Chapter 1
Boston, Massachusetts
Present Day
Charli took a sip of her coffee as she scanned the legal brief that would be submitted to court later that day.
After hours of research and reading depositions, she felt like her eyes would cross at any second, but this case was important.
A win should mean a huge promotion, the one she had worked endless hours over the last several years and basically given up a personal life for—a partnership in one of Boston’s most prestigious law firms.
There was a quick knock on the door as her assistant, Annette, stuck her head in.
“Charli, Mr. Stewart would like to see you now if you have the time.”
Charli’s stomach tightened at the unexpected summons. “Did he say what it was about?”
Annette shook her head. “Just that he needed to see you ASAP. I haven’t heard any serious gossip this morning, but I’ll ask around.” She shrugged. “You’ll probably know what’s going on before I get any juicy details.”
Charli sighed and massaged the spot between her eyes. “Ok, I’ll be right there.” When the firm’s executive director wanted to speak with you, you didn’t dawdle. Besides, a break from reading would be a good thing.
Annette nodded and started to close the door, then popped back in. “Oh, I almost forgot.” She tossed a thumb over her shoulder. “A package arrived for you today. It’s from Key West,” she added with emphasis.
Charli blinked. “Key West?” She looked up at the ceiling for a moment, lost in thought. “We don’t have any clients from Key West, do we?”
“I don’t think so,” Annette replied. “You want me to open it for you?”
“No, that’s not necessary. I’ll get to it after I speak with Mr. Stewart.” Charli stood from her desk with a slight groan, massaging her lower back. “Damn, I’ve been sitting too long.”
Annette’s lips twisted to the side and her hands came to her hips. “You always sit too long. I’ve been telling you that for years.” She pointed to the far side of the office. “We should put a treadmill over there, that way you can get some exercise while you work.”
Charli chuckled lightly. Annette was the firm’s resident mother hen and dispensed life and health advice to everyone, whether they wanted to hear it or not.
“I get plenty of exercise,” Charli responded as she stepped in front of the mirror by the door. She straightened her suit jacket, smoothed back her shoulder length honey blonde hair, and pinched her cheeks, checking her appearance in different angles.
“You look fantastic, as usual,” Annette muttered, giving Charli a sardonic look before walking out. “As if you need my reassurance about that. Now, go get ‘em, tiger!”
I plan to.
Under normal circumstances, Charli would be thrilled to be on Mr. Stewart’s radar. But this meeting made her feel uneasy and anxious—chaotic emotions she had worked a long time to conquer.
Knock it off, Charli...you’re being paranoid. You’ve made this man very wealthy over the last few years. This can only be good news.
With a firm nod and a smile to herself, she strode confidently to the huge corner office on the tenth floor.
“Oh, thank God you’re here,” his assistant exclaimed, looking harried as she scrambled up from her chair. “Right this way, Miss Harris.”
Charli followed her to the large conference room down the hall, suddenly overwhelmed with a feeling of foreboding like a little girl being led to the principal’s office.
The assistant knocked and stuck her head in the door; rowdy male laughter escaped from inside the room. “Miss Harris is here to see you, sir.”
“Show her in, show her in,” Mr. Stewart’s voice boomed exuberantly.
Charli stepped into the room and stopped short, schooling her face to neutrality even as her blood chilled at the scene before her.
Mr. Stewart was seated at the head of the long conference table and at his right was Evan Blake, her nemesis and all-time arch rival at the firm, lounging back in a high-back judge’s chair with a trademark sneer on his face.
She and Evan had graduated from the same class at Boston University and started at the firm on the same day.
The one thing she had learned about Evan over the years, other than that he was a major douchebag, was that he was lazy as sin and would do anything—no matter how dirty or unethical—to advance his career.
To Mr. Stewart’s left was Keith Davis, one of the longest serving members of the firm’s Board of Trustees. Charli’s stomach clenched and time seemed to freeze as she fought to maintain control.
This can’t be good.
She took a deep breath as she stopped just inside the room, vaguely hearing the door close behind her.
Keep your shit together, Charli. Cool, calm, and professional.
“Have a seat, Miss Harris,” said Mr. Stewart, directing her to a seat next to Evan. “There are a few matters we need to discuss with you.” He motioned toward his left. “You remember Mr. Davis?”
Squaring her shoulders and lifting her chin, she rounded the table and took her seat.
“Of course. It’s good to see you again, Mr. Davis,” she replied lightly, clasping her hands, and resting them in her lap, struggling to maintain the professional cool-under-pressure vibe she was famous for. “What can I do for you?”
“We were wondering about the status of the Parker case. Has a trial date been set yet?”
Charli gave a firm shake of her head. “Discovery is complete and we’re submitting a motion for a summary judgement this afternoon.”
Mr. Davis tilted his head and speared her with his laser gaze. “The client is comfortable with a summary judgement?”
“If it removes the need to go to trial, reduces his legal fees, and gives him the settlement he wants, yes. It was actually his preference.” She held his stare, unwilling to back down.
“Hmmm.” He pursed his lips then looked down at a paper in front of him. He glanced back up and gave her a brittle smile. “We’ve decided to go in a different direction.”
The confusion was immediate, but she carefully kept her expression blank as she stared across the table at him. “What exactly does that mean?”
Mr. Davis gestured toward Evan. “We’d like Evan to take over the case, as well as the others you’re currently working on.”
Charli’s head jerked back as if she’d been physically slapped and her jaw dropped, her hallmark control plummeting to her feet.
Her shock was palpable. They were going to remove her entire caseload?
She glanced at Evan who just smirked at her, clearly enjoying her humiliation.
The urge to smack his face was nearly overwhelming.
“What do you mean Evan will be taking over my cases? Has something happened? Have I done something wrong?” She cringed inwardly at the needy sound in her voice.
Mr. Stewart cleared his throat loudly and Charli’s eyes shot to him.
He pressed his lips together and studied her for a moment, an uncomfortable look on his face.
He took a deep breath as if preparing his argument.
“As you know, Miss Harris, the Parker case is extremely important to this firm. A large award is expected, not only by the client, but also the board.”
Charli nodded, trying to maintain her cool demeanor, but she could literally hear the blood pounding in her head. “Yes, and we will get that with the summary judgement.”
“I’m sure you think that, Miss Harris. But it is believed by some that a more aggressive associate would achieve better results,” Mr. Stewart continued as if she hadn’t said a word.
He motioned to Evan. “Mr. Blake has an excellent record and we believe he would be the best to lead this case, as well as the others you’re working on,” he finished.
Charli inhaled deeply, using the pause to calm her mind, and looked at each man separately. “You do realize that Alan Parker is my client, as well as the others that you want to take from my desk. I’m not so certain that they’d be as appreciative of your efforts.”
As Mr. Stewart’s mouth opened to reply, Charli continued, “In addition, I think my reputation in this firm would establish that I am one of your top associates, if not the best. I brought in nearly two million dollars in legal fees last year alone.” She gestured to the imbecile on her left and scoffed.
“Evan can’t touch my record, and everyone knows it. ”
Evan’s face flushed and his lip curled. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that. My clients like me better,” he sneered, his tone like a petulant teen.
Charli arched an eyebrow, knowing she had left a mark.
“Would those be the four clients whose cases you’ve lost in the last six months?
What is your tally again, Evan? Ten and fifteen?
Hardly a winning reputation. I don’t even know why you’re still employed at this firm.
” She couldn’t stop the corner of her mouth twitching into a smirk at Evan’s reddened face and tightened mouth.
“We’re not here to dispute your successes, Charli,” Mr. Stewart interjected, his tone both impatient and annoyingly patronizing. “We feel that this move is best for the firm. We’ve made our decision and it’s final.”
Charli blinked. “Final?” she echoed quietly, feeling as if she was speaking from the opposite side of a tunnel.
Her stomach had dropped to somewhere near the center of the earth and she suddenly felt as if she had been ripped from her body and was watching the scene from somewhere near the ceiling.
How had this day turned to shit so quickly? “Wait—"
Evan cleared his throat loudly, interrupting her with an arrogant side eye, and stood up from the table. “Well, I guess that’s settled,” he remarked condescendingly as he buttoned his suit coat. He looked to Mr. Davis. “Genevieve and I will see you at the club this evening, sir?”
“Yes, yes,” Mr. Davis boomed, standing as Evan walked around to shake his hand. “We’re looking forward to it, son.”
Son? What the hell is that supposed to mean and what the absolute hell is going on?