EMPIRE: The Rise of A Queen

Chapter 5

Dear diary

This past week has been so weird, chaotic, infuriating and yet it was amazing. I’m sure this weekend would not come short of that. But I’m getting ahead of myself, let’s start at the beginning. I was just getting settled in my office when Henry walked in…

*MEMORY*

”Come on, big case. It’s all hands on deck.” He said and hit the door frame a few times before walking away to another office and doing it over and over again until everyone was gathered in the bullpen. Everyone were looking over to the stairs, were all the partners were now standing.

”So everyone that’s without an immediate case will put all of their time into this case.” Mr Long said, his voice was filled with so much power. Which was surprising for a that’s only 5.2 but I guess that’s a part of what makes him such a good lawyer.

”And all of you that can put your cases on hold for a few weeks will do so. If you can get the client to agree to a settlement, you settle.” Hilary ordered and there were a few nods and scrambling with paper as a response. The third partner was the only one that I hadn’t met yet, Mr Reacher. He just stood there with his arms crossed and watched the crowd of lawyers beneath him. Like he was looking for something, or someone.

”Okay, Kyle we need you to take all of the people you have and go over all the facts and evidence. There is nothing that’s too small or irrelevant to mark. Melissa, your departementet is going to talk to neighbors, friends, trace their steps and talk to anyone you come across. Henry, you and the rest of the crime gang is taking lead. You’ll be doing the interviews, cross-examinations and meetings with the justice department.” Mr Long said and everyone just nodded but looking at their faces you could see the mass confusion.

”The senior associates will brief everyone and hand out assignments. Let’s get to work people!” Hilary said with power before walking back upstairs with the other partners. I looked around for Henry and found him over by his office, it looked like he was waiting for the crowd to dissolve.

”Anyone knows what the case is?” One of the other associates that stood next to asked.

”I overheard the senior associates this morning about some lady being accused for murder. No idea who though.” Another guy said, this peaked my interests so I took out my phone and went over my usual news sites and my mind went into a spin.

”Oh s**t. Look at this guys. Mr Reacher’s son-in-law was killed last night and the only one that the cops are looking at right now is his daughter, Olivia.”

”Wow, that’s why it’s all hands on deck.” The guy said. Chatter about the case started to travel around the room but it got silent when Henry spoke.

”Okay, I don’t care about what plans you have for tonight, tomorrow or for the next weeks. I own you for this case and yes, this case is about Olivia Morton. Mr Reacher’s daughter. Alyssa, Malachi and Michael, you are handling all the open cases at the moment. See it as a temporary promotion. You make decisions and I don’t want to be bothered with questions or s**t like that. Got it?” The three he was talking to nodded and walked off to their offices. ”If anyone has a case, hand it over to any of them at the end of the day. Clark is on phone duty, all calls about other cases or new clients go through you now. Kendra, Liam and I are going to be in conference two with the client and conduct primary interviews. Will and Trent are going to be middle men, going between the department and collecting their findings. You will put all the piece together and present what you can to help our client out of this. Come on people, let’s get to work.” Henry clapped his hands for effect.

*END OF MEMORY*

So that was the first hour of my second day, one hundred percent chaotic. People were running around like crazy, there was papers all over every single table in the building. Mr Reacher were watching us like a hawk and that made talking to Olivia the way I wanted to a little harder but thanks to Maya I had a new spell that gave me the time I needed. Plus Henry was kissing ass enough that he was.. be preoccupied.

*MEMORY*

Mr Reacher was mumbling not so pretty words as he walked out of the room and shaking the water off his hands. Henry was walking after like a little puppy. Liam was writing things down on the board so he wasn’t really noticing me and Olivia.

”Okay, Olivia I know things are weird right now but you need to tell us everything before turning yourself in. That is the only way that we can beat this.” I told her honestly, looking at her so she could tell that I was trustworthy.

”I already told you everything.” She began to say but we both knew that wasn’t the truth.

”Your father’s gone for at least another three minutes. Whatever you don’t want him to know you can tell me. I won't tell him.” Once again I did my best to get her to trust me.

”Promise?” Olivia asked and then I knew that she was about to tell me something important.

”Yes, I promise.” I told her and settled in my chair, ready to listen to her.

”He was having an affair. Last year, we were going through a dry spell and.. Anyway, it ended a few months ago and she has been calling and she even came by the house last week. I just don’t want my dad to think less of him, to think less of the father to our son.” Olivia held her hands to her stomach, she wasn’t showing yet. She couldn’t have been more than a few weeks along.

”I won't tell him. But we need to look into this woman, do you have a name?” I took a piece of paper and a pen and was ready to give me the name.

”Ashley Vancamp. She was his intern.. the classics you know. Never gets old.” She half laughed and half sobbed at it.

”Thank you Olivia. I will keep this between us and our researcher.” Olivia was about to protest but I didn’t let her. ”You can trust her, she is discreet and really good.” And as on que Mr Reacher and Henry came back in to the room.

”Olivia, it’s time. The detective and justice department is on their way up. We will have you out as soon as they are done questioning you. Henry will follow you and sit in. Don’t speak unless he tells you to speak.” Mr Reacher said and gestured to Henry as if he hadn’t been around at all this morning.

”Can’t I have Kendra?” Olivia asked in response, something that made me smile until I saw the look on Henry’s face.

”Oh Olivia no. Henry is way more experienced than me, plus I need to stay here to go through everything.” I gave her a look that said that I was going to check out that Ashley girl.

”Oh, right. Okay.” Henry looked both angry that she wanted me over him but also happy that I turned her down.

*END OF MEMORY*

And that was when the weird part started to get even weirder. I never thought a day could have so many ups and downs. But I had to put my own feelings aside to do my job and to clear my clients name.

*MEMORY*

I could hear the elevator opening on our floor and the footsteps of five or six people came closer for every second. I looked up and saw as two uniform police officers, followed by a man I assumed was the detective and then my heart stopped. Two men from the justice walked at the end and one of them took my breath away. Marcel. I almost forgot he worked for the justice for a second. The morning had been so chaotic that I didn’t have the time to think of anything else than Olivia and to prove her innocent. Marcel being there was not going to rattle me, I wasn’t going to let him.

”Olivia Fulcom, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to speak to an attorney and to have an attorney present during questioning. If you cannot afford an attorney one will be provided for you at government expense.” The officer told Olivia her rights as the walked down the hall.

”I’m her lawyer. I’ll follow in a car behind. Olivia, don’t say a word.” Henry said and walked after them. The officers along with Henry and Olivia walked towards the elevator while Marcel and his colleague, that I think was the assistant attorney Mr Welsh.

”Mr Reacher, I’m sorry but this is what we had to do. If she’s innocent it will come out.” Mr Welsh told Reacher and held out a hand for him to shake and he took it. They walked into Mr Reachers office to talk undisturbed. Marcel was still standing there, in the hallway. A few feet from me.

”Miss Lewis.” He said with a million dollar smile on his face.

”Mr Walden.” I said back with a blush before continuing. ”I’m not sure that tonight is such a good night. With this case.. I don’t think I’m getting home until.. in a few days.” I thought he was gonna be upset but he just kept smiling.

”It’s okay, This weekend?” He asked.

”I’m moving into my new apartment this weekend. Sorry.” I felt bad having to turn him down.

”Hey, it’s not your fault. Just call me and we can set something up.” I could hear that he was a little disappointed but he kept a smile on his face.

”Ye..” I didn’t get to answer before s voice inside to room called on me.

”Kendra, come check this out.” It was Liam.

”Sorry” I mouthed before walking back into the conference room and closing the door behind me. I could see him walk away through the glass door.

”If he turns around, he likes you.” I told myself over and over again and right before he rounded the corner he turned around.

*END OF MEMORY*

From that moment things did take a turn for the better or at least it felt like it. Me and Wanda were looking into Ashley and she had an restraining order from a few years back that we thought might give us something. At the end of the day I realized that I hadn’t eaten anything all day. And that’s when he showed up.

*MEMORY*

There was a knock on the conference door, it was only me left on that floor and maybe one or two in the bullpen so I wondered who it was. I looked up and my heart skipped a beat and I was washed over by adoration. Standing there with two bags of chinese food in his hands was Marcel. I stood up and walked over to the door, opening it.

”Marcel, what are you doing here?” I asked surprised and so happy to see his face.

”Well I figured you hadn’t eaten anything today so.” Marcel said as he held up the bags of food.

”You know me so well already. Thank you.” She smiled at him before looking around the room realizing that there was paper all over the room, papers that she didn’t want the opposition to see. ”Let’s eat over here.” She said, closing the door behind her and walking to another conference room. ”So what did you get?” She asked once he put the bags down on the table.

”Well I wasn’t sure what you liked so I got a little of everything.” He said and took the boxes out of the bags.

”Nice, orange chicken and spring rolls. My favourites, noodles with mushroom too. Did you get the soy and sweet sour sauce?” She asked as she roamed through the boxes and bags.

”Yeah, it should be in there somewhere.” He said and helped her look for them. ”Here.” He picked them up from one of the boxes and placed them in front of her.

”You are amazing, did you know that?” I said and I couldn’t help but smile. Whenever I was around him I had to smile, I couldn’t do anything about it.

”Well I try.” He smirked at me, making me blush in response.

”So since we can’t talk about work, how about family?” Marcel suggested.

”Maybe interests instead?” I countered with, family had always been a sore subject with me since mom died.

”Sensitive subject, I get it. Say no more. So do you often fall when you are around water or?” Him bringing up the way they met only made me laugh at the memory.

”Ha! No, the waves are a little stronger here than they are back home.” At least I had an excuse for my lack of grace.

”Back home? Where are you from than?” Marcel asked.

”I’m actually born here but I’ve lived in Europe for eighteen years and just moved back.” I told him and that only made him more curious.

”Wow, why Europe? Where in Europe?” He asked while he stuffer his mouth full with noodles.

”My parents got a research opportunity in Sweden when I was six so. But we just moved back. But enough about me. What do you do when you’re not locking people in or saving clumsy girls at the beach?” It made me feel self conscious to have so much focus on me.

”Not much, I play a little piano, surf and run. And with that I just realized how boring I must sound.” He his his face in his hands.

”No! I always wanted to learn an instrument as a kid but I never had the time.” I said honestly and him being artistic only made him even more attractive to me.

”Maybe I can teach you sometime?” His words made my heart skip a beat, I started imagine his hands on mine over the keys.

”I’d like that.”

*END OF MEMORY*

That went on for about an hour until we both realized how late it was because of the cleaners around the place. Marcel put away the food while I gathered all the papers that I had thrown around the other conference room earlier. I put them into the boxes on the floor and put the folder with the information about Ashley in my bag. I had promised Olivia not to tell anyone else about it and I was keeping it for as long as I could. I took the box in my arms with my bag over it took it to my office. Of course Marcel being the gentleman he is, he asked to help. But it was confidential information on them and he was the opposition no matter how handsome he was.

Once I got downstairs and into my office I put the box down and did an embarrassing happy dance. I don’t know why but it felt like something I had to do. Marcel had come to me with food cause he was worried that I hadn’t eaten anything today, how sweet can a person be. I couldn’t complain about the start I had gotten in LA and it was about to get even better.

*MEMORY*

Once I reached the elevators I found that beautiful smile waiting for me.

”You didn’t have to wait for me you know?” I said but he just smiled at me.

”But I wanted to.” He said and pushed the button to open the elevator doors.

”Okay then.” I said and walked in as soon as they opened.

”Do you need a ride home or?” Marcel asked as he pushed the button for the garage.

”No, I got a car. Thanks for the offer though.” I smiled at him, when his eyes found mine it felt like I was melting.

Just at that moment the elevators shook, the lights blinked before going out and everything got quiet and stopped moving. The emergency lights soon came on with a faint light in the small room. It showed off features on Marcel’s face that I hadn’t really seen before and that was when I realized that I was falling for the man in front of me. His sweet and sexy voice brought me back to reality.

”Kendra, are you okay?” He asked while checking my body for injuries.

”I’m fine, just shook. How are you?”

”No I’m okay.” We stood there making sure that the other was not hurt and just putting on a brave face.

”So.. how do we get out of here? Getting someone out here at nine am will take a while.” I joked but still wanted a way out of here.

”I might have an idea.” Marcel said and the way he said it made my mind see all kinds of crazy ways to escape this small space.

”Care to enlighten me? And I’m saying it now, no one is climbing through the roof  hatch or anything crazy. Okay?” I said seriously but he just laughed at me.

”I promise it doesn’t involve any climbing or dangerous acts.” His smirk made me curious as to what his plan was.

”Good.” We locked eyes and I couldn’t help but smile. ”So tell me already. What’s the plan?”

”What do we have that normasas don’t?” He said a word that I recognized but it took awhile for me to remember it.

”Normasas? Oh, right. Non magical things.” He just gave me a look as in I should get what his plan was and then it hit me. ”Magic! Oh, I’m embarrassed that I didn’t think of that myself.”

”It’s okay, so take my hands.” He said as he held out his hands for me to take, I did as he said. ”Focus on the energy that’s building in our hands and repeat after me. Ngalih alon-alon.” He said the spell slowly so I could get the pronunciation right. We said it together a few times before I could feel the elevator slowly move again. We kept chanting until we could hear the elevator hit the bottom on the elevator shaft. And there we stood, holding hands, heavy breathing, beating hearts and longing looks. It felt like minutes that we just stood there. Doing magic together changed something inside me, I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was but it couldn’t be anything less than for the better. I was so lost in my thoughts that I hadn’t noticed that his hands were no longer holding mine, but one was on my waist and the other on the side of my face. His face was so close to me that I could feel his breath on my face.

*END OF MEMORY*