"How did you two run into each other?!"
Sherry Walsh had stayed at her parents’ house last night and had the day off today.
Thanks to her biological clock, she woke up before nine and then lay in bed, scrolling on her phone for two hours.
When she heard Noah Sterling’s words, she practically shot out of bed!
’It’s Saturday. How could they have possibly t?’
"Yes, there was a case. A number of colleagues were called over this morning to discuss it, and unfortunately, I ran into your father."
Noah Sterling’s tone was filled with obvious sarcasm as he spoke.
"Ha... What did my dad say to you?"
Sherry laughed awkwardly.
She knew Veridia was a small city, and that lawyers in the sa field were bound to cross paths. Still, she hadn’t expected it to happen so soon.
"I figured that since we’re supposed to be a couple, I should take the initiative and say hello to your father. I didn’t expect him to just ignore . Then, for the rest of the eting, every ti he looked at , he glared as if he wanted to eat alive—like I’d done sothing to personally offend him."
Noah spoke at a deliberate pace, his tone still dripping with sarcasm.
He figured Sherry Walsh must have set him up.
"It’s a misunderstanding, just a little one," Sherry explained. "It’s mostly between and my parents. Things will be fine once I clear it up with them. You can just ignore my dad."
"If I’m not mistaken, this misunderstanding between you and your parents involves . Since I’m the one being wronged, don’t I at least have a right to know what’s going on?" Noah added, "At least let know what I’m being condemned for."
Truthfully, Sherry didn’t want to get on Noah Sterling’s bad side.
He ca from a humble background and shot to fa years ago after winning a landmark self-defense case.
A handso, young, and accomplished man from humble beginnings, he beca a voice for the powerless and single-handedly forced the legal community to redefine self-defense.
And so on.
All these accolades earned him a huge online following.
As he matured over the years, he had also achieved a high standing within Veridia’s legal circle.
The law firm he founded was the number one Red Circle firm in Veridia.
The starting salary at other Red Circle firms was ten thousand yuan a month. But Noah’s firm, wanting to attract top talent, raised its starting salary to twenty thousand. That’s how his firm secured its present-day status.
More importantly...
The lie she’d told her father required Noah Sterling’s cooperation.
"It’s just... I told my father about your relationship with Jane Jenkins."
Sherry sat leaning against the headboard, her legs crossed.
"My relationship with Jane Jenkins?"
Noah Sterling frowned.
"Look, us pretending to be a couple isn’t a long-term plan. We were going to have to find a way to break up eventually. And it just so happens that your first love, your old fla, is still hung up on you, and you’ve obviously not gotten over her either..."
"Wait a second."
"...So I seized the opportunity and told my parents you had your heart set on soone else..."
"Wait a second."
"And that I’ve decided to step aside to let you two be together..."
"Sherry Walsh, can you just stop for a second!"
Noah finally lost his patience and raised his voice.
The other end of the line finally fell silent.
Once he was sure Sherry had stopped talking, he spoke. "Who told you I’m still hung up on Jane Jenkins?"
"Is it not obvious? After I went off on Jane Jenkins yesterday, you called right away. Weren’t you just scared I’d sue her? Maybe you haven’t realized it yourself, but you will in ti. An action like that is called ’being unable to let go’."
’Sherry was convinced Noah just couldn’t let go.’
’She’d slept on it and figured it out: all n were basically the sa. They all liked the soft, delicate type who could stir their protective instincts.’
The line went quiet for a mont.
Sherry could clearly hear Noah let out a long sigh on the other end.
"Where are you?"
Noah asked her.
"? I’m at my parents’," Sherry said casually. "I bought a really good pastry from a trendy new place yesterday, so I brought so over for them and ended up staying the night."
"Okay. I’ll be dropping your father ho in a little while. I’ll pick you up for lunch then, so get ready."
Noah’s tone was firm, leaving no room for discussion.
"Huh?! Wait, why would you bring my dad ho? I already told him we’re breaking up! If you take out to lunch after that, how am I supposed to explain it to them?"
Sherry was completely lost.
"So why should I be the one to take the fall and be labeled a scumbag?" Noah said. "Veridia’s legal circle is small, and your father is a highly respected man. If he’s convinced I’m a scumbag, how am I supposed to defend my reputation?"
"You’re a celebrity lawyer! You’re handso! There are plenty of won who’d love to marry you. They wouldn’t care in the slightest if your heart belongs to soone else," Sherry said. "Besides, you could just marry Jane Jenkins, you know."
"I’m giving you two choices. In a little while, I’m going to see your father. Option one: I tell him this is all a misunderstanding and that we’ve already made plans for lunch. Option two: I tell him we were never dating in the first place—that you were sick of your parents forcing you on blind dates and begged to be your fake boyfriend to trick them."
Noah spoke quickly, but every word was crystal clear.
"Damn it! How could you do this!"
On the other end of the line, Sherry was so furious she balled her hand into a fist and slamd it against her leg.
"You can’t be a lawyer if you play nice."
Noah said.
Sherry closed her eyes. She decided she had to go to this lunch.
’Because there was no way she was going to take this humiliation lying down!’
"Fine. Okay. Co pick up. Call when you’re close, and I’ll co down."
With that, Sherry promptly hung up.
She refused to hear another word from Noah.
anwhile, on Noah’s end, the eting was wrapping up.
Noah had been invited by Justin Jennings, a prominent businessman in Veridia.
He had acquired a plot of land from the Vance Group a few years ago for a residential developnt. But when they broke ground this month, they discovered it was a toxic site where industrial waste had been buried, making it unsuitable for housing.
That’s why he was assembling a team of lawyers to file a lawsuit.
He had even engaged overseas contacts to begin investigating the Vance Group’s international assets.
Today’s eting was just a preliminary briefing to get everyone up to speed.
The eting adjourned.
Noah Sterling quickly walked up to Mr. Walsh.
Mr. Walsh had been laughing and chatting with soone, but his expression imdiately soured the mont he saw Noah approach.
Those nearby had already picked up on the subtle tension between the two.
The atmosphere imdiately grew tense.
Oblivious to the change in atmosphere, Noah smiled and said, "Uncle Walsh, are you heading ho? Allow to give you a ride."
Uncle Walsh.
They were all colleagues, and there were many ways to address one another.
There were formal titles like "Mr. X" or professional ones like "Counselor" or "Partner."
Such a familiar form of address was rare.
Unless the two people were very close.
Mr. Walsh’s expression grew even stormier.
He assud Sherry hadn’t yet made things clear to Noah, and that the young man was simply unaware of the situation.
"That’s not necessary..."
"Uncle Walsh, Sherry and I have already discussed it. I’m going to drop you off at ho, and then I’m taking her out for lunch."
Noah’s smile was wide, even slightly ingratiating.
"Uncle Walsh," "Sherry," "taking her out for lunch."
Hearing these words, the people nearby seed to put two and two together.
’Isn’t that just a father-in-law and his son-in-law?’
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