Although Thomas Reed was Sienna Thornton's mentor and could offer her work-related advice, he was also Simon Forrester's cousin. According to legal ethics, he should avoid any conflict of interest and refrain from giving Sienna any hints or guidance on this case.
Sienna Thornton didn't want Thomas to continue this topic, so she smiled and said, "Mentor, actually, I kind of know a bit about Mr. Forrester's situation. You can find it online."
As if to prove she indeed understood Simon Forrester, she added, "And before, didn't you have me send Misha to Mr. Forrester? We met that day!"
Recalling that day, Thomas Reed showed an apologetic expression: "I had originally called Cyrus to say I'd send Misha over. You helped me send him, probably arrived early, and he was doing something else, leaving you waiting outside for a while."
"...It's no problem, no problem," Sienna's smile was more of a grimace.
As it turned out, Simon didn't know the person delivering the dog was her that day.
In other words, he thought that his cousin was coming over, so he casually came out wrapped in a towel after a shower to open the door?
...
The next day.
After talking with the client, Sienna immediately took her assistant to "SY Architectural Design Firm."
A uniquely designed classical building stood elegantly at a corner of Regent Avenue in Brimfield, amidst the tall buildings, exuding an air of timeless independence.
"Tsk tsk tsk!" The assistant looked up at the building for a few seconds and remarked, "I heard the main design of this building won an award abroad... How could a man with such talent and riches possibly infringe upon that lady and even sign an exorbitant compensation agreement? That lady must have watched too many dramas..."
The assistant continued to chatter in Simon Forrester's defense, but Sienna ignored it. Her high heels clicked densely on the blackwood stairs of the design firm, exuding an imposing aura.
Perhaps Thomas Reed had made prior arrangements, as they smoothly met Simon Forrester in person.
Today he wore a light blue American-style shirt, casually cut, without the flamboyance of yesterday, appearing rather cool and ascetic, as if every pore warned strangers to keep away.
But the autumn light filtering through the large rooftop glass enveloped him, imbuing his figure with a warm, soft hue.
A man whose demeanor was so icy cold...
Sienna nearly lost her train of thought.
She cleared her throat, straightening her back a bit.
"So, Lawyer Thornton, you're saying your client purely infatuated with me personally, wants to see me at the law firm or in court, and thus at the illegal cost forged agreements and staged such a reputation-damaging farce?" Simon Forrester spoke with calm emotions, but his tone was mocking.
"...Yes, that's right." Sienna was equally at a loss; she had handled many cases over the years, yet this was the first time encountering something like this.
If Thomas Reed hadn't worried that other lawyers might damage Simon Forrester's image, why would she, an international lawyer, handle it?
Sienna gathered herself, pushed another document in front of Simon, "This is my client's written apology and settlement agreement. She is willing to offer this amount of compensation for the time and mental distress this incident caused you, hoping you won't file a lawsuit."
But Simon Forrester didn't even glance at the document, merely smiling faintly, "You can discuss the lawsuit with your Partner Reed; I've entrusted him to handle it fully."
The implication was clear: he was determined to press charges.
Sienna knew he was angry now and that reasoning would not help, so she got up to leave, planning to return in a few days.
...
Upon leaving "SY," it was getting late, and Sienna decided not to return to the law firm.
She went directly to her friend Maeve's house as they had arranged to discuss the plans for their guesthouse that evening.
"Take a look at this design map," Maeve handed over the tablet, "This is a design plan for a guesthouse in Yunaris. Its land area and shape are very similar to our plot! I'm thinking of copying it, making slight alterations, and giving it to the contractor; I'm sure the result will look almost identical..."
"...That's infringement." Sienna sank into the sofa, utterly drained.
Maeve frowned a bit, resignedly sitting next to her, "What should we do? Our finances are really tight; if we have to pay a large sum to an architectural designer, we probably won't be able to afford the interior decor."
Talking about money made Sienna silent.
She had mortgaged her car and house to the bank, and there was no way to come up with hundreds of thousands more from anywhere now.
She pondered, absentmindedly moving her fingers back and forth on the tablet screen, where Maeve's opened drawing zoomed in and out with her gestures.
"SY..." Sienna's gaze suddenly halted.
She sat up abruptly, enlarging the drawing until she found several spots marked with the "SY" watermark.
"How could I not have thought of this!" She excitedly grabbed Maeve's arm, "Maeve! I've got it! Our guesthouse's architectural design isn't a problem anymore!"