Page 49 of The Grand Duel

He rights himself in the seat, straightening his laptop.

At the end of the day?“I don’t like surprises.”

He starts typing again, and it infuriates me.

“If you could give me something now. Anything.”

Is he going to fire me?

“I’m not angry, Lissie,” he promises. “We have a meeting with a client in a moment. Could you maybe do your job and focus on that?”

I shake my head at the man, wondering what I could have possibly done to make him dislike me so much.

I’ve avoided that feeling my whole life, not being enough, and yet this man has managed to make me feel like a piece of crap after a day of knowing him.

“The case?” I ask. “What do I need to know?”

“A little girl, eight, whose father is claiming full parental custody.”

I frown.

“Could you ensure everyone who needs to be present is, and then take notes of anything you feel is useless information.”

“Useless information?”

Why useless information?

“She shouldn’t be with her mother?” I can’t help but ask the question.

“The father has enough evidence of child neglect to warrant a case against her.”

My heart sails through my chest, all the way down.

The day has barely begun, and it already needs to end.

ELEVEN

Charlie

The meeting goes as well as can be expected, and as always, my gut was right. We have a strong case against the mother, and I’m certain we’ll be able to get full custody for the father.

I exit out of our headquarters and spot Scott waiting at the curb. With the presumption that Lissie is already in the car after leaving the meeting around fifteen minutes ago to use the bathroom, I slide inside myself.

The back seat is empty.

I sigh. “We’ll have to wait a minute, Scott.”

“For Lissie?” he asks.

I nod, but he shakes his head at me. “Gone, mate. Ducked out around fifteen minutes ago. Told me she was done for the day.”

“You’re fucking with me?”

He looks at me with a wicked grin. “Office?”

“Yes. And it’s Miss Elton to you.” I shake my head, running my hands through my hair in frustration. “How much am I even paying you?”

I’ve known Scott for years. He’s ex-military and primarily works for Mason Lowell, one of my oldest friends. No doubt he relished sending Scott my way when Edna came knocking.