7 - Kai
Fucking Ricky.
"You tell me not to be late and you roll up here thirty minutes past? Is this a joke to you?"
He walks over to my car with a grin on his face. Smug fucker doesn't think I'll kick his damn ass.
"Actually, I did this for you boss." Handing a coffee over to me through my window and walking to the passenger side to get in. "Thought you'd get caught up with your... business. So I told you to come thirty minutes earlier just in case." He unbuttons his maroon jacket before taking a seat.
"I appreciate your thoughtfulness but I wouldn't risk this place for anything. Now I'm just pissed off knowing I missed out on a 5 star morning blow job because of your so called 'tactics'."
My side eye didn't go unnoticed from him while he pulled his phone out to call the agent.
I pull up to a gated entrance, past the gates you still cannot see the house. Large pine trees throughout the yard that block an outsiders view.
The property is as wonderful as I was told it would be, and fully protected.
I picked this property from many others although I didn't have many means to see it in person while I was away.
Word of mouth works well for me when I know it is coming from reputable sources.
There is little to no time where my people have disappointed me.
"Ms. Cridland is buzzing us in now."
The gate unlatches and opens for us to drive in.
The driveway consists of a couple twists and turns until the trees open up to the absolute perfect place I've been envisioning. Cottage core stone and vines style of house but a little bigger than what comes to mind right away. The agent is standing at the front door ready to bring us in and show us around.
"Good morning fellas, it has been lovely speaking with you over the past couple of months but it is amazing to put faces to names. You must be Ricky." She looks him up and down with a smirk on her face, a little too excited I can see.
"Yes ma'am. This is the man of the house, who it will be for but I have just been doing the majority of his bitch work for it is all." He winks at her and I gesture for us to head inside.
If I wasn't already sold on the house, Ms. Cridland would have sold me during her tour. Although she came on strong, she is very professional when she really means business.
"Well gentlemen, that is the tour and here we are back at the front entrance. Would you care for a cup of tea or freshly baked muffin for your travels?"
If looks could kill, Ricky would have devoured this woman minutes ago and I can just tell the thoughts running through his head trying to stay professional with his next words.
"Actually Ms. Cridland, I think I should just get down to business. What're we looking at here? I am obviously interested." I smile at her.
"Well I do have a little news on the place. We have recently gotten an offer from another buyer and it was generous enough to let the older couple who had this place leave their family happy. That being said, the deal hasn't been finalised just yet." She goes to open her folder to show papers and I couldn't be more irritated.
"I don't think you understand where I stand here Ms. Cridland. Respectfully, we have been in touch for months about this place, some other buyer isn't just going to steal it from me." My arms are crossed and she can sense the tension I have to hold back my words for her.
"Anything you want." As the words leave my mouth, her eyes dart to Ricky's cock and follow up his body.
It's as if I saw it all happen in slow motion, this woman is like a cat in heat.
Catching herself, she clears her throat. "Well sir, if we can come to an agreement, you still have to beat out the other offer of 2.5 -"
"You'll settle it for 5 million." She looks up at me like I'm an idiot for offering double the opposing offer price but writes it down anyways. She gives me a smirk and nods her head towards me and then towards Ricky with a disappointed release in her shoulders.
"You can have him as well." I say as I walk back to the car.
8 - Addison
Ruby swings her legs under the table with her hands tucked under her thighs as she keeps her attention away from the judge by looking around the room.
Adorably shy little one she is but, this setting will do that to most kids.
At least after today, this will be her last day needing to step foot into a courthouse.
Ruby has truly been through enough only being 12 years old and she deserves the most with her family.
To end my final statement, I pushed for a motion that only the judge can approve or deny.
"Your honour, before I end my final remarks I would like to push an impact statement on behalf of Ruby." I looked down and shot her a smile as she grabbed my hand. "Although it does not apply directly to her, due to her age it will apply to her guardian. With the false imprisonment of Mr. Branwyn, this family has suffered an impact that will never be forgotten. I would like to ask for compensation from the court of $10 thousand dollars due to the false imprisonment of Ruby's father and the mental load that this has taken on Ruby's future."
As I sit back down, I give Ruby a quick little hug and the judge takes notes while motioning the defence for their final remarks.
We wait patiently as the "defence" makes their final statement against mine which mostly contains accusations from Natali's case with Mr. Branwyn.
They are only trying to discredit him enough so the judge doesn't compensate them with the money I asked for. This move from them makes my heart jump with excitement. What they are doing doesn't help their case against Ruby since Natali already won her case so in turn, they have basically given up on trying to win against me.
Patiently we wait as the judge confers with the files and evidence provided. Finally looking up to everyone as she folds her hands together,
Ruby grabs onto my hand as the judge begins her statement to the court.
"Today the system has been proven to have its slip ups. I am devastated that you, Ruby, have had to sit through these proceedings making your father seem like a completely different person than the one you know and love. I am granting Mr. Branwyn full custody of his daughter and I am very aware of the impacts that imprisonment can have on day to day life back in society.. Therefore," she takes a breath and looks over to me with a smile and shake of her head. Almost as if she is thinking it was strategic for me to ask what I did when I did and says, "I am also granting the compensation requested by you Ms. Parker. To aid Ruby, apartment hunting and to make life comfortable while Andric is busy getting back into the job market."
After the judge wraps up her final remarks to the court, I give Ruby the biggest hug and tell her she did better than anyone else in her position would have.
She is the strongest little girl I have ever met and she made it through these proceedings without shedding a single tear about her father.
I turn and shake hands with the defence paying respects to their hard work as they do to me as well and, I take Ruby around back where Natali is meeting me to reunite Ruby with Andric.
Although this case was rewarding for me, and I have been looking forward to the end being able to reap the benefits of getting promoted, this moment is going to give me so many mixed emotions of nostalgia.
I open the door to the hallway and get a quick and tight embrace from Natali.
"I am so entirely proud of you. You killed it up there." She pushes me back by my shoulders holding onto them for dear life as I quickly lose myself in her eyes as she is staring me down. "You call me a badass. You went up there and basically left the judge questioning her career choice with this messed up system."
"DADDY!" Ruby screams and I hear her running to Andric who I hadn't even noticed was leaning against the wall behind me.
Natali lets me go and starts to introduce me to her client as she collects herself.
"This is Mr. Branwyn, the macho man who you can trust with your life is going to take great care of Ruby from here on out."
Suddenly, my smile as I turn to look at Andric starts to burn my cheeks and set the field of butterflies going off in my stomach on fire.
He tucks a piece of Ruby's hair behind her ear and wipes the tear falling down her cheek off with his thumb as he looks over at me.
