I smiled, not knowing how to go about replying to such civilities.
As if he understood my thoughts, Eugene left to give us some space. “I won’t bother the two of you then. Zander, you should bring her around the office. The two of you will report to me from now on.”
“Yes, Mr. Baker. Thank you.”
With that, Eugene left the room with a cigar in hand.
Now, only Zander and I were alone in the office.
“This table is yours.” Zander pointed at an empty desk.
I looked at the desk before turning my perplexed gaze back on him.
We’ll be facing each other?
“Isn’t this kind of inappropriate, Mr. Hoffman?” I tried to assume a civil manner. “I just came here, and I already have a private office? I’m sure some colleagues will be displeased.”
Zander stared at me for a moment as he pondered something. “So you think you’re like the other people sitting there? If that’s the case, why would I try so hard to bring you to our firm?”
I blushed in embarrassment, my words caught in my throat.
Instead of addressing my discomfort, Zander picked up some documents from his desk and passed them to me. “These are the case files for a divorce trial involving the renowned billionaire, Aaron Gomez. Please familiarize yourself with the details of the case. We need to accompany Mr. Baker to court in two days.”
“Aaron Gomez? Aren’t the news always reporting on his bachelorhood? When did he get married?” I opened the documents, and my jaw dropped as I read the contents. “He has three kids? And it’s a cheating scandal?”
This obviously wasn’t a great time for gossiping, and I could sense Zander’s confused gaze on me at my outburst. I felt like crawling into a hole out of embarrassment, but alas, I could only close the documents meekly and return to my seat to review the information.
It was finally time to get off work. I was dying to see my kids, but Zander entered the office with a stack of documents before I could leave. He stared at me in confusion.
We stared at each other for a moment with me feeling awkward while Zander frowned.
After a while, he said, “You’re getting ready to head off?”
“Yes.” I pointed at the clock as I asked, “It’s six, right?”
Zander glanced at the clock before he said coolly, “On the first day of my apprenticeship, I was in the office till six in the evening the next day. Ms. Stanhope, I hope you understand that Tinsel Group is where it is today because of our hard work. Becoming a lawyer isn’t child’s play.”
As if agitated by his own statement, he carried the documents back to his own desk silently. The mood of the room cooled several degrees.
Being thirty of age this year, I didn’t think I would be told off this badly by a man a few years younger than me.
Despite my embarrassment, I knew Zander was absolutely right. Being a lawyer was never going to be a piece of cake.
As such, I tossed my purse back on the desk before walking out of the office in search of a paralegal. I had her produce all the case files related to Eugene in the past year. I was determined to work my ass off and make up for my inexperience.
When I re-entered the room with the paralegal and piles of papers in hand, Zander’s expression told me he was viewing me in a different light.
However, his impression of me was the least of my concerns. I wanted to do a good job for my sake, as well as Anthony’s and my children’s. No one else’s opinions mattered.
I soon realized that the situation was more complicated than I had imagined. Zander was working like a machine. The clock struck eleven but he showed no signs of getting off work.
While I didn’t want to give up like this, I began to feel annoyed. Frankly, poring through the case files was a bore. I was no longer used to sitting in an office for long periods of time as well. Every second I stayed here felt like torture.
Finally, at eleven thirty, a welcome voice rang through the office. “Sienna? Where are you?”
It’s John!
“I’m in here!”
I felt immense relief at his arrival. I jerked up from my seat and looked out the office for him, holding back the urge to rush out straight away.
John had planned to fetch me home that day but I sent him a WhatsApp message about my plans to stay late in the office that day and didn’t check my phone afterward. Luckily, he was smart enough to come knocking on the office himself. Otherwise, I might really have to stay here till the next morning.
John followed the sound of my voice till he located our office. Pushing open the door, he looked at the chaos within. Zander stopped whatever he was doing and met John’s gaze. There was suddenly an awkward tension in the air.
“You’re Letty’s supervisor?” John raised a brow, putting on an intimidating stance.
“You’re mistaken. I’m just her colleague.” Zander placed his hands in his pocket, an indifferent expression on his face.
“Right, then we’re leaving.” John turned his head away from Zander before tilting his jaw in my direction. “Come on, let’s go home.”
John exuded a natural commanding aura. Though he didn’t introduce himself, his arrogance hinted at his powerful position. A smart person would avoid offending him.
However, there were smart people in this world who held different beliefs. While they were well aware of the social niceties associated with such figures, they chose to ignore them in favor of the rules and regulations.
“As Sienna’s family, you should be happy that she’s working hard toward her goal. You shouldn’t be blocking her path.” Zander spoke firmly, further souring the mood.
I froze in the middle of slinging my bag on my shoulder.
No one could deny Zander’s diligence when it came to working, but I felt that he had crossed the line with his provocative statement. He seemed like a totally different person compared to our previous interactions, and I felt somewhat cheated by my earlier impression of him.
“I’m sorry Mr. Hoffman,” I interrupted before John could open his mouth. I planted myself next to John before declaring to Zander, “I hope you understand that John is the closest family I have. What he does or says isn’t any of your business. I know that you’re a senior here, but that doesn’t mean you can criticize anyone as you please.”
Zander probably hadn’t expected someone who looked as meek as I did to fire back at him. As such, he frowned in surprise but didn’t say anything else.
I didn’t have the time to unpackage his emotions, so I turned and dragged John out of the office with me. “John, let’s go home! Maybe I should quit after all. I’m sure our family can support me, right?”
“Of course. This law firm isn’t that great anyway. The office is even smaller than our bathroom. I’ll set up a bigger law firm for you tomorrow, and you can be the boss!” John played along with me, catching on to my flippancy.
We sounded like a pair of petty upstarts.
As I got into John’s car, I replayed our conversation in my mind. I put a hand over my chest worriedly. Offending a senior on my first day as an apprentice was something I would never have done in the past.
I noticed that after giving birth, I had become even more protective of my family.
Just then, my stomach suddenly grumbled in protest, pulling me back to reality.
“Let’s get supper. I’m starving.” I perked up as I turned to look at John, only to realize he had been staring at me smugly. “Why are you looking at me like that? Is there dirt on my face or something?”
John twisted his body so that he was leaning on the steering wheel. He said lightly, “No, I was just thinking that you seem alive again.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I muttered awkwardly; I couldn’t stand sappy situations. I made a show of rubbing my stomach as I changed the topic. “Come on, let’s get something to eat. I haven’t eaten since this afternoon and I feel like I’m about to faint from hunger.”
“What do you want to eat?” John asked as he started the ignition.
“Anything’s fine. Let’s just look for a shop that’s still open. I can’t wait that long,” I said.
John thought for a while before picking up his phone to dial someone. “Mrs. Dune? Can you whip up something simple for us to eat? I’ll be home with Ms. Stanhope in a bit.”
I didn’t want to disturb anyone at home at this hour, but I didn’t protest since John had already called them. My taste buds were also pampered by all the delicious food that Mrs. Dune frequently prepared, so I wasn’t particularly upset that we weren’t eating out.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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