10:24 am PDD
Chapter 177
Chapter 177
Ethan strolled over to Irene, met her gaze, and asked seriously. “What are you thinking about?”
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“Are you wondering how many cases you’d have to take on to afford a villa like this? Or are you just thinking about finding a guy who already owns one to marry?” he asked.
Ethan said it casually, like he was just joking around.
He didn’t mean anything by it, but Irene couldn’t help but take it personally.
Hearing his words, Irene felt a weird ache in her heart, like he’d always seen her as some gold–digger, desperate to latch onto power and money.
Irene had to admit, she’d definitely thought about taking shortcuts before. Honestly, even getting together with Ethan was supposed to be her way to get ahead faster.
But after being with him for a while, she realized that being with Ethan wasn’t the easy path she thought it’d be.
He was never going to marry her, and when it came to money, he was tight–fisted, too.
At first, Irene thought he was just a total cheapskate, but later she figured out he was just obsessed with being fair and square.
He could hook her up with big cases and offer high commissions, but he’d never just give her cash for nothing or treat her like some pampered trophy wife.
In some ways, this was exactly what Irene wanted.
If Ethan had really treated her like a kept woman, just tossing money her way to keep their relationship going, she would’ve felt deeply offended and degraded.
So when it came to this, they were actually a perfect match; neither of them had anything to gripe about.
They used to joke around like this all the time, but now that she’d decided to break things off with him, hearing Ethan say that just rubbed Irene the wrong way.
She couldn’t even explain why it bothered her, so she just blurted it out, like she’d given up caring.
“Yeah, it’s not like you just met me. You know I’m practical. If I could just marry someone who already owns a place like this, of course I’d rather do that than keep grinding away on my own,” she said.
“We only get one shot at life, right? If I can have it a little easier, why not? I’ve had enough of the tough days. I really do want to enjoy myself for once,” she said.
Irene sounded casual, but Ethan’s face darkened.
Funny thing was, he’d started the joke, but he was the first one to get mad.
“Just keep that kind of talk between us, alright? Don’t go saying stuff like that in front of the client, or they’ll think you’re not professional, Ethan reminded her.
With that, he headed in first.
Seeing his blatant double standards, Irene felt helpless, but could only follow him inside.
As soon as they walked into the villa, the butler came out to welcome them. After making sure who they were, he led them
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Chapter 177
further inside.
When they reached the study, the butler knocked softly. “Mr. Campbell, Mr. Drake, and Ms. Perry are here.”
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Once they heard a voice from inside say, “Come in,” the butler gently pushed the door open and ushered them in.
Martin, who’d been sitting behind his desk, stood up and greeted Ethan with a formal smile. “Mr. Drake, it’s been ages. It’s a rare honor to have you here in person. With you taking charge of this case, I have absolute confidence.”
Irene had reached out for a handshake, but her hand was left hanging in midair.
Martin didn’t even register her presence.
The whole time, it was like Martin only had eyes for Ethan; he didn’t acknowledge Irene as a professional attorney at all, just saw her as Ethan’s assistant.
It wasn’t until Ethan spoke up, his tone all business, “This time, your attorney isn’t me. It’s Ms. Perry, Irene.”
That’s when Martin finally seemed to realize Irene was even in the room.
Martin’s face fell when he realized Ethan wouldn’t be his lawyer.
Martin sized Irene up, then said, sounding awkward and clearly skeptical, “Mr. Drake, this is a divorce case worth hundreds of millions. Are you seriously not going to take it yourself? If things go south, I stand to lose a ton.”
“To be honest, the only reason I went with Drake Law Firm was because of you. If you’re not handling my case, maybe I need to reconsider my options,” Martin continued.
Martin kept his words polite, but it was obvious that he didn’t trust Irene at all and didn’t see her as up to the job.
But this kind of thing was pretty normal for Irene, so she didn’t take it to heart. She introduced herself with a professional air.
“Mr. Campbell, I know my reputation isn’t as prominent as Mr. Drake’s, but everyone has their own specialty. He focuses on criminal defense, while I’ve handled far more divorce cases. In this area, my experience is actually deeper than his.”
As she spoke, Irene pulled out the documents she’d prepared in advance and handed them over to Martin.
“You can take a look; these are some of the divorce cases I’ve handled over the past few years. Sure, none of them were as high–stakes as yours, but some of them were pretty challenging,” she said.
I’ve been in this business for five years, and I haven’t lost a single divorce case,” Irene added.
“Before I came here, I already went through your case file in detail. If I didn’t think I had at least a 90% shot at winning, I wouldn’t have taken it. As you know, for us lawyers, our track record really matters,” she explained
“Of course, the choice is yours. I just hope you’ll give me a chance. If, after getting to know me, you still don’t think I’m the right fit, we won’t stand in your way if you want to switch lawyers,” Irene said.
Irene laid it all out, clear, straightforward, her tone calm and confident
With Irene having laid everything out so clearly, there was no need for Ethan to step in and say more for her
Ethan looked at Martin earnestly, “Mr. Campbell, we’ve worked together before. Choosing Drake Law Firm proves your trust. I wouldn’t risk my reputation, and if I brought Irene here, it’s because I trust her abilities and judgment completely
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Chapter 177
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“And just like Ms. Perry said, it goes both ways. If you still want to switch law firms, I totally respect that,” Ethan added.
“Since we’re already here, think of it as killing time, or a courtesy for the trouble of coming all this way. Why not review the materials Irene brought? If you still don’t feel confident afterward, we’ll leave immediately,” Ethan said.
Ethan had already been more than polite about it.
He was a big name in the legal world; people were always lining up to hire him, and he never had to worry about clients.
After all, someone like Ethan, born with a silver spoon in his mouth, had connections everywhere. Cases were never in short supply for him.
The only reason he bothered to come all the way here this time was just to bring Irene along.
He knew his own thoughts perfectly well; he just wasn’t willing to admit them.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
