The Royal Contract

Chapter 1269: Respect for their friendship

The place was swarming with young executives who seemed to be celebrating something. Usually, the bar was subtle and quiet. But not tonight.

He seldom went out with friends during his younger days. He had to mature earlier than most of his friends because, unlike them, he had no parents he could depend on. He had no inheritance to fall back on.

"One beer." He raised his hand to the bartender as he sat his ass on the only available stool before the bar counter.

He had to earn everything he had and work hard to be where he was today. It had never been easy, but he managed. He had achieved his dream in just a few years.

Somewhat, he had made a name for himself in the industry. He could say he was one of the finest lawyers in the business, if not the absolute best.

"Hey! I know you." A young man stood beside him as he also ordered his drink. "You are the one replacing Gerald. Adam, right?" He turned to him with a cordial smile.

"Guilty." He did not see the point of denying it. News as big as that could spread like wildfire.

Many much more qualified than him probably applied for the job, but for reasons unbeknownst to him, David and Evan chose him.

Although he did not doubt his qualifications, he believed someone else might have more experience and skills than him. But if his friends trusted him with the job, he would do his best not to disappoint them.

"By the way, I am Derik, one of the Senior Partners." The man offered his hand while reaching for the drink the bartender passed to him.

He believed he had seen him in the office several times but never had the chance to meet him. He barely knew the people in his floo, much alone the Partners and Associates of the firm.

"Yeah, Adam Mason." He took his hand, accepting his warm welcome. "I am glad to meet a colleague. Maybe you can show me some of the ropes."

It had been a while since he had worked in a corporate setting. He could need some guidance in navigating his new environment.

"Sure. It will be my pleasure." The man nodded. "Why don't you join me? I have a table over there." He pointed to the left side of the bar. "I am supposed to meet a client, but he is late."

He thought about it for a second and then decided to join him. "Why not?" It would be a good start to forming a rapport with his co-worker.

He grabbed his beer and followed his new acquaintance to his table. The bar was a usual spot for meetings. But it was not ideal.

But it would do for informal consultations for clients or lawyers who did not wish to get attention. They could pretend like it was just a social call.

"How are you doing so far?" Derik asked as he leaned on his chair and made himself comfortable.

His eyes roamed the slightly dim room, watching all these young lawyers, businessmen, ladies, and gentlemen enjoying the evening.

He believed he used to be one of them, but somehow, he had skipped this part of his life. But going back to his question, he guessed he was doing ok.

"Fine. I suppose." He did not see any problems yet. But it was just a few days. Therefore, he had not seen much yet.

Then, his eyes spotted two girls looking in their direction. He guessed he was familiar with the signs. However, he had never really enjoyed such games. Thus, he looked away.

"Pardon. I hope you will not mind if I ask if you are still single." Derik seemed to be looking at the two girls he had just ignored. "I think those girls had been eyeing you since we sat here."

He smiled at his new pal's assessment of the situation. He was flattered by the attention he was getting but not interested.

"All I can say is that I am not free." Suddenly, his mind returned to the woman who promised to join him soon. He could not wait to see her again.

Therefore, looking to another woman was not in his book. He only had his eyes on one prize. And he had no room for anything else.

"She must be one lucky woman." The man said. Then, he ignored the girls, too, while continuing to ask him about his cases, offering his expertise.

He learned that Derik was already a happily married man with a son and a daughter on the way. He could not help but feel envious, wanting what the man already had.

Maybe it was his lack of family that made him crave one. He wished to belong to someone and be responsible for someone else. He longed for a family.

"I am the lucky one. And I will not do anything to mess it up." Not after all he had to do to win her. He could not let anything ruin that.

He would not let some girls destroy his future with the only girl he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Yes! He had already decided. She was the only one for her.

And as soon as he could get his chance, he would make his next move. But, of course, he would make sure to plan this right.

"Good luck with that." The man seemed supportive as he raised his glass to him. "We all know that somehow, we always mess it up. But it is how we make up for it that matters."

His new friend seemed to be making some good points. In some way, men could do stupid things to ruin something perfect. He hoped he would not do that.

"Excuse me. I am sorry if I am a bit late." The client appeared at their table and introduced himself. Soon, they started discussing his case.

Derik asked him to stay, asking him about his opinion on the case. It was a simple matter of proving ownership. Since the man had documents to show, he did not see any issues unless the other side had something on their sleeve.

"Do you think we have a case?" Derik asked him when the client had excused himself from the meeting.

He thought about it, weighing what he had heard of the case. Based on their initial findings, it seemed to be a solid case.

Nevertheless, they could not discount what the opponents held as evidence to support their claim. Therefore, there was always a risk. But if Derik wins, it would be a great case under his belt and a lucrative one.

"Yeah. It is a good case." Adam agreed with the older man, believing it was a case worth fighting for.

Like every lawyer, he also liked cases that had chances of winning. But, still, he only took clients he believed were in the right.

He never liked defending people who were guilty of breaking the law. But there were times he could not avoid it.

But he swore to defend all who came to his door asking for help. Therefore, sometimes he never had the choice.

"Hey, Adam." The person he had been waiting for had finally arrived at the scene. "So, you have met my friend, Derik."

He watched his friend, also his new boss, greet his companion. Then, he joined them on the table, ordering another round of drinks for the three of them.

"David, I am glad to see you." Derik tapped him on the shoulder as he sat right next to him. "I heard that your girl had finally recovered. That is great news."

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He also heard that his friend's girlfriend had finally woken from her coma. However, he also learned that she had lost her memory.

When he thought his situation was challenging, he could not imagine what his friend was going through. From what he had heard, he and his girlfriend were practically married. All that was lacking was the ring and the license.

But fate had some twisted plans for them. He just hoped that his situation would not reach that point. He and Serena had already been through a lot. He hoped the next problem they would have to face would be an easy breeze.

"But I am sorry I have to leave you guys. My wife was expecting me home an hour ago." Derik shrugged his straight shoulders, pointing out the difference between a single man to a married one.

"I am glad to meet you. I guess I will see you again at the office." Adam shook the man's hands again before he watched him stride to the exit, leaving him with his friend.

"I am sorry. I am late." David said as he turned to him. "It looks like you two hit it off." His friend pointed out his observation.

"Yeah, Derik seems to be a great guy. He offered to help me around the office." Adam told his friend.

"That is great. Derik is one of the most reliable Partners we have in the firm. You can truly depend on him." David informed him. He could use all the help in adjusting to this new job.

"Anyway, I hope I was not a bother, but I have things to discuss with you." He told his friend.

He did not feel like discussing them at the office since it was somewhat personal. Therefore, he had asked his friend to meet him here instead.

"If this is about my sister, I guarantee you have my full blessing," David stated without waiting for him to say his piece.

He could only suspect that Serena had already filled him with the details, or at least the relevant matter. But he was glad to hear that his friend had no objection to his relationship with his sister.

But why would he object when he was the one who told him to go after her? Still, he felt obligated to ask his permission as a form of respect for their friendship.