Slyvie's POV
"So you just packed a bag and left?" Claire's words were a mixture of shock and admiration. I smiled to myself, a myriad of emotions flowing through my body. "Yes," I replied, looking at Lore from the corner of my eyes. She was playing with one of the dolls I had gotten for her birthday three months ago, occasionally laughing. "It was time."
"I hate to say this, but…" She took my hand and I looked at her for continuation. "You know he will find you if you don't do something."
"I know." I nodded. "I'm not crazy. I mean, I am, kind of, to be honest. No one in their right mind would make themselves an enemy of the Ashcroft family."
"You didn't have a choice."
Her reassurance fell to deaf ears. It did not matter. As happy and blessed I considered myself to be when I married into one of the wealthiest families in all of Europe, I'm in an even worse hell being at odds with the same people.
"Sylvie," She called me again and I exhaled, knowing what was coming. She continued, "You need to see a lawyer. A powerful one."
"No lawyer would go against him, Claire."
"Just one name: Iver Vane."
"I need to go," I got up and spared another glance at Lori. "Watch her for a while, yeah?"
"Sure."
Taking my coat off the sofa, I rushed to the door. Iver Vane. I never thought the day would come, but it finally has, I supposed.
Iver is one of the most dreaded lawyers in the West. He is hard to catch, harder to pay and the hardest to convince — but if he takes someone's case, it is a guaranteed win… or at least, that's what his 99.9% win percentage says. He has only lost one case in his entire career, the details of which were silenced by a NDA signed by every single person involved.
If he was my last chance at saving Lorelai, I would take it. I would go to the ends of the world to find this man, I would sell all I owe to pay this man and I'd do whatever it takes to convince this man because if I promised myself one thing, it was that if I ever had a child, I would do everything for them and Lorelai deserves this.
I took a cab to the Vane & Co. Probably not the smartest way to approach someone like him, but if it wasn't obvious, I'm desperate — and desperate times call for desperate measures. Even if it's walking into a multi billion dollar Iver Vane's trillion dollar law firm with no resource, connection or appointment.
You're done, Cairo Ashcroft.
I'll make sure of it, even if I die trying.
_________________________________________________________________________
"You own this firm?"
I heard a voice behind me as soon as I went to the second floor of the Vane & Co. building from behind me, the sentence confusing.
I turned around.
Jawline. Check.
Sexy lips. Check.
Hair slicked back with a couple strands loose? Check.
Five figure suit? Double check.
What the hell was happening here?
"Excuse me?" I muttered softly, still dazed by the masterpiece of a man in front of me.
"I asked, do you own this place?"
"You're Iver Vane," I exhaled as I processed the beauty this man beheld. "You own this place. Why would you ask me–"
"Only because you walked in like you did." He walked over to me. "Get out."
"What?"
"I don't entertain people like you. Surely you could find your way to the streets." He walked past me into his office as he picked up his phone for a call, staring out at the skyline of London.
I stood there still again.
No, not this time. I need to be strong. He will hear me out if I just manage to say it. He will understand. It is the Ashcroft family after all, of course he would be interested… right?
I entered his office anyway, and his eyes swung toward me. It was pretty obvious that this had really irritated him already, and I hadn't even started yet.
"I'll call back," I heard him say on the phone as he kept it back in his pocket, staring at me. I waited for him to say something, maybe ask or even scream at me for getting out, but his continuous death stare was unnerving.
Fuck, I really needed to say something.
"The Ashcroft family," I muttered the first words in my mind.
What the hell did that even mean?
"What?"
"This is about the Ashcroft family," I added, calling my nerves down.
"You're part of it?"
"Well," I exhaled, "Not really. I'm a nobody, but I married into it. I—I need help in getting a divorce."
"Then go to a divorce lawyer. I don't have time—"
I pull up my sleeves to reveal a couple of dark bruises on my arms. He stops mid in his sentence, his eyes slightly softening as he understands the situation. I pull them down again, looking at the floor.
The moment was followed by a couple silent minutes before he continued.
"Cairo Ashcroft, right?"
I nodded.
"You have a child?"
"One. My daughter, Lorelai."
"Shit," He muttered under his breath.
"Is that bad?" I asked, "I mean, would that make this difficult?"
"The Ashcroft family is crazy for its bloodline. I assume you want custody of your child, so it is not going to be easy."
I sighed.
"But that's why I'm here. Sign this declaration form and meet Penny out there. You have yourself a new attorney."
Penny White, Iver's assistant, explained to me the terms of the Retainer Agreement that would officially make Iver Vane my lawyer. She had received the details of the case online from him a minute ago, and he had added the clause for pursuing criminal charges as well as divorce settlement with child custody.
"How much is the fee?" I asked the dreadful question in my mind. I wasn't super rich — to be honest, when compared to my husband, I wasn't rich at all.
"Mr. Iver says he would take your case pro bono."
I raised my eyebrow in confusion.
Pro bono? Seriously? Why?
"Does he do that often?"
"Well, he doesn't take cases often, let alone do them for free. Guess your case caught his eye."
I nodded. Of course I wanted to know what his interest was in my case rather than, you know, being my lawyer… but at that moment, I was really over the moon. If he cares so much about this case, then there is a very good chance of winning.
"When would I talk to him about the case now?" I asked as I did my signature on the contract.
"I'll email you a copy of the agreement. You can find his contact details including his work phone number and email, so you could set up a time, date and a place. I can not disclose when he would be free because he sets up each case meeting himself, determining the safety of the clients and the urgency of the case."
I nodded. "Okay. Thank you so much, Penny."
She smiled. "All the best for the case, Ms. Sylvie."
I left the building soon after, a silent hope in my mind. I knew that it was one of the biggest steps toward my freedom and achieving justice, but something didn't quite set right with me.
It could not be possible that Iver took my case, pro bono… right? I know I am supposed to be happy that it happened, and I am! —- but some things are too good to be true. I have to believe that he has some personal motivation for taking my case. Would that be helpful or worse for my case is yet to be seen, but it is not as if there is a better option than him.