Chapter 711: Chapter 682: Love in a Parallel Universe [004]
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Because she had a shameful dream the night before, Sienna Thorne got up late the next day and didn’t even have time for breakfast, so she had to ask her dad to drop her off at work.
All morning, she was preparing a settlement agreement and withdrawal application for Old Wang’s case and arranged for the opposing lawyer to bring the person in charge of their company over to the law firm to sign in the afternoon.
Just as she finished confirming with all three parties, her boss came knocking: "Thorne, were you busy with legal aid cases yesterday afternoon and this morning?"
"Huh?" Sienna instinctively covered the agreement on the table with other documents, "No... I was busy with other things this morning."
The boss could see that she felt guilty and said irritably, "Remember, legal aid cases cannot exceed eight hours a month."
"...Okay."
The boss was about to leave, but she called out softly: "Hey, Mr. Chandler, hold on a second."
Lawyer Chandler turned his head with a face full of impatience, as if saying "What is it now?"
"It’s just that I have a case here, and the client and the opposing lawyer will come this afternoon to sign the settlement agreement. Can I use the small meeting room?"
Lawyer Chandler frowned: "Which case?"
"...Just the legal aid case."
"No way!"
The door slammed shut.
Sienna sat back in her chair speechlessly, staring blankly into space.
Last year, she earned her JD from Harvard Law School. A few large comprehensive firms in Los Angeles, and even the California Court, offered her opportunities, but she must have lost her mind or something; she turned them all down and came straight back home.
Though she easily got into one of the top three comprehensive firms in the industry after returning, with a good environment and cases, her boss was a bit difficult to deal with.
Strictly limiting the working hours for legal aid cases to eight hours per month, not allowing legal aid cases to use the firm’s meeting rooms—almost like they would soon not let them use company pens to write when handling legal aid cases!
It’s so bizarre that even TV dramas wouldn’t dare portray it!
Every day I want to resign!
"No, no, Thatcher, get it together!" Sienna patted her forehead, sat up, and picked up the phone to change the location for the signing with the opposing lawyer.
The opposing counsel agreed readily, suggesting they sign at the contractor’s office because Mr. Fulton was busy today and couldn’t go out.
This suited Sienna’s plan perfectly, and she quickly contacted Old Wang to change the location.
In the afternoon, she didn’t dare mention to her boss that she was going out for a legal aid case, so she simply counted it as personal leave.
She took a cab to the hospital to pick up Old Wang, and the two went directly to the nearly-sixty-story office building of the contractor.
Explaining her purpose to the receptionist, she and Old Wang went straight up to the 45th floor.
The opposing attorney was already waiting in the conference room, reviewed her drafted agreement, and called Douglas Fulton to come down and sign.
The thought of meeting the man from yesterday again filled Sienna with a strange feeling.
She couldn’t describe it—very complex. It reminded her of that dream last night.
Pushing open the steamy shower door, she handed a towel inside, but the man grabbed her wrist, pulling her gently into his arms... her clothes completely soaked...
Holy shit!
She actually had an erotic dream about a stranger! It’s simply terrifying!
As she blushed and fidgeted nervously, the opposing lawyer suddenly stood up and called out, "Mr. Fulton," making her entire body tense up as she stood stiffly, not daring to look at the man behind her.
"Quick, quick! I don’t have time! An investor will be here to discuss something soon!" The man’s voice was deep and muddy, like a thick old phlegm stuck in his throat that couldn’t be expelled.
This voice wasn’t the man from yesterday!
Though all he said in the men’s room yesterday was, "You’ve got the wrong person," his voice was clean, fresh, like one fit for a voice actor.
How could this be the terrible phlegm-like voice?!
Sienna initially thought it was her tense nerves causing auditory hallucinations, but turning to verify, she was stunned by the portly figure before her.
The opposing lawyer noticed her hesitation and reminded her: "Lawyer Thorne, this is our Mr. Fulton."
Sienna snapped back: "He is Douglas Fulton?"
The fat man seemed rather displeased with people mentioning his full name, scowling as he harshly coughed, "Just call me Mr. Fulton!"
"..."
Sienna sat back awkwardly.
She really had approached the wrong person yesterday...
Not only approached the wrong person but blocked him in the men’s room and in front of his car for half an hour!
How embarrassing, lost even in space!
Douglas Fulton didn’t even look at the agreement, just signed his name with a flourish.
Once Old Wang signed, Douglas Fulton was eager to leave.
Sienna gathered the agreement with a belly full of questions, while Old Wang suddenly ran to the other side, dropping to his knees before Douglas Fulton: "Boss! You’re such a good person, thank you so much! You truly are a good person!"
Unable to bear watching Old Wang kneel, Sienna felt a twinge in her nose, letting the agreement slip in her hands as she stepped forward to help him up.
Originally anxious to leave, Douglas Fulton now remained seated, sitting grandly while watching Old Wang kneel.
He rudely grunted at Old Wang: "Hmph! I’ll tell you! Our company already paid your foreman! It’s your foreman not paying you guys! This has nothing to do with us!"
Sienna was stunned, and Old Wang knelt there dumbfounded.
"Then why did you agree to pay Old Wang’s wages yesterday afternoon and take on his son’s surgery costs?" Sienna asked.
Douglas Fulton got even angrier, shouting louder: "Who knows who blabbed this to the investor! Not only do we have to cover the foreman’s unpaid wages, but the medical expenses of a million! Let me find out who, and see how I deal with him!"
Douglas Fulton spoke through gritted teeth, filled with malice.
Finishing, he turned to his own lawyer and said: "The chairman was very angry yesterday afternoon, asked me to immediately notify finance to settle the foreman’s overdue wages. I said we already paid, the workers should go to their foreman! He said the money could be deducted from the final payment to the foreman. Is this true? It was so rushed yesterday I didn’t have time to ask you."
The lawyer nodded: "Yes, what the chairman said is correct."
Douglas Fulton felt reassured, huffed once at Old Wang, and left.
Sienna helped Old Wang up and mulled over the contents of Douglas Fulton’s earlier words as she collected the agreement.
It means that the man she blocked in the men’s room yesterday was also surnamed "Fulton"? And is this company’s investor?
Remembering her behavior in the men’s room yesterday, confronting and berating him, all while he wasn’t even in charge and actually helped so much, Sienna suddenly felt she had gone too far.
"Attorney Lowe..."
Attorney Lowe looked over with a smile: "Please, Lawyer Thorne."
Sienna swallowed: "The chairman Mr. Fulton mentioned earlier, who is he?"
