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.”

negotiations, but Logan, his gaze unyielding, beat me to it. “How much are we talking

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

his interest evidently piqued. “That’s a generous offer,” he said. “What’s

we do

me spinning. This

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

of the lease clearly

all due respect, there haven’t been any proven

I countered. “There have

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 conversation, and Logan seemed willing to play

the lawyer’s, inquired, “Assuming I accept this offer, what

interjected, his

place is essential to my 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. You

his head slightly, studying the man for a few moments. “You

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

impressed by the offer.

other terms of the lease? Are we just

most immediate concern here. My client is showing willingness to cooperate, to

beginning to flare. The way that the lawyer addressed me, looking at me as though I was a vapid trophy wife and not a lawyer, made

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

grew tense. The tenant looked between me and Logan, uncertainty flickering in his eyes. “Logan, all I’m asking is for

by the tenant’s words. “The game?” My wolf asked inside my mind. I felt my heart race. What were they referring

in his chair, adopting a conciliatory tone. “Look, all we’re asking for is a fair deal. No one wants

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