Landlord in the Arctic

Chapter 424: Chapter 309: Reconciliation

Clyde City, Kalah County.

Constitutional County Court.

Having rushed over, Lawyer Peyton led Yves and Fiona into the judge’s chambers, accompanied by his judicial assistant.

Judge Modie Watts rose to his feet with a beaming smile, warmly welcoming the group.

After some small talk, they got down to business.

He first picked up Yves’s petition to modify the custody agreement. After glancing through it, he began to carefully review the evidence Cook had collected.

After getting a general idea of the case from the documents, he turned to Fiona, who was standing quietly to the side, and called her over in a gentle voice.

"Angel," Judge Modie Watts said, his voice full of kindness. "Tell me, do you want to live with your dad, or with your mom? Be sure to think it over before you answer, because this will decide your future."

Fiona looked up at the serious-faced man before her, then glanced back at her father. A flicker of heartache crossed her eyes before she pursed her lips.

"I want to live with Daddy. Mommy has lots of boyfriends, but Daddy’s all alone. He’s so pitiful."

"Alright. I hope you’ll be able to express yourself just like this when we’re in court," Judge Modie Watts said with a smile. He picked up a tin of cookies from his desk and offered it to Fiona as a small token of encouragement.

He then looked at his assistant. "Joanna, please take Mr. Yves and our Angel to the lounge to wait for a while."

"Yes, sir." The judicial assistant, Joanna, smiled and nodded. She gestured for Yves and Fiona to follow her out of the office.

Yves took Fiona’s small hand and followed Joanna out of the chambers, leaving Lawyer Peyton with the judge to discuss further details of the case.

Once they were alone in his chambers, Judge Modie Watts seemed to finally relax. He loosened his collar, let out a long sigh, and ambled over to his bookcase.

With a practiced motion, he pulled a half-full bottle of liquor and two glasses from behind a book. He returned to Lawyer Peyton, a look of relaxed contentment on his face.

"How about some tequila?" he asked. "You know, I just had heart surgery. Sina won’t let me drink, so I only dare to sneak half a glass here in the office."

As he spoke, he slowly poured the tequila into the glasses, where the liquid shimmered with an alluring gleam.

"Sina’s right," Lawyer Peyton said, letting her usual ’powerhouse attorney’ facade fall away. Her expression softened, becoming one more natural for a woman in her forties.

She took the glass and swirled it gently, her eyes on the amber liquid. "You’re just like Frank," she said thoughtfully. "You both love to slack off. What’s the difference between this backwater place and Alaska? It’s a waste of your abilities."

Judge Modie Watts raised his glass, lightly clinking it against Peyton’s. He then gazed leisurely out the window at the blue sky and white clouds.

"The difference is, I get to see the sun here year-round," he retorted. "The entire state of Alaska has fewer people than one county in Texas. The thought alone is terrifying. What good is a lawyer up there? Ha, gonna sue on behalf of a brown bear or a reindeer?"

Peyton didn’t respond to his joke. Instead, she downed the strong liquor in a single gulp and shook her head, her expression turning serious as she refuted her old classmate’s opinion.

"You’re wrong. Frank is different. He wants to create a free and just Alaska, and he’s always been working toward that. He’s more idealistic than any of our other classmates. As much as I can’t stand that foul mouth of his, I have to admire him."

"Alright then. To Free Alaska, and to Frank!" Judge Modie Watts raised his glass in a toast to Frank and his ideals.

As the two were chatting, a black SUV pulled into the parking lot outside.

With a soft squeal of brakes, the doors opened, and Feng Shan, Nash, and Director Roland stepped out.

Lawyer Peyton set down her glass and looked out the window. Spotting Feng Shan and his group, she said, "Let’s get started. Frank’s nephew is here."

Judge Modie Watts got to his feet as well, shaking his head regretfully. He grumbled, "Having to work on such a beautiful afternoon. What a pain. Damn it, I’m going to make Frank take me to the La Bare Dallas Club. He promised me before we graduated."

La Bare Dallas Club? (A very famous male strip club in Dallas)

Lawyer Peyton turned her head and sized up her old classmate, an involuntary, mocking smile playing on her lips.

"Go ahead. But are you sure your body’s up for it? Can your heart handle the excitement?"

Seeming indignant at his old classmate’s scorn, Judge Modie Watts immediately raised his arms, striking a Schwarzenegger-esque bodybuilding pose for emphasis.

"Damn it! My heart is just as strong as the rest of me—strong as a longhorn bull! I swear to God!"

Still chatting and laughing, the two of them walked out of the judge’s chambers.

In the courthouse lobby, Lawyer Peyton met with Feng Shan and his group.

However, there was an unfamiliar woman in their group. Her hair was a bird’s nest, and her tattered clothes were covered in dust.

She looked no different from one of the junkies or homeless people you’d see on the street.

"Hello, Lawyer Peyton," Feng Shan said by way of introduction. "This is Yves’s ex-wife, Fiona’s mother. After a friendly negotiation, she has agreed to transfer custody to Yves." He placed special emphasis on the words ’friendly negotiation.’

’Friendly negotiation.’

Peyton repeated the two words to herself, her eyes filled with suspicion. Her gaze locked onto Valerie.

Judging by Valerie’s sorry state, this didn’t look like the aftermath of a ’friendly negotiation’ at all. It looked more like she’d been subjected to violence.