Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Two weeks ago, Maxine was curled up in agony from cramps, firing off a couple of whiny texts to Sebastian about how much it sucked.
When she met him for lunch later, she spotted a heating pad in his car. Her heart did a little happy dance, thinking maybe Sebastian actually had her
back.
But just as she was getting all warm and fuzzy, expecting him to hand it over with some cute gesture, she saw that same heating pad on Kathleen by the
afternoon.
And Kathleen? She had the nerve to waltz up to Maxine, practically shoving it in her face, bragging about Sebastian’s sweet side.
“Maxine, you’re always griping that Sebastian’s oblivious, but I don’t know,” Kathleen said with a smug grin. “I just mentioned my stomach was acting up yesterday, and bam–today he rolls up with this heating pad.
“Oh, and you look like hell, girl. You good?”
that.
The second Maxine saw that heating pad, her whole world just crumbled. Back home, she laid into Sebastian, demanding why he’d pull something like
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“You’re a married man!” she’d snapped. “Don’t you think you should keep other women at arm’s length?”
But Sebastian just shot her an icy look, saying she was being gross, that Kathleen was just a friend. Kathleen was just a friend, he insisted–practically family, he claimed.
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Maxine wasn’t buying that crap. If that was true, Kathleen wouldn’t keep strutting up to her, rubbing it in her face like some smug queen bee.
Sebastian called her ridiculous, refusing to explain, and they’d been stuck in a cold war ever since.
“Maxine, what’s your problem now?” Sebastian growled, his patience shot. “I told you, she’s just a friend. Why do you keep twisting it into something sleazy?”
“You know damn well what’s going on,” Maxine fired back, her voice sharp as she closed her eyes to shut him out.
The hospital room fell into a heavy silence, thick enough to choke on. After a moment, Sebastian noticed her pale face and reached for her forehead. “You feeling okay?”
She dodged his hand. “I’m fine,” she muttered. “Just beat.”
He hesitated, then pulled back, setting a phone on the bedside table. “Get some rest. Call a nurse if you need anything.”
As he turned to leave, he added, “You’re hurt, so I’ll let this slide.”
Maxine stayed quiet until the door shut with a soft click. Only then did she
reach for her phone, flipping it open to see-
One swipe, and the screen lit up–over thirty missed calls staring back at
Before she could even scroll through them, it rang again. Alton Legal Firm. They’d been after her for months, ever since she’d impressed them on a joint case. Their offer was solid–better pay, bigger cases, international prestige.
The hitch? Their main office was halfway across the globe. Taking the job meant trading courtrooms for airport lounges.
Maxine was a civil lawyer, but lately, she’d beer knee–deep in divorce cases. Career–wise, Alton was the golden ticket–better gigs, brighter future. She’d said no before–for Brian, thinking it was some big, heartfelt sacrifice.
Now, that just felt like a dumb move.
She picked up, and the guy on the other end was practically bouncing. “Ms. Hudson, you answered! Look, about the job, we’re begging you to rethink it.
1/2
Chapter 2
We want you bad-”
“I’m in,” she cut in.
“Whoa, what?” He sounded like she’d just yanked the rug out from under him. Then he laughed. “No kidding? That’s awesome!”
He kept going, like he was scared she’d bolt. “Don’t worry, we’ll pay you right, benefits and all. Oh, and there’s a women’s rights case on the table–your kinda thing. You can run point.”
“Cool,” Maxine said, all business. “Send me the details. I’m wrapping up a sexual assault case, so I’ll need to finish that before I start.”
“No problemo,” he said. “Just heads–up, the case needs to be wrapped by the 25th of next month.”
“I’m good.”
Call done, her phone pinged–a new email. A labor contract, ready for her to skim and sign.
She gave it a quick once–over, shot back a reply, and that was that.
Exhausted, she crashed hard, sinking into a deep sleep.
When she woke, it was dark outside. A bedside lamp cast a soft glow, catching a middle–aged woman puttering around in the corner–total stranger.
“Who’re you?” Maxine asked, brow furrowed.
The woman turned, flashing a warm smile. “Oh, you’re up! I’m the nurse Mr. Masonhired to look after you.” She stepped closer. “Feeling peckish? I’ve got porridge if you want some.”
Maxine nodded. “Sure.” Then she remembered. “Oh, and can you sort out my discharge papers for tomorrow morning?”
The nurse hesitated. “That’s kinda quick, no?”
Maxine shook her head. “I’ve got it under control.”
The nurse stepped out, looking uneasy. A minute later, she was back with a phone. “Ma’am, Mr. Hudson wants a word.”
Maxine’s gut twisted. She wasn’t exactly itching to chat with Sebastian. But he’d hired the nurse, so it made sense she’d be his eyes and ears.
She sighed and grabbed the phone. “Hey, what’s up?”
