A Failed Negotiation
The man in front of me stared at me with dissatisfaction and hatred.
Unperturbed, I stared him back indignantly.
“That’s enough! I don’t want to waste so much time on you. Hurry up and give me an answer.”
“Liliana, you—” As soon as Julius spoke, someone called his name.
A man dressed in a white suit with a name badge and black trousers came up to us.
“I wonder why you left the office just now. Anyway, I understand now that you’re on a date. Hello, Mrs.
Keaton.”
The man looked familiar, for we met during the wedding. If I wasn’t mistaken, he was Julius’ colleague,
and they were close to each other.
Julius looked displeased when his colleague addressed me as Mrs. Keaton. Right then, I realized he
hadn’t told others that we were getting a divorce.
Nonetheless, it wasn’t a surprise to me. Since our marriage was short-lived, Julius would understandably
want to save himself from embarrassment.
After forcing a smile at Julius, I turned to Julius’ colleague and said, “I remember you. Aren’t you
Brayden?”
“Mrs. Keaton’s memory is impressive. I am Brayden.” He was delighted because I still remembered him.
I smiled and continued, “Brayden, please don’t call me Mrs. Keaton from now on. Julius and I…”
“Darling!” The next moment, Julius yelled aloud on purpose and put his arm on my shoulder.
Brayden and I were both startled upon that.
“Brayden, she was saying that you don’t have to be that polite. By the way, why are you here?” Julius
interrupted and deliberately changed the subject of conversation.
I pulled his arm away and took a step to the side.
After that, I made a mental note to shower at least three times to get rid of whatever germs transferred
from Julius’ filthy arm.
As the two looked at me, they each exhibited a different expression.
A few seconds later, Julius let out an awkward smile. Brayden probably sensed that something was off
between us and chose not to dwell on it.
“I’m here to buy a drink. Anyway, I’d better head out to work. You two carry on, then.” With that, Brayden
turned around and left.
After Brayden left, Julius glared at me as though he was preparing to murder me.
Unperturbed, I pretended to grab my bag, straightened my clothes, and gazed at the entrance. “It
appears that we can’t make a deal today. Since you’re probably busy, I can come to your office next time
to talk.”
“Liliana, don’t you dare push your luck!” Julius said coldly and gripped my arm.
However, I wriggled free from him and glowered at him scornfully. “Am I, though? You cheated on me
first and threatened me afterward. Now that I’m willing to return the betrothal gift to you, why aren’t you
satisfied? Julius, how can you be that shameless?”
Screw it. There’s no use trying to reason with someone obsessed with money.
“Just wait for the subpoena issued by the court.” With that, I took out some notes from my bag and put
them on the table. “Here’s the money to pay for my drink. Let’s not take advantage of anyone.”
Then, I ignored Julius’ ferocious gaze and walked toward the entrance right away.
I took a deep breath as soon as I exited the café. At this point, I had no choice but to look for a lawyer.
Hence, I scrolled through my contact list, but I soon realized that my friends probably didn’t know any
lawyers.
Although Dominic knew good lawyers, I didn’t intend to ask for his favor to avoid being ridiculed by him
again. Besides, given that he had helped me a lot, I didn’t want to owe him more.
At that, I decided to visit the commercial district on my own. Since there were a lot of office buildings
there, I thought I could easily find some law firms.
After arriving at the commercial district, I went straight to the well-known Wisteria Building.
As I entered the lobby on the ground floor, I saw some receptionists and a signboard.
Without hesitation, I came up to them and asked, “Hi, may I know if there are law firms upstairs? I wish to
look for a reliable lawyer.”
“Ms. Zanetti?” Someone called my name once I finished asking. I turned around and realized that it was
James, the president of Galaxy Corporation.
“Mr. Dalton, what a coincidence. Are you here for business matters?” I greeted him smilingly because he
was the reason I could settle the scores with Julius.
James was wealthy and even possessed an entire office building that his company built on its own.
Besides, he was rather friendly, unlike Dominic, who always pulled a long face.
“Yes. Ms. Zanetti, are you here for business matters as well? Which company are you visiting? I know
this place quite well if I dare say so myself.” James probably could tell that I came here the first time and
wished to lend me a hand.
As I didn’t want to trouble him, I replied, “It’s fine. Mr. Dalton, you must be very busy. I can just ask the
receptionists.”
“If you’re worried about owing me a favor, there’s no need to. I can get all the favor I need from Dominic
anyway. Just feel free to tell me where you would like to go.”
What he said made me confirm my decisions even more—I should not seek help from him at all, if ever.
If James asked for a reward from Dominic just because he helped me, Dominic would most definitely get
something from me in return!
In that case, it would be the worst deal ever.
“Mr. Dalton, it’s okay. I’ve got something to do, so please excuse me.”
I planned to wander outside the building for a while and come back only after he left.
Much to my surprise, James blocked my way and dragged me to the receptionist counter. Then, he even
instructed the receptionists to tell him what I asked them.
Once the receptionists explained that I was looking for a law firm, he said to me smilingly, “Well, it’s just a
trivial matter. Why were you hesitant to tell me? Chance and Associates law firm is on the twenty-
seventh floor. Let me bring you there.”
Before I could react, he had already dragged me into the elevator.
As the elevator was rising, I thought I couldn’t escape anymore. Since James recommended the law firm
to me, I believed their lawyers were top of the line.
“By the way, why were you looking for a lawyer?” James asked curiously.
“It’s personal.” I didn’t reveal it to him, for I wasn’t exactly proud of it.
James nodded in response and didn’t dwell on it.
After thinking for a while, I asked, “Mr. Dalton, may I know who is the best lawyer in that law firm?”
“Well, it depends on what kind of troubles you have. Anyway, Benjamin Chance and Mitch Lucas are
among the top lawyers who always win in courts.”
As such, I hoped I could appoint any one of them that James mentioned.
After the elevator opened, James brought me to the office of Chance and Associates.
“Why are you here again?” A man who wore glasses with a metal frame asked James shockingly.
James pushed me to the front and answered while pointing at me, “I’m bringing a customer to you.
Besides, she is close to Dominic. So, do as you see fit.”
The next moment, both the man in glasses and I were equally startled.
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