Chapter 3

3、

I was escorted into the precinct in front of a crowd of staring travelers.

In the lobby, I saw Elara and Jace whispering to each other, acting like they were the only two people in the world.

When Jace saw the handcuffs, a look of pure triumph flashed in his eyes.

"Silas, I know you're upset about being fired, but stealing client data is a felony," he said, sounding smug.

I ignored him and looked directly at Elara.

"When did I ever steal client data?"

Elara let out a cold snort.

"You know exactly what you did."

"That thumb drive you took when you left was full of the firm's most important accounts. That's theft."

My pulse throbbed in my temples from sheer anger.

"Elara, have you no shame? I spent five years building those relationships. Those clients follow me, not your firm!"

Her expression darkened instantly.

"Who's the one without shame here?"

"Without Sterling & Associates backing you, you'd be nothing but a bottom-feeding ambulance chaser!"

"Give the drive to Jace right now, or you can spend the next ten years in a cell."

It was so obvious. She wanted to steal my entire book of business and hand it to Jace on a silver platter.

Years ago, when the firm started, I asked for her advice on a tough case. She told me I was useless.

Now I see the truth. This was never about the law. It was about her ego.

I took a deep breath and spoke coldly.

"Elara, don't forget that I'm a lawyer too. Putting me behind bars won't be as easy as you think."

She stepped closer, whispering into my ear so only I could hear.

"I might not have enough to convict you, but I can ruin your name. I'll tell everyone you sell out your clients."

"Do you think anyone in this city will ever hire you again? You'll be a pariah."

Then, she softened her voice, trying to sound sweet.

"Silas, if you still love me, just stop making me angry."

"We can forget the divorce. I'll even find a reason to hire you back in a few months."

I almost laughed at her sheer audacity.

Did she really think I'd go back to being her unpaid slave?

I might have been blinded by love once, but I still had my pride.

I stepped back, putting distance between us.

"If Jace wants my clients, tell him to try and earn them himself. If he has the talent, that is."

Elara's eyes turned poisonous when she realized her manipulation wasn't working.

"Fine, Silas. You're doing this the hard way. Don't regret it later!"

She grabbed Jace's arm and stormed out of the precinct.

As I expected, they didn't have enough evidence. I was released after forty-eight hours.

However, the female officer processing my paperwork looked at me with pure disgust.

I turned my phone on. A flood of missed calls and messages crashed into my inbox.

I ignored them and went straight to the New York Legal Insider forum.

My name was at the very top of the trending list.

But the words "Star Attorney" and "Undefeated" were gone.

They were replaced by "Unethical," "Corrupt," and "Cheating Scumbag."