Chapter Seven
Five Months Later
Jarrod’s feet crunched the gravel as he ran under the cherry blossoms along the Mall. Today was going to be a good day. He could feel it in the fresh dew still hanging in the early morning air. The breeze curling around him and dancing through the trees carried the scent of money. Not only would today’s bonus allow him to retire next year, but the trial that had consumed his waking moments for the better part of the last nine months was finally, truly over. The plaintiffs had lost their appeal, and a four a.m. email from the plaintiff’s legal team informed him that they wouldn’t be appealing to a higher court. Nothing tasted quite so sweet as a hard-fought victory.
Alexis had been stellar in court, her arguments airtight. At one point, he even thought his
