed and pulled up slightly in front of her. He stared at her confused face through his tinted glass, before he slowly let the glass down. It took her a few seconds to know who she was looking at.
“Good day sir” she greeted.
“Good day Mrs. Rachelle, I see you’re on your way out”
“Yes sir. I am”
“Do you mind if I take you there, maybe we can get to know each other on our way there?”
“Thank you so much sir, that’d be nice” she said as the door of the car retracted for her to get in.
“Tell me about yourself Mrs. Rachelle…”
**********
He walked into his house. They had talked for a while. He had met Molly, her 3 year old daughter, she was a delightful child and she looked a lot like Rachelle.
Rachelle Slick.
He loved that name, he thought it was sexy and he felt it went well with her jaw dropping body physique. He pulled off his clothes and remembered her bright smile. How would a man maltreat such a lady? She was meant to be treated like a Queen. Her ex-husband was a monster. He could remember the hurt in her voice when she talked about him, and the way she continuously blinked back tears that threatened to roll down her cheeks. He was a drug addict and he always hurt her at will. He slammed his hands on his room desk in anger. Why would he try to hurt a woman? Why would her try to hurt Rachelle? Even after their divorce, he still hurt her when he felt like. He wasn’t going to let that happen anymore.
He showered quickly and went to bed. He had a lot of work to do tomorrow.
**********
He was at the office early enough; he wanted to go through Rachelle’s ex-husband’s issue. He had called the local police and requested for his criminal records, if he had any. It wasn’t legal but he could literally bend the law with his legal influence. He called Mr. Picker and sent him to get Rachelle’s work file.
“Here it is sir” he said handing over a brown file bag to him.
“Thank you Mr. Picker, I’ll call you when next I need you”
“Alright sir” he nodded as he walked out.
George took a glance at her records, she was a paralegal for Joe just like Picker had said and she had confirmed during their discussion over lunch. He pulled out a stamped paper from his drawer and scribbled a few things down and signed it. He wanted her to be the head paralegal in the firm and he wanted her to start working as the head paralegal immediately. He called in Mr. Picker;
“Take this down to the head paralegal and Mr. Joe, changes have been made and new offices will be assumed. Starting now”
“But sir, the present head paralegal is doing a good job and you’ve commended her on that, a lot of times”
“I’m aware of that, Picker. But you will do as I have said. I want Mrs. Rachelle to take over that office now”
“Alright sir”
His phone rang. It was the sheriff at the local police department.
“What information did you get?”
“Well sir, from his old records. He has been reported a few times by his neighbors for hitting his wife and he has been arrested during those times. But the lady filed a divorce against him so I don’t think they are still together”
“Thank you Sheriff, I’ll be in need of an original scan of those reports by 3pm today. I want to believe that would be possible”
“It should be if this was a case and if he had a lawyer too. The police records department is not expected to give out information to legal practitioners if it’s not yet a court case”
He chuckled lightly. “Thank you so much Sheriff, I understand that you’re doing your job. But you don’t need to fill me in on what I already know. It will be a case soon and I’ll be handling it personally, so do me a favor and send down the scanned original reports”
“Alright sir, as you’ve said. I’ll send them in by 3pm”
“Thank you Sheriff” his door slightly swung open the moment he ended the call. He didn’t look up he knew it was always Picker; he was the only one who had such access.
“The necessary changes have been made sir”
“Good”
“But there’s a little problem sir”
He looked up from his phone and unto Mr. Picker, “And what’s that?
“Mrs. Rachelle isn’t at work today”
“What do you mean?” he asked and realized how stupid the question had been.
“She didn’t report to the office today sir”
He got up from his chair and paced around, why didn’t she report to work today, just after their lunch yesterday. “Call in my driver” he said as he grabbed his suitcase and walked out the door. He got into the elevator with Picker following steadily. He was at the parking lot soon enough and his driver was already waiting. He got into the car and talked to Picker, “I’ll be leaving now Mr. Picker…”
“Alright sir”
“The Sheriff will be sending in some papers and files by 3pm today”
“Alright sir, I’ll take care of that”
“I’ll be at the office tomorrow”
CHAPTER NINE
He got into the residential area were Rachelle had told him she lived. He got down from the car two blocks away from the building address she had given him the other day, he walked up to the house and knocked twice.
He heard a muffled reply, before the door opened.
“Sir” she was clearly shocked.
He looked at her and couldn’t resist the urge to hold her. He reached out and held her face. “He hurt you” It wasn’t a question; it was a statement with every tone of anger. He held her and walked into the house. He noticed the tiled living room barely had furniture, and then he remembered she had told him that every time she bought one, he came over, beat her up and sold them for money to buy drugs.
“He came over last night, he said that because I divorced him, I seized the opportunity to now become a whore, sleeping around with men and tarnishing his image. He said one of his friends saw me yesterday with a guy and that we both made out in public. I told him it wasn’t true and that he knew me better than that. He still called me a whore and slapped me” she said as tears formed in her eyes.
Anger boiled inside of George. He had no right to hurt her. They were no more a couple. This was strictly against the law and he was going to pay his dues. He sat close to her and put his arms around her.
“He locked Molly up in her bedroom, while he beat me up and punched me. I could hear my daughter scream. But he didn’t care; he has always been a monster”
“Why didn’t you say anything about this to me?”
“I’d have called; he broke my phone, so I couldn’t get to you or anyone else” she sobbed.
He face was swollen and she had a black eye, she had punch marks on her arm and they were swollen too.
“Where’s Molly?”
“She’s sleeping; I couldn’t take her to school looking like this”
“Alright, get up and get your things and Molly. You’re leaving this apartment now”
She didn’t hesitate; she walked into one of the rooms and came out carrying Molly in her arms and rolling a fairly large box. He carried Molly and the box and they moved out.
He got her a fair mansion in the state not so far away from his. He made sure she got treated and he sent Molly to a different daycare center.
*********
It had been a while after Rachelle had moved from her matrimonial home. She was living a good life now and was currently engaged to Mr. Price. She headed the paralegal department in the firm and got well paid for it. She even had her own cars now. She had just dropped Molly off at school and drove into the firm’s parking lot. She carried her bag and files and walked into the building when someone pulled her hair from behind and pushed her onto the floor.
It was her ex, Daniel.
“You slut!” he spat in her face. “Did you think you could run away from me?” he said picking her up roughly from the
ground.
“Let go of me you retard!” she said as she hit his chest with her fists. “How dare you?”
Security officials had already gathered round and put him in cuffs before George got to the scene, he bent over her and held the urge to kiss her so badly with everyone looking. “Lock him up” he ordered as he took her up to his office. “Get back to work everybody, she’ll be fine”. He got up to her office and called in a doctor. He walked to Picker’s table and handed him a file, “This is a restraining order against Mr. Daniel, make sure it gets stamped and gets to the police department”.
He walked back into the office and the doctor left after assuring him she’d be fine. He kissed her lips and stared into her eyes, “You’ll be fine”
“Thank you so much George, thank you”
He ended his work for the day earlier than the actual time, so he could take Rachelle back home. She got home and Molly was already back from school with her nanny. He was going to spend the rest of the day with Rachelle and protect her for the rest of his life.
CHAPTER TEN
Price and Sons.
The firm's name was now everywhere not only in the state but all over the country. The billboards weren’t even so necessary these days, everyone knew who he was and the firm he ran.
He had just gotten Mr. Daniel and his group of thug friends thrown in police custody for invading and trying to abduct Rachelle, he was going to make sure they spent a good time in jail. He assigned security officials to go with Rachelle and Molly. He was not going to take any more chances with them. His phone beeped,
Quincy.
They had started talking again after the firm’s huge win over a well-known pharmaceutical company 3 weeks ago.
“George, how are doing man?”
“I’m doing great”
“I expected it; I mean your firm’s name is literally the only thing magazines want to carry these days”
George smiled, he earned it. His father was so proud of him.
“Well, I was hoping we could meet at my favorite restaurant for lunch now, I’m already at the venue”