The Royal Contract

"What happened to you? Jacky said that you were in a sort of accident. Are you sure you are ok?" Gerald fired away his questions as he showed a bit of concern when he walked into her office.

He had wondered why she did not show up in their deposition this morning. Jacky was a bit vagued in her explanation for her absence. But he did not push for more, hearing that no harm happened to her in the incident.

"It was nothing. I don't want to bore you with the details." She reasoned as she stood from her chair to welcome him to her office. 

She offered him a seat on the available chair while she returned to her own.

"Whatever happened, I am sure that it might have been important. But I won't push you if you don't feel like sharing it." He would eventually find out about it, whether it came from her or some other source.

"Anyway, I'm sorry about this morning. I will make sure to make up for it on the next one." She knew she owed him one. She was glad that he was not mad or disappointed with her.

She had completely forgotten about her meeting with Gerald and the other party today. Jacky had to remind her at the last minute, but it was too late for her to meet with them. 

She had no choice but to send her excuses. Besides, she did not feel right to leave the boy until she had a concrete plan for dealing with his case.

"Well, about that. Would you mind coming with me tomorrow night for a dinner meeting? I think Mr. Bradshaw is starting to see reason. He wants to talk with us." Gerald inquired as he made himself comfortable in his seat.

He narrated what happened at the meeting earlier. And how the other party had no counter with their discoveries. And then the call he had received afterward. 

He believed that the other party was starting to feel the pressure. So far, they were gaining ground on their investigations, finding more bullets against their opponents.

If they kept up searching for evidence, he was sure they could dig up more. It was a matter of time before they would eventually give in, if not yet now.

"Wow, that is great news." She expressed her excitement, knowing what the dinner could mean. "Well, if they do decide to take our offer." She toned down her enthusiasm since it was not yet a sure thing. 

Although she could foresee that they were already at the upper hand unless the other side had a few more cards left under their sleeves. She was guaranteed success in their fight against them.

"Even if they don't accept it, we still have a solid case against them. So, I thought we might as well see what Mr. Bradshaw wants to discuss later." Gerald informed her. 

He just hoped that Dani was currently fine and available to join him. It would be better if they showed a united front. It might intimidate them and finally, concede with what they want.

Ending the case in an amicable settlement had always been better for both parties. It saved time and energy compared to pursuing a tiresome, long trial that would cost substantial money and take years before an outcome.

"I think that is a good idea. If you believe my presence would be relevant, and then I am more than happy to join you." She could not turn his boss down, especially when there was a possibility that they might win this case earlier than they expected.

She could finally concentrate on her wedding preparations and cut down her responsibilities in the firm in the meantime. Just until she was married to Alex.

Besides, she also wanted to look into the situation of Jeremy. She knew that it would not be an easy case. She could already expect the red tapes, corruptions, and the many cover-ups around this issue.

"Then, it is a date." He said. "I meant I'll be seeing you tomorrow." He quickly clarified, recovering from his slip up. He did not want to frighten her away by prematurely declaring his feelings for her.

He knew she was not ready to hear it from him. She was still very much in love with Alex. He could not match against him right now, not in her heart, anyway.

He stood up from his position, preparing himself to leave. He had already taken much of Dani's time. He was sure that she still had many on her plate to do for the rest of the day.

"Of course. I'll mark it now in my calendar." She assured him that it was all set. She would be there this time.

She was still guilty that she had abandoned her boss in a crucial meeting. But she was glad that it still went well. She had already promised to make up for it, so she would do her best to help him during dinner.

"Do you want us to go together, or should I just text you the location?" He followed up. He would like the former, but he could settle to see her and spend time with her during dinner.

They might not be alone together in the restaurant, but at least she would be there dining with him. He could not ask for more for now. He still hoped that eventually, she would notice him as a perfect match for her.

"I think it would be best if I see you there. I still have several errands to do tomorrow, so I don't want to keep you waiting. But I promise to be present on time." She responded, still clueless to the true feelings of her boss about her.

If she had known about his feelings, she would have kept her distance. She might have forgotten about the project she was working on with him.

She did not want to give him false promises. Because she was very much in love with the man she was going to marry very soon.. She would not want him to pursue a hopeless case.