The Royal Contract

Instead of dwelling on his problem, he dealt with the cases piling on his desk. At least, he might solve his client's troubles if not his.

It took him some time to focus as his mind kept getting distracted. Thankfully, when he finally immersed himself in his work, he forgot everything else.

"Are you planning to burn the midnight oil?" His assistant teased him as she showed up with a bright smile at his office door.

Suddenly, she reminded him of the time. He automatically checked his watch, seeing it was beyond his working hours.

He guessed most of the staff had already left. However, he could not go home yet. He still had one more file to do, not wanting to leave it unfinished.
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"Not this night," Adam responded with a weak smile. "But you can go ahead. I will not be long anyway." He told his assistant, seeing that he would not need her anymore.

He had no plans to stay until midnight, but it might take him an hour, at the most, before he could pack his bag and leave.

Besides, she already had her bag on her shoulders, and the light on her table was off. She looked like she was ready to go home.

"Are you sure? I can stay if you still need something." She was ready to return to her desk, but he stopped her.

He insisted that she should go home and be with her family. He had no use for her anyway. He returned to his work, determined to finish sooner than later.

"Ok. I will see you in the morning." Her assistant said before she left for good.

He leaned back on his chair, dropping his pen and staring at the door. Something about what his assistant said had made him think.

Would he be here by morning? Did he still have a job? He still had to talk to his boss, who had not shown up all day or returned his calls.

"What have I got myself into?" He expelled air out of his lungs, feeling the frustration building up inside him.

He could not blame Roseann. She was not at fault. But he was. He believed it was he who should take all the responsibility.

He should not have drunk beyond his limit. It seemed he had been messing up every time he touched alcohol.

"Not now." He told himself, returning to the papers on his table. He could not do anything anyway. It was better to work on something he could control.

After thirty minutes, more or less, he closed the last folder on his table. He had done his review and assessment of the case.

He knew he should stand up, pack up and leave, but he just sat there, staring at nothing. It seemed his happiest moment had suddenly disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Serena..." The thought of her crossed his mind as her image gradually formed before him. Was it a hallucination? Of course, it was.

She called earlier, but he was in a meeting with a client. He knew he should have called back, but instead, he texted her.

"Damn! That was stupid." If he could punch his face, he would have.

Nonetheless, he felt like the worst asshole at that very moment, even though he never intentionally wished to hurt the most important woman in his life.

However, he had the chance to tell her, but doing it on the phone did not seem right. Should he fly to her so he could do it face-to-face?

Maybe that was the better option, but what about his job? He just started. He could not just leave again. But this was only work while she was his life.

"Man, you look like something just rolled over you." A voice stunned him from his private daze.

He looked up to find his other boss and friend, Evan, staring at him by the door. Then, he walked over to his office, not waiting for an invitation.

But, of course, why would he need one when he owned the place? Still, he was not expecting that he would still be in the office, let alone visit him at this hour.

"Evan, do you need something?" He asked, ignoring his comment. But he probably looked the way his friend described him. At least, he felt it.

He finally cleared his desk and put his things in his bag. He had nothing else to do in his office, so maybe it was time to return to his empty apartment.

Or?

"Did you finish all of this?" Evan pointed at the tower of folders on his table, making him realize his friend was still there.

He guessed until he could clear his conscience, he would not have any peace of mind. He was afraid he would always fall into this void.

Someday, he would fall too deep that he would find it hard to dig himself up. Then, eventually, he would be buried in the lie.

"Yeah," Adam replied like it was no deal, pulling his phone out of his drawer where he hid it.

He did not want to keep looking at it, afraid that he might call Serena and resort to telling her about his secret over the phone.

"You know you still have another week to work on this." He shook his head in disbelief.

He guessed, distracting himself from thinking of his mistake forced him to focus on his task. He could not have accomplished all that work if he had been busy thinking of the consequence of his actions.

"Why wait when I can do it now?" That had been his motto since he was young, and he was not about to change that.

But today, he had other reasons for working himself hard. However, he was not about to tell his friend that. He did not need to know what he did.

But he still hoped he could talk to his other friend. He needed to explain his side to David. His friend had to understand he had no intention of hurting his sister or cheating on her.

"True." His friend tapped the files before opening one of the folders to check his work. "It seems you are not just a fast worker but an efficient one." He commented after reading his assessment.

"Thanks." He accepted the compliment. "As I said before, I will not let you down." He had given his word.

He would work hard, even if he did not agree with some of his clients. As a lawyer, he knew he had to handle his cases without prejudice and defend them with his hundred percent, guilty or not.

"I know you will." Evan looked confident about him. He seemed convinced that he would not mess up. "And I believe you look like you could use a drink."

He appreciated that his friend would like to spend time with him. But after his last fiasco, he might not touch alcohol for a while.

He had learned his lessons the hard way. And he had no intention of repeating the same mistake, not if he could help it.

"Can I take a raincheck on that drink?" He did not like to decline his friend's invitation, but drinking did not seem a good idea. "I am a bit tired." Making his excuses.

He had never been a partygoer like Evan, but he still enjoyed spending time with his friends. However, today, he was not in the mood to talk to him.

He only had one person in mind that he would like to see at that moment. But she was thousands of miles away from him.

"Some other time then." His friend seemed to understand. "Well, I won't keep you. But I hope to see you tomorrow."

He could not tell if his friend could read his mind, but maybe it was a joke that he took seriously. Whatever it was, he knew his guilt was making him irrational.

Waving his hand, Evan left his office without saying another word. He also grabbed his things and walked out of his office.

He guessed he was ready to go home. But as he walked into his car, the idea of seeing Serena nagged at him. He could not stop thinking of her.

"This is crazy." Adam slumped on the wheel, resting his head on his arms. He was tired and frustrated. He had no idea what he should do.

Should he go home? Or was it better to drive to the airport and take the first available flight to see her? But the more he thought about it, the latter seemed to become more appealing.

He believed that if Serena discovered his transgression, it should come from his mouth, not from his brother or not the news.

"I want to book a flight to..." Adam said on the line, giving all his details to the airline. He was not wasting any more time.

After making the arrangement, he pulled his keys from his pocket and drove his vehicle out of the parking lot. Soon, he cruised on the moderate traffic, detailing his plans.

When he stopped at the red light, he remembered something. He quickly grabbed his phone again and dialed a number.

"Please get back to me. I hope we can talk." He left a message when the voice mail answered.

It seemed that his friend was not answering his call. But could he blame him? Still, he had to do something before he lost everything dear to him, especially the woman he loved.

Now, he had to beat his friend before it was too late.