His Nanny Mate By Eve Above Story

Ella

The large wooden conference table felt cool and smooth beneath my fingertips as I arranged the files in neat stacks. I could feel my palms getting sweaty with anticipation. This was one of the first significant cases I’d handled solo at the firm, and I wanted everything to be perfect.

To add a touch of hospitality, I carefully set out a tray of assorted pastries fresh from a popular bakery downtown.

There was a soft knock at the door, and Logan sauntered in. His demeanor was relaxed, in stark contrast to my tight bundle of nerves. “Good morning, Ella,” he greeted, raising an eyebrow at my meticulous setup.

“Morning,” I replied with a half-smile, adjusting a paper clip that was slightly out of place. “Thank you for coming.”

Before Logan could respond, the door opened again, and in walked the tenant accompanied by his lawyer.

I recognized the lawyer from previous interactions around the firm. He was known to be a tough negotiator, a thought which only fueled my anxiety. They settled into the seats opposite Logan and me.

The tenant, a portly man with a sharp nose, didn’t waste any time: “We’ve come with an offer,” he declared, pulling out a thick envelope from his briefcase. I raised an eyebrow, taken aback. I hadn’t expected things to move so quickly. “Go on.”

As the thick envelope hit the table, its presence drew an undeniable tension. The tenant’s lawyer, a tall, lean man with salt-and-pepper hair and glasses, shifted in his seat, nonchalantly pushing the tray of pastries out of the way as though they were a hindrance..

“Let’s get straight to the point,” he began, locking eyes with Logan, a move that made me feel oddly left out of the conversation. “My client is willing to pay the outstanding rent in cash, upfront. A hassle-free transaction that will save both parties time and resources.”

opened my mouth to interject, to assert my position in the negotiations, but Logan, his gaze unyielding, beat me

of the missed rent. Every single cent.” He tapped the envelope with a hint

smirk, his interest evidently piqued. “That’s a

we do need assurance that the

settling over me. The quick pace at which this was transpiring left me spinning. This wasn’t the usual pace of negotiations

like a high- stakes poker game, and I was barely

may I remind you that the terms of the lease clearly stipulate that any

to her, a patient smile on his face. “Miss, with all due respect,

not entirely true,” I countered. “There have

on mine beneath the table stopped me mid-sentence. The touch was gentle, but the message was clear: let him handle it. It was a move that stung, a reminder of the imbalance of

to play their game. I felt more like a bystander than a key player

gaze never leaving the lawyer’s, inquired, “Assuming I accept this offer, what guarantees do we have that this will be the end

tenant interjected, his

operations. If I’m settling this huge amount in cash, you have to understand how much it means to me. There won’t be any more issues.

for a few moments. “You know,

smoothly intervened. “How about an advance on the next three months as a show of good

clearly impressed by the offer. “That’s an enticing

thin. “And what about the other terms of the lease? Are we just

veneer of patience, replied, “Miss, we’re addressing the most immediate concern here. My client is showing willingness to cooperate, to ensure

at me as though I was a vapid trophy

asked. “By simply throwing money at a problem? That doesn’t resolve the underlying

tense. The tenant looked between me and Logan, uncertainty flickering in his eyes. “Logan,

I felt my heart race. What were they referring to? And why was Logan so easily influenced by their

his chair, adopting a conciliatory tone. “Look, all we’re asking for is a fair deal. No one wants lengthy legal battles, right? Let’s find