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Before I could reply, my office door opened to admit Malcolm, whose usually ruddy complexion had taken on an alarming gray tinge.
He moved with the careful deliberation of someone trying to project calm while internally panicking. The sound of London traffic drifted up from the street below, ordinary life continuing while my world crumbled.
"Edward, we need to discuss the situation." His eyes found the photograph on my desk, and his expression grew even more grave. "I've just received a call from the Telegraph's gossip editor. They're planning to run a story about your personal relationship with Miss Anderton in tomorrow's edition."
"Let me guess," I said, my voice carrying more edge than professional courtesy demanded. "They were contacted by someone with detailed information about the timeline ofour relationship and its connection to the Gardens & Home acquisition."
Malcolm's glance toward Mother confirmed my suspicion. "The caller was quite well-informed about the business aspects of the situation."
"How well-informed?"
"They knew about the acquisition timeline, the employment protection clauses you've negotiated, even the unusual attention you've paid to Miss Anderton's visa status." Malcolm sank into the chair beside Mother, looking every one of his sixty-three years. "Edward, if this story runs as planned, it won't just be gossip column fodder. The Law Society will have grounds to investigate potential conflicts of interest under Rule 3.4 of the Professional Conduct Code. They could argue that your personal involvement created a breach of fiduciary duty to the acquiring party."
The words hit me like a kick in the gut. "At minimum, you'd face a six-month suspension and mandatory ethics training. At worst, complete disbarment and referral for criminal investigation of professional misconduct."
"The ripple effects would extend beyond just you, Edward," Malcolm continued grimly. "Every case you've handled in the past year would be subject to review. Clients would question whether their interests were properly served. The firm could face malpractice suits, regulatory sanctions, loss of major accounts."
My legal training kicked in automatically, analyzing the situation like a complex case. My Mother had constructed a perfect trap: damaging evidence, credible threats, witnesses who could corroborate a pattern of unprofessional behavior. She'd built an airtight case for my professional destruction, then offered me the terms for a plea bargain.
"The firm's reputation would be irreparably damaged," Malcolm added. "Forty years of building client trust, destroyedby questions about whether our lawyers can maintain appropriate professional boundaries."
I looked between Malcolm and Mother, seeing the careful coordination in their presentation. This wasn't a spontaneous crisis—this was a planned intervention with predetermined outcomes.
"What exactly are you proposing?"
"Immediate distance from Miss Anderton," Mother said without hesitation. "A public statement clarifying that any personal relationship was brief and has been terminated due to the obvious conflicts of interest. Complete cooperation with transferring her employment to another firm to eliminate any appearance of impropriety."
"In other words, abandon her to save my career."
"Choose your career over a temporary infatuation, yes." Mother's voice carried the weight of absolute certainty, "Choose your family's legacy over a woman you've known for mere weeks. Choose rational self-preservation over romantic delusion."
Fifteen years of legal training screamed that this was professional suicide. But something deeper, something that had awakened only since meeting Lili, whispered that a life without risk might not be worth living at all.
The ultimatum hung in the air between us, as stark and unforgiving as a legal contract. Years of building toward this moment—the partnership, the reputation, the life I'd carefully constructed—all of it balanced against my feelings for a woman who'd made me remember what it felt like to want something beyond professional achievement.
"I need time to consider my options."
"You need to make a decision," Mother corrected. "The story runs tomorrow regardless. Your response must be ready by morning, or the narrative will be shaped entirely by speculation and innuendo."
Malcolm nodded gravely. "I'm afraid Lady Victoria is correct. Once this becomes public, every aspect of your relationship will be scrutinized. The timing, the business connections, the potential for compromised judgment—it will all be fair game for professional review."
"And if I refuse to distance myself from Lili?"
"Then you'll face the consequences of that choice," Mother said simply. "Professional ruin, social ostracism, and the destruction of everything our family has built over generations. All for a woman who will likely return to America once her visa becomes invalid."
She stood with the fluid grace that had characterized her my entire life, smoothing her skirt with practiced efficiency. "I trust you'll make the appropriate decision, son. The family's reputation depends on it."
After they left, I sat alone in my office, staring at the photograph that had the power to destroy everything I'd worked for. The image should have felt like a violation—and it did. But it also captured something real, something precious that I'd never experienced before Lili entered my life.
The sound of my office door opening made me look up, expecting to see my assistant. Instead, Lili stood in the doorway, her face pale but determined.
"Edward? I got your message to meet you here. What's—" Her eyes found the photograph on my desk, and all the color drained from her face. "Oh God." The words came out as barely more than a whisper. She gripped the doorframe for support, her knuckles white against the dark wood. "This is it, isn't it? This is how it ends."
"Lili." I stood quickly, moving around the desk to reach her before she could flee. "We need to talk."
"Is that...?" She gestured toward the photograph with a trembling hand. "Is that us?"
"Yes. And it's going to be in tomorrow's papers."