Rift in the perfect picture

Silas was a refined and well–mannered law graduate who returned from overseas. He looked mature and elegant in his suit and tie. His formal attire inevitably reminded me of Nicholas. They shared certain similarities, as they both had a calm demeanor.

The difference was that behind Nicholas‘ composure, he had eyes that seemed to see through everything as if he could easily manipulate all the people and events in the world.

Silas, on the other hand, had a gentle and timeless air about him. He exuded the kind of warmth that came with having experienced the vicissitudes of life.

The interview went reasonably well. Initially, I wanted to be a transactional attorney, but the firm preferred me to work in litigation.

Silas advised me, “Yasmine has been excelling in this area. Don’t you want to experience the thrill of winning cases in the courtroom?”

I responded politely, “Indeed, taking up litigation will provide many opportunities to sharpen my thinking skills. My growth will be swift too.”

I understood his reasoning. Whether one could secure cases and win lawsuits depended entirely on one’s abilities and skills. However, doing non–litigation work would mean being involved in the team’s operations and management. This showed that Silas didn’t have that much trust in me yet.

Of course, I understood the firm’s decision and was grateful for the job opportunity. So, I accepted it.

He handed me my business card with a smile. “This was already printed four years ago.”

As I walked out of the law firm, I ran into Beth. I didn’t expect to see her there. She greeted me and handed me an envelope. It was clear that she came prepared.

“Mrs. Hawk, this is for you. It’s from Mr. Hawk,” Beth said.Material © NôvelDrama.Org.

I looked past her shoulder to see an MPV parked by the roadside. I breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that Nicholas would never deign to sit in such a car.

“What is this?” I looked at Beth while frowning in confusion.

She smiled faintly and explained, “Mr. Hawk said this is a return gift for you. He said you would definitely like it, so please read it carefully.”

Was he returning a gift? Then again, I hadn’t given Nicholas anything recently.

Beth added, “At 9:00 pm tonight, your mother will visit Hawk Manor. Mr. Hawk specifically asked me to tell you that he will come to pick you up.”

She bowed and walked toward the MPV after conveying the message.

I tightened my grip on the envelope while feeling as if I was being watched. Beth hadn’t delivered this to my house during

the three days I stayed home but did so as soon as I came for the interview.

I shivered as I watched her walk away. Even when she got in. the car, I didn’t see any sign of Nicholas inside.

If Beth had been here for a purpose under Nicholas‘

instructions, the only thing I could think of that could have led to Beth’s presence here was that Yasmine had helped me send him a divorce agreement recently.

Absent–mindedly, I opened the envelope and found a bill longer than my arm inside. It detailed all the financial support

Nicholas had provided to my mother’s company over the past four years.

I didn’t understand much about a company’s operations, but I could comprehend the terms. From talent recruitment to project investments, Nicholas had provided unconditional help.

To be honest, I had always wondered how my mother, a woman who had never dealt with business before, could have kept the company afloat after my father’s death. One thing was clear, the company wouldn’t have survived without Nicholas‘ help!

Standing in the sunlight, I examined the bill in detail. It came up to a grand total of 87 million dollars!

I stood by the roadside. The bustling street was just ahead of me. If I stepped onto the road, I could quickly say goodbye to this massive debt…