Page 22 of Lost Room Lawyer (Room #4)

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Nico

Here I was, sitting in a fancy Italian restaurant—dressed in a black jacket and with my hair tied back—trying to make small talk with my father while Hector and his wife were finding a parking spot.

“How’s the internship going?” Leo asked stiffly, his dark green eyes peering out from under his bushy brows, as if he were on high alert.

Since my book had been published, he’d become more paranoid. But the thing that could have been his downfall was long past.

I nodded wearily, trying to convince myself to think of the evening as research. After signing the publishing contract, I wanted nothing more to do with him, and our relationship seemed to have hit a wall. Since I’d given in and studied law, at least my father and I had one topic to discuss.

Studying law was never about repairing our relationship; it was a way to prepare myself for the battle if it ever came to that again.

I just hoped we wouldn’t spend the whole evening talking about work, though I had no idea what else we could discuss. I was counting on Viktoria, as it had always been the women who managed to steer the conversation away from that tiresome topic.

Viktoria.

Hector’s wife.

I felt dizzy and still tingled from Hector’s touch, from when he’d taken me from behind on the couch in his office just before closing time. That had been only two hours ago.

I took a sip of water. “Yes, everything’s going well,” I replied, keeping my excitement in check. “You’ve probably heard about the Canonica case. And then there are a few smaller cases.”

“That’s good. It’s important to have small cases. You should never rely solely on one big one. Small cases keep the engine running.”

“Certainly,” I said, glancing over my glass at my father.

Leo had neatly combed back his graying hair and was freshly shaved.

He was dressed stylishly in a tailored suit that must have cost a fortune.

But even though he had a similar style to Hector at first glance—or vice versa—there were striking differences between them.

Hector had style. Leonard flaunted it. To this day, I was sure that the bulky gold rings on his fingers were there solely to display his power.

When he noticed my gaze, he scrunched his forehead. “What?”

“Nothing,” I replied, turning my attention back to the entrance.

At that moment, Hector and his wife entered the restaurant. Damn, they looked like a celebrity couple on the red carpet—and Hector’s wedding ring sparkled on his finger.

Viktoria seemed pleasant at first glance. She didn’t look anything like I’d imagined. She wore jeans and a chic black blazer, with a brown leather bag hanging from her left shoulder.

A waiter intercepted them, but Viktoria had already spotted us and pointed to our table. My father got up and greeted Hector’s wife with open arms and three kisses.

“Viktoria! It’s been a long time! So good to see you!”

“Leo! Yes, way too long! How are you?”

While they exchanged a few more pleasantries, I also got up from my chair and exchanged a furtive glance with Hector. The situation was clearly uncomfortable for him, and he assessed the square table with skepticism. He was probably considering the best seating arrangement.

“Hector!” my father said enthusiastically, shaking his hand and patting his shoulder with the other.

The gesture had a loving quality to it. I was sure if he hadn’t ruined our relationship with that gag order, he would greet me in the same way.

“Hello, Leo, nice to see you,” Hector said, turning to me and Viktoria. “Vicky, let me introduce you to Nico. Nico, this is Viktoria.”

I tried to ignore that the woman was naturally attractive. She didn’t need to plaster on makeup at all. Her brown curls fell over her shoulders, and when she smiled, little dimples appeared in her cheeks.

“Hello,” I said quietly, extending my hand. “Nice to meet you.”

“Oh no!” she contradicted with a beaming smile. “The pleasure is all mine—Nicola Rossi.”

My jaw dropped, and the words caught in my throat. Did Hector not want to ensure that…

“Vicky! We talked about this,” Hector interjected.

“Yes, but … my goodness! Men! We have an award-winning author among us!”

Embarrassed, I took a step back and dug my fingernails into my neck. At the same time, I bit my lip.

“I’m sorry for just coming right out with it,” Viktoria apologized.

“But I was so excited. To know that you wrote this wonderful book! No! I wouldn’t let anyone silence me about that.

” Viktoria moved closer and said confidentially, though Hector and Leo could also hear, “No matter what either of them says, don’t listen to them.

You’re a unique author and have touched so many people’s hearts with this book.

Ha! Incredible that I believed Nicola Rossi was a woman all these years. ”

I managed a smile, but my gaze inevitably drifted to Leo. It was his fault that everyone believed Nicola Rossi was a woman. Viktoria’s handling of the truth in front of everyone demanded a lot from him. The corners of his mouth twitched, which oddly gave me a sense of satisfaction.

“Let’s sit down,” Leo said, feigning casualness but with clenched teeth, and offered Viktoria the chair to his right, so she ended up sitting directly across from me. Hector took the seat to my left.

It was amazing how acutely I could sense Hector’s presence with all my senses; even Leo faded into the background beside me. Hector seemed to have the situation much more under control, as I hadn’t even noticed that he and Leo were already deep in conversation.

As I glanced around me, I noticed Viktoria calmly studying me. I hadn’t felt this uncomfortable and unsettled in a long time. My heart raced as my clammy hand kept wandering to the back of my neck.

When the waiter brought the menu, I felt relieved. A moment of calmness settled at our table—even Hector and Leo were engrossed in it. It gave me a brief chance to catch my breath.

“I’m sorry,” Viktoria said cautiously. “But I just have to ask this.”

Looking up, I realized she was speaking to me. She reached for The Birds’ Song of Laughter from her bag and placed it in the center of the table.

“Would you be so kind as to sign this copy for me?”

My body went rigid, alternating between hot and cold, and I didn’t know what to do—or, even better, what I was allowed to do. In seconds, I experienced a whirlwind of emotions. I felt honored, terrified, surprised, and shocked!

With the additional contract clause, Leo had ensured that I had never found myself in such situations before.

In front of me lay my bestseller, whose success I had only seen reflected in the increasing numbers in my bank account.

That had felt good, but it was nothing compared to what I was experiencing now.

“I … don’t have a pen,” I said, my voice shaky.

“Here.”

Hector grabbed his expensive fountain pen from the inner pocket of his jacket and handed it to me. My hand trembled as I took it.

“And … uh … what should I write?”

“Write: For Hector & Viktoria.”

For a millisecond, blood rushed to my head, then everything seemed to drain into my legs, and I felt weak and empty.

I was dizzy, but I did as she asked, writing extra slowly and trying not to press too hard on the paper.

I finished this almost ceremonial act with my signature and handed the book back to her.

“Thank you so much!” she said excitedly, examining my inscription.

Hector reclaimed the pen and gave me a nod of approval.

Damn! We kissed just a few hours ago!

Everything became too much, and I stood up and excused myself, disappearing into the restroom. With trembling hands, I washed my face, braced myself against the sink, and took a deep breath.

The emotional chaos wasn’t entirely bad. There were feelings that were exhilarating. The urge to get back to the computer and write as soon as possible was growing stronger—and that was good. Fuck! My heart felt like it was about to burst out of my chest.

“Everything okay?”

I looked up, surprised. Hector stood in the entrance of the posh men’s room, peering at me with concern.

“Yes,” I replied, grabbing a fresh towel from the rack and drying my face. “I’m fine.”

In the mirror, I watched Hector survey the restroom. Once he was sure we were alone, he stepped closer.

“I know it’s a crappy situation, but you’ll get through it.”

I nodded slightly and looked at him. His light brown eyes flickered in the golden light like two hazelnuts, radiating a soothing warmth. I would have loved to kiss him, but even I knew that was a bad idea. So it was even more surprising when he suddenly did.

He slipped a hand into my neck, pressed against me, causing me to sit half on the sink, and kissed me passionately. Although the pleasure was brief, it felt good. It gave me confidence and strength to get through the evening.

“You have no idea how much I desire you, do you?” Hector asked in a whisper, close to my face.

I barely nodded, as he had said it to me countless times before. But the way he was looking at me now seemed more serious than ever. With some hesitation, he stepped back from me.

“Same here,” I said, dropping the towel into the designated bin. “I think you’re hot.”

Hector burst into laughter and moved to the sink to wash his hands. “I like your humor. You’re strong and have character. I like that.”

Now I laughed too. “That sounds like a job interview.”

“You skipped that part thanks to your old man out there. But it doesn’t hurt to highlight the strengths of employees from time to time.”

“If that’s the case, I appreciate it.” I nodded gratefully, then became serious again. “You manage to calm me down and make me feel like everything is okay. Thank you.”

Hector paused and regarded me with an impassive expression. I would have loved to know what was going through his mind. It seemed like he was at a loss for words, but I wasn’t expecting him to say anything. Instead, I walked to the door and waited for him there.

We returned to the restaurant together. To my surprise, Viktoria had managed to engage Leo in a conversation about literature. I reviewed the menu once more.

I was surprised at how familiar Viktoria and Leo seemed with each other.

They joked about memories from long ago, given they had known each other for what seemed like an eternity.

Leo had even been at their wedding. Still, it was an unfamiliar sight for me.

My father was much more relaxed with Hector and Viktoria than usual.

He was cracking jokes. I had never seen him like this before.

I stayed quiet all evening, letting the others carry the conversation.

I savored a luxuriously creamy burrata and an outrageously overpriced truffle risotto with asparagus while marveling at how relaxed everyone seemed.

Perhaps it was the red wine—my father had already ordered a second bottle.

I’d only finished my first glass by the end of the main course, not being much of a wine drinker.

Just as I thought about ordering a beer, my phone buzzed.

Irritated, I checked the time. It was already ten o’clock.

“Are you expecting a call?” Hector asked.

“Not really,” I replied. “I don’t even know the number.”

“Maybe it’s a wrong number,” Viktoria guessed.

“Or one of those telemarketing calls,” my father chimed in.

I hesitated, unsure if it was appropriate to …

“Answer it,” Hector urged.

I picked up and held the phone to my ear. “Hello?”

“Hello, Nico. This is Maya.”

“Oh, hi.” I snuck a puzzled glance at Hector.

“I … um … It’s about your mother. She’s in the hospital.”

“What?”

This must be a joke , I thought. But I knew Maya, and she wouldn’t joke about something like this.

“We’re at the University Hospital. You should come as soon as possible.”

“Yes … um … okay.” I felt numb, already putting the phone down even though Maya was still saying something.

“What’s wrong?” Hector asked, concerned.

Somehow, I snapped back to reality and gripped the phone in my hand. “My mother is in the hospital.”

“What? Rina’s in the hospital?” Leo set his glass down in surprise. “What happened to her?”

“I have no idea.” My body felt heavy as stone, but then, in a sudden moment of clarity, I knew what I had to do and rose from my chair. “I have to go to the University Hospital. I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize. Go!” Viktoria encouraged me. “Or do you want someone to come with you? I work there and know the people.”

“No, it’s okay. Thanks. Maya is there.”

“Let us know as soon as you find out more,” Leo said.

Waving my hand in farewell, I snatched my jacket from the coat check and hurried out.