Following Siilan would have been much better then facing everything alone. I wouldn’t have to worry abod finding cases use they’d come to me enally. I trusted that he could turn me inte the star lawyer of his firm
As if he’d thought of something, he added, “Pete only invested in day Caldwell & Co. I make all the decisions for the other firms, so you can rest assured about that ”
Mentioning Pete made me realize badn’t thought of him in a long time. He was like a fleeting visitor in my life. From the mon disappeared, my “childhood” officially ended,
Yasmine, being perceptive, patted my shoulder and said, “I’m going to chat with some collenques nerons the room. We didn’t know each other well before, so now’s a good me to get nequainted”
She left, giving Silas and me the space to talk.
“Silas, I’ll think about it.”
I felt like I was standing in the exact center of a balance scale, afraid to lean in any direction. I didn’t have the confidence. One wrong step might not matter to me, but it would affect others.
My mom was the best example. The lesson had been too painful
Silas silently finished his drink and stared at the empty glass for a moment before finally saying, “Ariana, I haven’t known you long, but I’ve heard about you many times from Pete. I find that you’re nothing like how he described you to be.”
“Oh, really?” I smiled, trying to deflect the conversation with some light banter “Silas, let’s not talk about me You’re the star of the
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Chapter 0143
evening.”
He was a skilled negotiator and wasn’t about to be led astray by my attempts to change the subject.
He said, “Even though you’ve never told me anything, I car Il from your eyes that you have stories. You have your own plans, and you’ve thought everything through.
“But I need you to understand that the choice I’m offering you is the best one. In our profession, we’re the least afraid of capitalism.
“We have the tools to protect ourselves, and I can even say that capitalism can be used to our advantage. You don’t need to worry about dragging me into anything because of your situation.
“I have a vague idea that you’ve struck a deal with Nicholas, which is why he listened to you and handed Jay Caldwell & Co. to Yasmine.
“Since that’s the case, I’m willing to be one of your pawns as well.”
Those who studied law were skilled at weighing pros and cons. Once they could see things clearly, they usually wouldn’t let themselves be taken advantage of.
The stereotype about legal professionals was that they were sharp. and capable, especially someone like Silas, who was a seasoned and shrewd lawyer.
I was genuinely surprised that he was willing to discuss things with. me to this extent. After all, in my mind, we weren’t particularly close.
The thin bond of camaraderie as former schoolmates didn’t seem
enough to justify the risks he was willing to take for someone like me -someone who had become a significant problem. If I truly ended up with no way out, his olive branch could be my lifeline.
I was so shocked that I forgot to close my mouth. Silas pulled his hand from his pocket and patted my shoulder.
“Don’t be so surprised. I’m doing this at someone’s request.”
“Because… of our teacher?”
Something weighed heavily on my heart, a suspicion I had but feared to confirm.
He shook his head and said, “You could think of it that way if you like. “He didn’t spell it out.
Just then, there was a knock on the private room’s door, and a waiter stepped in. “Excuse me, but which one of you is Ms. Ariana Jones?”
“That would be me,” I replied.
The waiter smiled and said, “Ms. Jones, there’s a bouquet for you. Please accept them.”
