Page 68 of Trials of a One Night Stand
“I’ve never been startled in court.” Although I have a good idea Oliver has been feeding lies to his stepfather. The question is why. “Who told you I was?”
“Who told me doesn’t matter. Make sure you act like you’ve got Zentello nailed, even if you don’t. And don’t be seen again with Nate Lowe. You can always just walk away from him if he comes close to you.”
“What about being polite?” I snap.
“Don’t be nice. Focus and fucking crush him.”
A weight presses down on me. Crush him? Suddenly, morning sickness isn’t the worst thing happening in my day. This sounds way more personal than just being about Zentello. “I need to get going so I’m not late.”
“Just remember what I said.” The line clicks dead.
This isn’t how I wanted to start my day. After I dry my hair, the phone rings again. My breath catches in my throat until I look at the screen. Not Nate.
I sigh. “Hello, Lucas. Did you need something this morning?”
“Yes.” His voice is tight. “I spoke to the board last night.”
This might be good news. I’m not one for superstitions, but I cross my fingers on my free hand just in case. “Do they want to settle?”
Lucas half laughs. “No. We want to go for it.”
Huh? I stare at the phone as if I can gain clarity, but I don’t. “I don’t understand.”
“Compensation and the rights to Orchid aren’t enough for what they’ve done to us. We want all of Zentello.”
My heart drops. That’s…ridiculous. I take a breath, wanting to take my time to consider the right words to say. Ones that have nothing to do with my involvement with Nate. I’m Sugar Valley’s counsel, and I need to look out for their best interests. “I would strongly advise against doing that.”
“You’re doing an excellent job, Jayne. Today should seal our win.”
“Zentello’s evidence is strong.” I deposed their top scientist questions. Every word could be backed up with data or reports, often both. I can’t say the same for Sugar Valley’s technical team.
“Are you saying you can’t win?” He sounds like he’s spitting at his phone. “You told me you could, and if you’ve changed your mind, tell me now. Although I don’t think Jason will be happy with that. Do you?”
“No, I’m sure he won’t. I also don’t think he’ll be happy about us continuing a case we know we can’t win. If you ask for the compensation and rights to Orchid, we still have a good chance. You have no substance for asking for the whole company or an even bigger payout.” I take a steady breath. “That’s my professional opinion on what is most achievable.”
But even then, they seem to be a bunch of cheating bastards.
“A good chance,” he repeats with disdain. “That’s not good enough. You need to be positive we’ll win. If you can’t give me that guarantee, I’ll suggest Oliver take the lead chair.”
What the fuck? Heat rushes up my neck. No way will I let that little shit take the lead chair away from me. I also won’t be manipulated into doing something I know is morally wrong. Even if Sugar Valley developed Orchid first, the prize certainly shouldn’t be the whole of Zentello. What they want isn’t commensurate with their claim. Not in the slightest.
“Mr. Matthews.” I use my most serious tone, the one I learned during mock trial speaking to the judge. “I won’t be manipulated into doing something that is bad for you as my client. What you want and what I believe you’ll receive and deserve are two different things. Zentello has a strong argument with clear evidence, whereas we are working on hearsay, supposition, and some jotted notes that you claim are the first formula for Orchid. If you want to hire a new lawyer, that’s your choice, but I can assure you that any lawyer with exceptional professionalism will recommend the same course of action.”
The line goes silent.
I have no idea what he’s thinking, but the longer the silence continues, the more I know I’m winning. That’s a relief because I need to eat some crackers before I head out, and I’d rather not waste my time having a drawn-out disagreement with him.
Lucas sighs heavily. I take that as his surrender and smile.
“Think about what we want, Jayne.” His tone is harsh. “You can let me know if you still want to represent us when you arrive at the courthouse.”
He hangs up on me, and I disconnect from the call.
“Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck.”
I have no clue how the hell I’ll win them what they want. It’s an eleventh-hour ask on our final morning of witnesses and something I haven’t prepped for. Worse, it’s a morally corrupt request that will affect and hurt every employee at Zentello, especially Nate.
Nathaniel.
