The Royal Contract

It was hard to concentrate on the papers spread on his desk. Using a thumb and index finger, he pinched the skin between his eyes as he felt a developing headache.

It would seem he could not make sense of the words when he hardly had slept last night. He tried to distract himself with work, hoping to take his mind off the girl he had left behind. But it seemed he was losing.

"This is ridiculous." He was not referring to his unaccomplished work but more to do with his growing frustration.

He had to snap out of this mood before he abruptly decided to quit his job and took the next available flight to be with the woman he would like to spend the rest of his life with.

"I hope that is not a sign that you have had enough of us." A voice made him tilt his head toward the door, searching for the source. "I am sure you have not seen the best of our firm just yet."

Of course, he readily understood the other man's concern since he was barely starting his new career. Yet, he already appeared like he was ready to walk out the door.

"Hey, Evan." Adam greeted his boss. Although they had the same title, Senior Partner in the firm, Evan was a named partner. His name appeared on the letterhead together with David's.

On the other hand, he still had a few things to prove since he was filling an enormous role that Gerald had left behind as his replacement.

Nonetheless, as David and Evan said, this was his job now. Therefore, he could do whatever he thought would be best for his clients.

"Is everything ok here?" Evan sat on the chair before his desk, checking what he had done with his office.

But honestly, decorating this room was the last thing he had in mind since he started working for them yesterday. He hardly touched anything, much alone thinking of what painting he should put on the walls.

Nevertheless, the company still expected that every portion of this office space screamed exquisite taste, money, and elegance. After all, they had a reputation to uphold as one of the most successful firms in the City.

"Yeah, all is great," Adam responded as he straightened in his chair and looked at his friend. "I am just trying to get updated with the cases."

Gerald had left him tons of pending cases. Even though David and Evan had handled the most urgent ones and passed the other clients to the other Partners in the firm, he was still left with boxes of files to peruse and get acquainted with.

"Well, I want to believe you. But I think I saw a problem earlier." Evan looked at him with skepticism. "David and I formed this firm, believing we should always have each other's back."

"And I appreciate the opportunity you gave me." Adam interrupted his friend. "But I think I am good." He was not about to divulge his problems to his friend, especially when they were in the workplace and during working hours.

"Just don't forget if you need any help. I am just a few doors away." Evan reminded him. "By the way, we will have our annual gala."

He always knew that he could count on his friends. He might not be as close to them as before. He still believed things had never changed between them.

"Oh! I think I saw the notice around here." Adam remembered reading something like that. But he barely glanced at the details, thinking it was the least of his concern.

"We want you to be there. It will be your welcoming debut to the firm." His friend informed him. "It is a black-tie event. And attendance is not optional."

He smiled at his friend as he seemed to think that he would ditch the party. But, of course not. He liked attending social events where he could promote his agenda.

He knew his intention might seem self-serving, but it was not for him but for the people he was helping. Without the support of wealthy individuals, his pro bono cases would not get funded.

"Don't worry, Evan. I will not miss it." He promised him. He just had to remember to pin it in his calendar.

His assistant, like him, was still adjusting to their new environment. Compared to their previous workload, his work had tripled in size.

Besides, he was still orienting himself with the company's policies and introducing himself to his colleagues and office staff. It might still take a few weeks before he would have a full grasp of the land.

"Great!" His friend stood up from his seat. "As I said, if you need help, someone to talk to. I am a good listener." Evan offered before he stood up and shook his hand.

"I will take note of that." Adam nodded, believing his friend meant it. "Anyway, thanks, Evan, for this opportunity."

He never liked working for a large firm, precisely due to the moral and ethical issues surrounding most of their cases.

But in this case, he wished to focus on what good he could do rather than what the company had to do to get there.

"I hope this partnership will be equally beneficial to all of us. By the way, David will be out today, but he wanted to discuss a few things with you tomorrow." Evan shook his hand before walking toward the door.

He knew the goal should not justify the means. But presently, it was hard to distinguish between the right and wrong methods of winning a case.

The gray lines became obscured that it was almost impossible not to cross them. They said justice should be fair, but reality dictated that it was not always the case.

"Ok. Then, I will see David early in the morning." He acknowledged, thinking he also had some things he wanted to discuss with his friend.

Then, his phone pinged, indicating an incoming message as Evan disappeared out of his sight. He quickly grabbed it and read the text.

After reading the short message, he quickly called back the number, needing to talk to the sender. Then, he waited for an answer while tapping his fingers.

"Sir, I found the boy." His investigator spoke on the other line.

He had hired a freelance investigator he had been using in his cases. He was not the best, but he could do a good job. Besides, during that time, he was the cheapest he could afford.

Now, working for this large company, he had top-notch investigators at his immediate disposal. In this case, he wanted to use his old buddy since it was personal.

"Give me the details." Quickly, he grabbed a pen and scribbled the address he had said. He asked the man for more information that he could use to build his case.

At this point, he needed every information he could gather about this boy. He needed it if he would help Serena with her request.

"Thanks." He ended the call after scribbling a few notes on his pad. After staring at it for a few seconds, he stood up, closed the files on his desk, and grabbed his key. He knew he had to be somewhere else.

His other work would have to wait. Besides, he was not getting anything done staring at them anyway. He was better off doing something that his mind could process.

"I am going out. I will be back later." He informed his assistant, who was not surprised anymore by his working condition. "If anyone looks for me, you know the drill." He waved his phone to her.

Then, he was riding the elevator out of his office and toward his car. Soon, he would hit the street to the address he took from the man he hired to look for the boy.

He still thought of what Serena wanted from him. Should he consider her request as something serious? Or was that another of her phase to find herself?

Was adopting the boy the right step toward her rehabilitation? Would it help her in her search for herself and happiness? Or was Serena only looking for another excuse to fail?

"I want to adopt Ken." Serena insisted when she talked to him last night.

He wanted to understand her sudden decision. But, of course, it was hard when she was miles away from him and when he could not physically touch her but only hear her voice.

He had nothing against adoption. But he wanted an assurance that Serena was doing this for the right reason.

He parked his car on the busy street near the address and walked from there. It was not a building but more of a dirty alley.

"Hmmppp!" He wondered if he was in the right direction. "Excuse me." He stopped before a food car, asking a man selling hotdogs on the street if he was in the right place. "Have you seen this boy around here?"

The man pointed to the dirty alley. "Oh! Ken. Why are you looking for him?" The man asked as he continued to sell his hotdogs.

"I just need to talk to him." He answered, thanking the man for his help.

He followed the path toward the alley in search of the boy. He had not gone far when he saw him come out of the narrow passageway.

"Ken?" He called the boy's attention when he did not seem to notice his presence yet. Then, he looked up with a smile on his thin lips when he saw him.

"Mr. Adam, what are you doing here?" The boy asked as he marched closer to him.

That was his question too. Was he here to go along with Serena's plan? Or was he looking for ways to shut it down?

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