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Liam's Pov
Cameron leaned back in his chair, that smirk still lingering, and reached for the phone on his desk.
He pressed a single button, his tone brisk and commanding.
"Anna, bring me the Marcus Hale case file."
My brow arched almost involuntarily. Marcus Hale?
Eve's voice chimed softly in my ear, smooth and efficient.
[Pulling it up now]
My HUD blinked alive. A news clip appeared in the corner of my vision — Marcus Hale in a glossy, high-end training facility. Stopwatch in hand, barking orders at a client who was pushing through a grueling set.
His face was all sharp lines and intensity, eyes burning with the kind of pride that came from being untouchable. The headline rolled beneath the video:
[Celebrity Trainer Under Investigation]
I leaned back in my seat, keeping my expression composed. "The celebrity trainer?" I asked aloud, tone casual as if it hadn't surprised me.
Cameron caught the shift in my tone and gave the faintest smirk, one corner of his mouth tugging upward. "Ah, so you have heard of him."
"Hard not to," I replied. "He's been on every sports channel for a decade."
"Good," Cameron said, almost like he was testing me. "Then you also know he's a darling of the media right now, loved by retired athletes, adored by influencers, and defended by every talking head with a camera shoved in their face."
Eve whispered in my ear, laced with sarcasm only I could hear [Translation — this is political dynamite wrapped in gym shorts.]
I kept my cool, resting my hands loosely on the armrests of the chair. "So you're putting me on a case where the court of public opinion has already handed down its verdict before the trial even begins."
Cameron's eyes narrowed slightly at my choice of words, but the smirk returned. "Exactly. A no-win case. Perfect for a rookie who claims he doesn't care about playing it safe."
He leaned forward, elbows on the desk, watching me carefully — as if waiting to see whether I'd flinch at the weight he was about to drop.
I didn't.
Instead, I asked evenly, "When do I start?"
A soft knock at the door.
Anna stepped inside, carrying not just a file but a full archive box, the cardboard edges worn as if it had been shuffled too many times already. She placed it gently on the corner of Cameron's desk. For a second her eyes flicked toward me, and there was something in her gaze — sympathy, maybe even pity. As though she already knew this case was where careers went to die.
"Here it is," she said softly, almost apologetically. Then without another word, she turned and left, closing the door behind her.
Cameron leaned back in his chair, tapping his finger once on the lid of the box before sliding it toward me more a challenge.
"Listen, kid," he started, voice calm but edged with that trademark slyness he carried like armor. "You just got out of law school. No contacts, no network and you're up against a man who's practically a celebrity. This case?" He gestured at the box with an almost bored flick of his hand. "Already seen it through. It's a loser. A black hole."
He smirked, leaning forward like a predator amused with his prey. "And I'm feeling charitable. So why don't we call off the bet? No harm, no foul. Your career doesn't end before it begins. Accept defeat, swallow some pride, and maybe I'll even show you some mercy down the line."
He said it with such casual confidence it was like he expected me to fold then and there.
But I didn't move. Didn't blink.
Instead, I rested my palms on the desk, leaning in just enough to show him I wasn't rattled. My voice stayed even, calm. "Indeed, it's going to be very tough. And if you say it's a loser, I'll trust that judgment. You've seen a hundred of these and I've seen none. But…" I pushed the box a little closer to me, claiming it without hesitation. "I don't go back on my word. I'll take it."
For the first time, Cameron's smirk faltered just a fraction, curiosity sparking in his eyes.
I let the pause hang a second before adding, "And if I win—can I make a request?"
That brought the smirk roaring back, sharper than before. He leaned back, let out a low laugh, shaking his head in disbelief. "A request? Hell, kid, you can make two. If you win."
The way he said it, he might as well have promised me the moon and stars, because in his mind the bet was already over.
But all I did was nod, calm and steady. "Then we have a deal."
Eve's voice ghosted into my ear, playful and edged with amusement. [Oh, this is going to be fun. He really thinks you're going to crash and burn.]
I didn't let it show, but inside, I agreed. Cameron Dennis had just set the board thinking the game was already won.
He was wrong.
Cameron with the sly grin never leaving his face.
"That's it, Harper. The case is yours. Ask Anna to show you to your office—permanent, of course. You'll need a base to work from if you're really going to burn yourself out here. A temporary secretary's been assigned to you for now, until I decide if you're worth the resources."
He paused deliberately, the smirk widening. "Don't thank me—I'm only feeling charitable."
I just nodded, calm. "Then we have an agreement."
I shifted the box under my arm. "I'll get started."
Cameron waved me away like a man done with a game piece he'd already placed on the board. But his eyes followed me, just long enough to let me know he was curious—watching.
Outside, Anna was waiting. She glanced at the box, then at me, and her expression softened with quiet sympathy. But the box was light—almost laughably so. The real weight wasn't in cardboard and paper. It was in what Cameron wanted it to represent: a noose waiting to tighten.
Eve's voice whispered in my ear, dry with sarcasm. Permanent office, temporary secretary, and a boss who's already planning your funeral. Welcome to the DA's office, golden boy.
I ignored her and adjusted the box against my hip. Whatever Cameron thought, this was just the beginning.
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Advanced chapters at:
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