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A waiter passed me and held out a tray with several glasses of champagne. The base was transparent, and the inside contained several small shiny stones that I assumed were diamonds.
I shook my head in denial. When it came to business, I always liked to be as sober as possible.
I approached the host of the party, who was surrounded by several people, but he gave me a broad smile when he recognized me.
“Thomas Lennox!”
“Sebastian Liev.”
“It's a pleasure to be in front of the most respected lawyer in New York.”
“Not so much.”
“False modesty doesn't work on me.” He chuckled and took a sip of champagne.
“I've been working hard.”
“That's the least your customers expect from you.”
“Of course.” He moved his head from side to side and looked over my shoulder as if looking for someone. “Didn't you come with someone?”
“I usually walk alone.”
“What's good should be used.” He ran his hand around a tall blonde woman with a model's body, wearing a tiny, shiny tube top. Given the astronomical age difference between the two, he thought it unlikely that she was a wife.
“I don't like mixing work with pleasure.”
“Helps reduce stress.”
“But sometimes, it makes us lose focus.”
“I can tell you're a very determined man.”
“Always.” I put my hands in my pants pockets and puffed out my chest.
“Is that why you think I should hire your firm?”
“Besides being the best in New York.”
“They say that Pirson and Spencer have been winning big cases.”
“Winning cases is something anyone can do.”
“You're right about that.” He intensified his smile while keeping his eyes fixed on me. “I like you, Thomas, but let's havesome fun. This is a party, after all.” He gestured for the waiter to approach us, and I had no choice but to accept a drink, which I intended to sip slowly.
Chapter eight
I had slept badly. As much as I told myself I didn't know why, I was thinking too much about the Lennox twins. Anne had only drawn a picture, which, in a way, was no big deal, but I wondered what it would be like for them to have to deal with missing their mother. As much as the other students had crazy wigs for parents, they still had them.
There was no point in comparing them to me; my mother was alive, lost, probably on drugs with some addict, but she was still somewhere. As bad as she had been for me, I couldn't help wondering what it would be like if I never saw her again.
This absence of their mother, for such little girls, was heartbreaking. Even though I was just a teacher, I couldn't not care. However, it was quite possible that in the near future,they would have a stepmother. A handsome, wealthy man like Thomas Lennox must have had plenty of candidates. At some point, he would end up choosing one of them.
“Good morning, Helena!”
“Good morning, Holly.” I smiled at her as we entered the school.
“How is your grandmother?”