I never cower in a corner making them think that I am friendly, I kick ass and remind them who the big, bad bitch is.

I was seated in the conference room just five minutes before the deposition.

But the strange thing was that I was not alone, opposite me sat Romanov and an all too familiar face of his lawyer.

Edward Edenbrooke.

The best of his class. And how do I know this?

He was my hand-picked associate for almost a year. He worked for me.

But after I caught him laundering money from one of my trust funds I had trusted him with, I fired him. Last I heard he was hired at Kirkland and Cliffords Law Inc, a law firm that has been trying to get on top of us from before I started working here.

"Where is your client Ms. Styles, last I remember you were very strict with punctuality." He said with a cocky grin on his face. He would know, he had been on the receiving end of several public humiliations because of his lazy ass.

The court reporter looked at me with a raised eye brow. I shook my head at her, as to tell her to stop transcribing Edward's cocky bullshit. She nodded and sat back, waiting for my queue.

Before speaking I looked at her and nodded.

"My client trusts me to carry forward with the deposition without his presence, which would be entirely unnecessary after I show you this." I said in a clipped voice sliding a file towards him that contained all the picture evidence and other necessary documents that were needed to convict Romanov.

Edward opened the file and scanned through, his brow creasing, as worry dominated his features. This case hadn't looked good for him from the very beginning.

Meanwhile, while Edward was looking through the file I gave him, I looked at Romanov.

He looked like a person who belonged to the wrong side of the town, though the fear in his eyes begged to differ. He was covered in tattoos on all the visible surfaces on his body, except his face. His dark, almost black hair was a stark contrast to his porcelain skin and piercing brown eyes.

He wore ripped jeans over a wife-beater and a checkered, half-sleeved shirt that fully displayed the extensive tattoos on both of his arms.

Though one thing I couldn't help but notice was the constant fidgeting of his hands.

He was nervous.

I turned my attention back to Edward.

"So tell me, Edward, as long as we are going down memory lane, I vaguely remember that you were disgusted just by the idea of taking a pro bono, what changed?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow.

I wanted to elongate his torture.

Edward was one of the lawyers that would only take a case if he saw enough green that would satisfy his greedy ass and there was no way in hell Romanov could afford him. And the Edward I knew would never take a pro bono.

My voice snapped him out of his reverie.

"My superiors forced me to and to be honest, I was going to drop the case and hand it over to one of the first year associates, that is until I saw your name on it." I was going to wipe that cocky grin off of his face by the end of this deposition.

"For all I know these pictures could be photo shopped! They aren't even that clear." He resembled a drowning man looking for straws to hold onto.

I smirked.

I quickly dialed Clark's desk from the intercom right next to me. He picked up after two rings.

"Miss Styles' office, Cla-" He said as soon as he picked up but I cut him off.

"Bring my laptop to the conference room, ASAP." I said hanging up immediately. Both the men in front of me looked positively nervous right about now. Edward was just better at hiding his worry.

Two minutes later Clark walked in the conference room with my laptop. His pleasant expressions hardened immediately as he saw Edward.

Long story short, they hated each other since the minute they saw each other. It was like hate at first sight.

"Well, if it isn't Superman himself. I am shocked you're still here." Edward said, smirking at Clark who scowled back.

"Shut it, Sparkles." He said leaving my laptop on the table in front of me.

Throughout the entire ordeal, Romanov's gaze was fixed on the pendrive that I held in my hand. Inserting the drive I turned my laptop towards the nervous duo as the clip began to play showing that it was in fact Romanov who had vandalized Mr. Wells' company building.

"Let it show that the plaintiff's attorney has shown a video footage that clearly shows the defendant vandalizing the plaintiff's property." I said looking at the court reporter as she typed away.

"Okay, maybe he did vandalize the building, but my client did not steal those money bonds for which I could sue your client's ass." Edward said, seemingly unaffected by the video evidence I just showed him.

But I knew him better; he was trying to distract me.

Something that I taught him.

"Oh really and how is that? How are you planning on suing my client, when it is yours that is being convicted." the amusement in my voice was blatantly obvious.

"Slander." He smirked, leaning back on his chair.

"We have already established that Mr. Romanov has indeed committed vandalism, so there is no reason for you to sue my client with slander, Edward." I deadpanned.

"You are convicting him for both vandalism and theft, Ms. Styles, if you don't remember." He sneered leaning forward.

"The file I gave, it has a document saying the crimes he is being convicted for, check it." I snapped.

Edward immediately opened the file and started flipping through the pages, finally reaching the one, he read it carefully. His expressions changed from shocked to confused to disbelief, it was pretty hilarious.

"You are only convicting him for vandalism?" he asked, I nodded my head in affirmative.

Romanov's gaze travelled between me and Edward and finally settling on the table in front of me. I could see the relief in the small smile on his face.

"Why?" he asked, he sounded pissed.

"You don't sound too happy that your client isn't being convicted for a crime that could possibly land him in prison,you should be happy Edward!" I said in mock disappointment.

That just made him even more pissed. I almost laughed out loud.

"Because of you!" he snapped looking positively livid.

"If you are going to throw a tantrum, get out." I snapped at him, all the while in the periphery I could see the smile on Romanov's face grow prominent by each passing second.

He composed himself immediately.

"So let's negotiate now, shall we?" I asked, the only thing Edward could do was nod.

"Now, Mr. Romanov, as you are aware, you are being convicted for vandalism, the penance for what is either you pay the exact amount of damage you caused or you will have to do, approximately 1500 hours of community service, that is around-"

"Five months and a little over five days." That was the first time I heard Romanov speak, he had a very prominent foreign accent that complimented his deep, rich voice.

"Exactly." I said, "So which will it be?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"The second one please." He said, his voice still that soft, deep hum.

I took the second file I prepared and gave it to Edward who after going through it twice, made Romanov sign at all the appropriate places.

After Romanov signed off, Edward didn't even wait for his client before storming out of the conference room. I shook my head, he always had quiet the temper.

"Mr. Romanov." I called out as he started to leave.

"Romanov please, I hate the formalities." He said I small smile gracing his face as he turned towards me.

"Would you accompany me to my office for a moment?" I asked pointing in the direction opposite to the elevators.

He looked skeptical but nodded nonetheless.

As we reached the doors of my office, I could see Clark chatting up with Rhodes. Seeing me, she immediately got up and made a beeline for her cubicle. Clark just rolled his eyes at her actions, I mirrored his actions.

Taking a seat at my chair I pointed Romanov to take a seat too.

He looked very nervous.

"This is not related to the case, well, it is but you won't need a lawyer for this part, so don't worry." I reassured him and I could see him visibly relax.

"You didn't convict me for theft although your client wanted you to." he stated but it sounded more like a question. I decided to humor him.

"Yes, that is correct." I said, waiting for him to continue.

"Why? Won't your client be...unhappy?" he asked sounding unsure.

"I know you didn't steal those bonds, so it was useless accusing you of theft and about my client, if I tell him that you have been dealt with. He will believe me." I said as matter-of-factly.

And it was true, that asshole would believe anything that comes out of my mouth.

"So about your community service..." I started after sometime but paused seeing the tension return to his shoulders.

"Sorry." He apologized for heavens knows what reason, but I didn't interfere him, "It's just that my lawyer, he had warned me about you and your, err...victories. He had told me to keep my trap shut because you had a habit of playing with and manipulating words. That's why I am a little..." he trailed off.

Ah, now I understood.

"Well your lawyer was not entirely wrong, but rest assured I save that attitude only for when I am on case and since we are just now off case, you can relax, okay?" I said in a soft voice.

That did explain why he was quiet throughout the deposition.

He smiled up at me and nodded.

"Okay. So, why did you want to see me, Miss Styles?" he asked with a bit more confidence.

"My client wanted me to charge you for vandalism as well as theft, but I didn't because one I knew that you didn't steal those bonds and two my client, he is an asshole." I said taking a pause, to let the information sink in.

"I knew that, what I want to know is why? Why did you help me like this, you don't even know me." He asked.

Valid question.

"I did it for your brother, you are all he has and I didn't want him to be put in a foster house while you rot in prison." I spoke the truth.

"How do you know Adrian...I mean my brother, how do you know about him?" he looked guarded and cautious.

"Employment information provided to me by Mr. Wells' assistant." I asked looking at him.

If I was going to propose what I was going to, I had to word it right. Otherwise he could take it entirely in the wrong way.

"Okay, but what has he to do with any of this?" he asked, still cautious.

"I want to help him." I said a matter of factly.

"How?" his caution changed to shock.

I knew this would work. If I told him that I wanted to help him, he would have let his larger than life ego, which happens to be a very important trait for his species, come in the way and not taken my help. But if he sees that it would also help his little brother, he would be compelled to think twice before protesting.

Basic human nature.

"I have more money than I know what to do with," I started saying, trying my best trying not to sound like a complete dick, "so a few years ago I started an organization, a trust fund of sorts that helps single parents with young kids with financial aid. Every year, the organization, with my consent, chooses 20 kids from this programme and we sponsor them to study in New York's finest private school and also help them with further education." He didn't stop me once throughout my entire speech.

"Why do you do this?" he asked, sounded extremely confused.

"Do I need a reason to be a humanitarian?" I asked cocking my eyebrow and smirking at me.

"Guess not." He said with a short, hard laugh.

"So if you are interested, tell my assistant, he is right outside. He will hook you up with the right people. Take my card from him. Call me if you have problems." I said looking at him.

"Miss Styles, if you don't mind me asking, why did you open a trust for single parents in particular?" his question hit home.

Every time I looked at single parents, especially older siblings who have the responsibility of raising their younger siblings, struggling to provide for the kids, I always think about Caley and me. It could have been us had our parents not left us a shit load of money.

I sighed, no point in lying to him.

"I lost my parents at a very young age. My sister at that time was only 2 years old and I had just started college. I had to get myself emancipated just so I could keep her with me. Life after their death was tiring and exhaustive, but it would have been pure hell if they had not left me a shit load of money." I said, shrugging.

"Oh." He nodded in understanding.

He started to get up and leave. I stopped him immediately.

"Where do you think you are going? I am not done with you." I said looking pointedly at the chair.

He furrowed his eyebrows, but sat back down nonetheless.

"I assume that you are jobless at the moment?" I asked, keeping my face as neutral as possible. He nodded looking worried.

"I have a job offer for you then."I said, not changing my expressions a bit.

The shock on his face turned to disbelief pretty quickly.

"Why would you give me a job? I am a high school drop out." He said disbelief still prominent in his voice. "I don't now shit about being a lawyer!"

"I am not giving you a job here, Romanov."I deadpanned; his disbelief was soon replaced by confusion.

But he did the sane thing and let me explain, smart boy.

"How are you with numbers, Romanov?"I asked, already knowing the answer.

"I have a feeling that you already know that." a small smirk graced his face. I mirrored his expressions.

"That I do. Correct me if I am wrong, but you had a GPA of 3.9 when you dropped out of high school, correct?" I asked.

"It's creepy how you know this about me, but yes, it's true." His expressions a mixture of anxiety, worry and amusement.

The credit goes to Clark; he was the one who found out extra info on Romanov.

Ignored his last statement and continued with the questioning.

"And your student file read that you wanted to go into finances, right?" at this point I was just cross checking.

He nodded.

"Okay, so I am going to put you under the head of finances, as his assistant. He will train you for a few months and you will paid the salary that all interns are and then after a few months he will give you a position depending upon your progress. Fair enough? And working under him could add to your community service too. So that way you'll be able to make time for your brother too, okay?" he looked awe struck but nodded nonetheless.

After I finished talking with him I pushed the button of the intercom that connected to Clark's phone.

"You got all of that?" I asked knowing that he would be listening in on the conversation.

"Yup" he said and after a few moments came in my office.

"How exactly can you pull this off? I mean I know you are a very fancy lawyer but getting me a job in a company?" Romanov finally asked.

"Well those are the perks of owning the said company, right?" Clark said winking at Romanov.

Romanov looked to and fro between me and Clark.

Yes, I did own a company. It was built by my grandfather from scratch and was passed down to dad and then me. Both me and dad took different professions so couldn't handle the company as an active participant so I had appointed a CEO but I was hoping one day Caley would take over. After all she was just like our grandfather and intended to follow his steps too.

"Okay...so when do I have the interview?" Romanov asked Clark who looked at me.

"You don't." I said, getting up and walking around the table to stand in front of the two men.

"Why?"

"Because I just took your interview and you passed. Now get out before I change my mind." I said crossing my arms.

Romanov looked terrified.

"Don't worry, that's her idea of joke." Clark reassured him.

Romanov's tensed shoulders relaxed. And then he did something completely unexpected.

He hugged me.

I was ram rod stiff at first.

"You are a very strong woman, Miss Styles. Thank you for helping me." He whispered in my ear, my hand very reluctantly rested a little below the nape of his neck. The hug was short so it was not awkward.

Letting go of me, he smiled at me and I gave him a small smile in return surprising both Clark and Romanov.

With that Romanov left my office with Clark by his side.

I looked up to see the face of the person who had been on my mind since this morning.

Lucca Santos was leaning against the door of my office, glaring daggers at me with Christopher standing right behind him looking dumbstruck.

Oh shit, now what did I do?

***

I couldn't move.

I literally couldn't physically move, Lucca's stare held me captive as the muscles of my body went on complete lockdown.

We stared at each other.

He glared at me while I stared back impassively.

"Ok, before you guys pounce each other, I am just going to tell what I came here to tell you and leave." Christopher said, instantly breaking our stare down.

I turned to look at Christopher but I could still feel his stare on me.

"What do you want?" I said leaning against the chair beside me.

"So, Lia told me to tell you that she has left for Chicago for a couple of days so Caley is staying with me for the time being. Though that kid she brought with her is still here. And don't worry, I can feed her, I know how to cook." He immediately added as soon as he saw alarm on my face.

"Okay." I said, Caley has spent more time with Christopher than with Lia so I have no problems for that.

"Did she tell you why she went back for a couple of days?" I asked very suspicious of her unannounced visit and departure.

"I do know why, but if I tell you she would kill me." he said looking amused and annoyed at the same time.

"Okay, I will talk to her as soon as she comes back." I said.

"And one more thing..." he trailed off looking very unsure of himself, very un-Christopher of him, to be honest.

I just raised my eyebrow.

"Do you remember the favor you owed me for taking over your meetings when you went to pick up Caley from the airport?" he asked looking expectant

Oh this wasn't going to be good, I can feel it.

I nodded, dreading the words that would follow.

"So I need your help with something, meet me at Starbucks across the street and we'll discuss, okay?" he asked, being his arrogant confident self again.

"Why not here?" I asked, irritated.

"You know why." He said smirking and tilting his head towards Clark's cubicle.

Oh, he didn't want Clark to know.

"Okay, when?" I asked, resigning to the idea that finally I was going on a coffee with Christopher.

"Lunch time? I'll buy you coffee and lunch." He said smiling at my obvious resignation.

"Okay." I said as he walked out of my office.

"Do you need a special invitation to leave me alone?" I asked, my back facing Lucca.

"I am not leaving." He whispered his voice seemingly much closer than expected.

I turned around to find our noses almost touching.

"What do you want?" I asked my voice barely above a whisper.

"I want..." he began, his lips right next to my earlobe, "I want to know who the fuck that asshole was?" he asked, his voice velvety and dangerous.

I knew he was talking about Romanov. And that angered me.

How dare he?

I don't know what came over me as I leaned in close enough so that my lips brushed his ears. I could feel the shiver run down his spine.

"None of your fucking business." I whispered pushing him away.

He did not expect me to push him away, so he stumbled at the sudden contact. His face registering the shock as he stared at me with an impassive look.

"Everything you do is my business, tesoro." He sneered, his expressions unwavering.

"No, its not. And why do you even care?" I asked, exasperated at his overbearing attitude.

His furious expressions instantly hardened and became impassive in the blink of the eye. He straightened himself and patted the non-existent crease of his suit and turned towards me with a cold hard glare.

"Gather your things, I am taking you to the coffee shop across the street, Christopher must be waiting." He said leaving my office and not waiting for an answer.

What was wrong with him? Why was he so...mercurial?

One minute he is kissing the living daylights out of me and the next he is treating me like a piranha. I seriously couldn't understand what was going on in that fucked up head of his and to be honest, I wouldn't have cared had it not have included me.

He told me he knew me, from somewhere five years ago. Where had we met? How had we met? How do we know each other? Why won't he just fucking answer these questions when I ask him?

I always loved the way fire burned. As a child I was scolded to stay away. Something about it was mesmerizing and I could never escape my affection for it. There was a new form every time, not once was it the same. It was unattainable but you could work your way around it.

A/N :

I UPDATED EARLY!!! 😱😱

*does a happy dance* 💃💃

This chapter shows a part of Violet that we have not seen much, but you'll find more about it in the following chapters. 

What do you think Chris wants from Violet??

Next chapter is going to be filled with a lot of Chris and a lot of Lucca and maybe a bit of Caley and Jaxton too.

Oh my god, I am so happy I updated early, enjoy reading this chapter my beautiful, sexy readers!!  😘😘

Until next time, adios!! 😇😇