Fenella’s POV
“Please, have a seat.”
Laird invited Jessy and me to sit at the long table in the meeting room. We were being hosted as clients by Laird at the Bell, McNaught, & Evans law firm. After we were seated, Laird left the meeting room to retrieve some documents.
“Wow, this office is so spacious and luxurious. I never expected Laird to work here. It’s just like in the movies.” Jessy’s mouth hung open as he looked around the meeting room.
“Yeah, imagine he’s willing to give all this up to build Racker’s Bite,” I chuckled.
For some reason, I felt proud of Laird’s decision. He had dared to leave his grand and comfortable law office to take a big step in building his own small business. To me, what Laird did was a sign that he hadn’t been consumed by wealth and fame.
I hoped he would stay that way.
“Hey, let’s take a picture of us. This historical moment needs to be shared with the world on our social media,” Jessy pulled out his phone and started taking selfies of us.
Over and over again. Eventually, he had me posing in the office as if I were a model.
“Everyone will believe we have this super cool office,” Jessy giggled as he snapped photos.
My inner model came out. I didn’t hesitate to strike several elegant poses around the office. Luckily, I wore the office attire suit to match the place. A beige blazer, a chic white blouse, and a knee-length skirt that matched the blazer.
I stood by the window, gazing out at the tall buildings of New York. Then I sat in the chair and at the desk and even stood next to the projector screen as if giving a presentation. Various poses made Jessy keep snapping with his high-resolution camera phone.
“Ogh! We should have brought Kim to this office. She would be thrilled to have this kind of photoshoot,” Jessy groaned, admiring the photos.
“That’s a great idea for the portfolio. Maybe you could find a business magazine willing to interview us with photos like these,” I suggested.
“Oh, yes! I will contact the editor at that magazine. Yesterday she asked for an interview too, although it was related to Alan’s case,” said Jessy. “We could make an exclusive deal with her for an interview and photoshoot.”
“Yeah, sure. That would be a great idea for exposure,” I added enthusiastically.
Suddenly, I saw a man walking quickly past the meeting room. The next moment, he stopped, turned around, and entered the meeting room. He looked at me with wide, sparkling eyes.
“Fenella?!”
“Hi, Derek,” I waved at him with a friendly smile.
“Oh, that angelic smile. How have you been?” He asked as he walked over to us and shook my hand and Jessy’s.
“I’m great! This is my friend Jessy. Jessy, this is Laird’s colleague, Derek.” I introduced them.
“What are you doing here? Rebecca could arrive any minute.” Derek’s smile was replaced by a concerned expression.
“Don’t worry, Derek. I’m sure she’s learned from her mistakes.” I crossed my arms confidently and smiled.
“Oh, yeah, you’re absolutely right. She must be scared of you by now. No one wants to get into trouble with you after you helped the FBI bring down those criminals,” he laughed.
“Well, yeah, that’s my nature.” I put my hands on my hips and posed proudly.
“Did the FBI hire you permanently?” Derek asked quickly.
“Derek, what are you doing here?”
Laird entered, cutting off Derek together with a woman, probably his paralegal. They carried a folder of documents in each hand.
“Just saying hi,” Derek shrugged.
“If you’re done, please leave. We need to sign important documents,” Laird said as he sat in one of the chairs facing me. Laird’s serious expression and sharp gaze made me realize he was in serious mode.
“Oh, yeah? What documents? Don’t tell me Fenella asked you to be her lawyer,” Derek pressed further.
“I am indeed her personal lawyer.” Laird spoke bluntly, as if trying to rush Derek out.
“Then?” Derek seemed to ignore Laird’s subtle hints. His curiosity was too big to leave without getting answers.
“We’re setting up a new modeling agency, Derek. Today we’re signing the legal documents.”
I explained with a tone of patience. Hearing this, Derek’s mouth formed a round shape. He nodded his head.
“Well, then. Best wishes on your model agency.”
Derek raised his fist in the air to cheer me on. I also raised my hands in the air, shaking them enthusiastically. Even without loud voices, we exchanged encouragement until Laird cleared his throat and closed the meeting room door behind Derek as he left.
“Are you ready to sign?”
“Yeah.” I answered with a firm nod.
“Totally. Let’s take that leap of faith,” Jessy said, clapping his hands.
***
“Gosh! I feel content!”
Jessy exclaimed with a long, loud sigh in front of Laird’s office building. I chuckled, watching Jessy’s excitement.
We had passion and complemented each other’s work style. The friendship we had built over seven years was significant in my career journey. Even next month marked eight years of our collaboration, and it all felt incredible.
“February 2nd, isn’t that a beautiful date for the company’s founding day?” Jessy giggled with a dreamy look and hope shining above his head.
“Yes, Jessy. I’m sure everything will go smoothly,” I smiled with warm cheeks. I couldn’t deny that I felt I had taken a significant step in my life.
A black van stopped in front of us. Its tires screeched due to the sudden brake right at the edge of the sidewalk. I jumped in surprise as it appeared abruptly.
Three men emerged from the van. They were all dressed in suits and wearing sunglasses. Then two men pressed in on me, and I still didn’t understand what was happening. Meanwhile, another man stood between Jessy and me, using his tall, large body as a barrier.
“Ms. Baxter, please come with us. Our boss has made a reservation for lunch with you,” one of the men said.
“Well, tell your boss to kiss my ass. He can’t just send thugs to come kidnap me like this,” I glared at them furiously.
“Fenella.” Jessy called my name with a trembling voice.
“Please understand our situation. There’s no need to make a scene. Mr. Evans doesn’t want us to use violence against you. You must stay safe and alive,” said one of the men in front of me as he opened the car door wider and gestured for me to get in.
“Who?” The tension in my face faded, and I sharpened my ears to make sure of the man’s name.
“Mr. Hugo Evans,” the man replied firmly.
“Move aside! I will scream for the police and spread your faces on social media until it goes viral if you don’t release Fenella right now.” Jessy’s voice rose louder.
I glanced back and saw Jessy pulling out his phone from the leather pouch.
“It’s okay, Jessy. They are Laird’s father’s men,” I said to him.