Retroactive （adj.） – Ashton
RETROACTIVE (ADJ.):
REFERRING TO A COURT'S DECISION OR A STATUTE ENACTED BY A LEGISLATIVE BODY WHICH WOULD RESULT IN APPLICATION TO PAST TRANSACTIONS AND LEGAL ACTIONS.
ASHTON
“I’m calling it a night, Judge.” Mara stood up from my desk. “Unless you need me to do something else for you?”
“No, I think I can handle what’s left on my own.”
“Good to know.” She picked up her briefcase and checked the locks. “Have you heard anything from the police department regarding your cars?”
“Nothing new,” I said. “Last I heard, they’re chalking it up to a random psychopath with a damage fetish.”
“You’re kidding.”
“No.” I shook my head. “The profile is apparently someone who has issues with authority and likes to fuck around without finding out.”
“Sorry.” She shot me a sympathetic smile. “Whenever they find out who did it, I’m sure that person will lose their mind when they realize who they messed with, huh?”
“Yes.” I smiled. She will.
“See you tomorrow.” She left my office and I waited until I heard the hallway door shut before stepping into the larger office.
I wasn’t prepared for the gorgeous view at all.
Olivia was sitting on the edge of her desk, and her skirt had inched up her thighs. She was biting down on her bottom lip while reading, humming something to herself.
I couldn’t help watching her, couldn’t help letting her unknowingly turn me on with every passing second.
“So?” I cleared my throat. “What do you have for me on the side research project, Miss Spencer?”
“Oh, um—just a bit.” She looked up at me with flushed cheeks. “Grant Jenkins’ family had donated over ten million dollars to charity in the months before his trial started.”
“I already knew that.”
“His lawyers made a really huge deal about him being an honors student, but when I called the Honor Society at his high school, his name wasn’t in any of the old records.”
I did NOT know that. “Did you follow up and ask why?”
“No, but I did reach out to an old friend who hacked into their system and got his old transcript.” She flipped through a few pages and handed it to me.
“His real report cards show C pluses and B minuses here and there, but someone must have gone back and changed it to A’s and A minuses years later.” She shrugged. “Very weird…It’s just high school.”
Impressive. “Is that all you found?”
“So far, yes.” She nodded. “But I literally just started my research, so—”
“This is all surface-level information.” I tucked the transcript under my arm. “If our roles were reversed, I would’ve gone a lot deeper inside you by now.”
That reddish hue returned to her cheeks, and I wondered if she would react that way if I bent her over my desk.
“I need you to uncover two more things like that for me,” I said. “Then you can leave.”
“I was actually going to ask if I could leave now.” She looked around the room. “I’m the only one here.”
“No, I’d rather settle in and work for at least another hour and a half.” I glanced at my watch. “Let’s say, ten o’clock?”
“With all due respect, Judge Ashton...” The way my name rolled off her lips was a problem. “I am extremely tired since I had to get here super early and pick you up today, and I would appreciate you giving me some ‘leniency’ and letting me catch up on some much-needed sleep.”
“I’m so glad you brought that up.” I smiled at her. “If I let you leave before I do, how am I supposed to get back home?”