Chapter 22
Maxine was pushed into the office by Patrick, and with the door closed, her face turned stiff and cold.
Much calmer now, she said mechanically, “I’m sorry, Mr. Delgado. I shouldn’t have caused a scene.”
Back when she first started in the industry, Patrick was like a mentor to her, teaching her a lot of things. Thus, Maxine had always been grateful for his help.
Patrick sighed. “Maxine, you’re just too stubborn. You’re not cut out for being a lawyer. I saw your resignation letter; I didn’t reply because it pained me to let you go. With your talents, if you were just a bit more flexible, you’d be thriving in this field!”
Maxine exhaled silently, trembling. “Mr. Delgado, you know me well. You should know that I can’t do it. You want me to turn a blind eye to vanna’s case and swallow this half–cooked meal?
“To watch criminals run free while victims are left to suffer? No way.”
Hearing Maxine’s trembling voice, Patrick showed some sympathy on his face.
He’d been in the business for over thirty years and had seen many lawyers like Maxine.
But in the end, they all disappeared without a trace.
Some switched careers or couldn’t continue as lawyers after pissing someone off.
Others vanished completely; no one knew if they were alive or dead.
Patrick looked at her intently and said seriously, “Maxine, are you really going to stick with this until the end?”
Maxine nodded without hesitation. “Yes, even if I can’t be a lawyer anymore because of this and have to pay a heavy price for it—I’ll still do it!”
After a moment of silence, Patrick pulled out an envelope from his drawer and handed it to Maxine.
Maxine hesitated before taking it. She opened it, and her expression changed slightly. “This is—”
Inside were two surveillance photos.
“These are from the night of Ivanna’s sexual assault case when she went to Gabriel’s Espinoza Villa.” Patrick paused briefly before lowering his voice
further.
“I secretly saved these photos when Kathleen was about to destroy evidence upon closing the case. They’re… the only evidence left.”
Maxine’s hands trembled as tears filled her eyes instantly.
She hesitated, glancing at Patrick, but ultimately swallowed her words.
Maxine had wanted to ask if Patrick also hoped to see vanna’s case overturned, her innocence vindicated, and the truth
She wanted to ask if Patrick would join her in seeking justice.
But she held back.
She understood that this was the only help Patrick could offer her.
She shouldn’t drag innocent people into the fire any further.
Maxine carefully placed the photos in her handbag, said a formal goodbye to Patrick, and added, “Mr. Delgado, unless something unexpected happens, I won’t be coming back.
09:09
Wed, 18 Jun
Chapter 22
“We never had this conversation, and you never gave me anything
Her face showed quiet determination.
She returned the file bag to Patrick, saying, “Take care”
With that, Maxine turned and left swiftly.
Watching her back, Patrick remained silent for a long time before sighing silently and tossing the fie bag into the shredder
As Maxine exited the office, she saw Kathleen peeking into the office from not far away.
She paused mid–step, her icy gaze meeting Kathleen’s, which immediately made her feel uneasy. Kathleen pursed her lips, turned away, and went abonet her own business.
Maxine narrowed her eyes slightly, deep in thought. ‘Something’s off about Kathleen.
‘The fact that she lost the case and destroyed evidence is one thing, but from the way Patrick lowered his voice while showing me the seRVERS just now, he must be afraid of someone.
“And now Kathleen is acting so sneakily. So, Patrick is afraid of… Her?‘
