After confirming the time with Edward, Ariel arranged to meet at Faye Technologies.
When Edward arrived and saw Ariel, he gave her a quick once–over.
The last time they had met had been at the courthouse. He could tell she had changed noticeably
since then.
By now, many outsiders had already heard about Ariel’s work at Faye Technologies.
This was her first real breakthrough in academia.
Many people had heard about her one–shot rise to fame after presenting her research paper at Ashford University.
“Ms. Walker, it’s been a long time,” Edward said, stepping forward to shake her hand.
Ariel stood to greet him and asked Cassidy to bring in some coffee.
“Good to see you again, Mr. Graham. I’m sure you’ve already heard about my case.”
Edward nodded as he sat down, then spoke matter–of–factly, “I reviewed the files from the firm when I was in Lockewin a few days ago, so I’ve got a general idea.
“As you know, Ms. Walker, intellectual property cases aren’t something most lawyers want to be involved in. It’s not that they’re necessarily hard, but the lines are often blurry, and that makes them complicated.”
“I understand. I do have evidence, but I’m not just after one or two of Sarah’s pieces. I want to go after most of her early works.”
Ariel made her stance clear. If it were just that one painting, it would have been simple.
Edward nodded again, unbothered. “Complex doesn’t mean unmanageable. Since you came to me, I’ll do everything I can to not disappoint you.”
They discussed the necessary steps for the case in detail, and Ariel was willing to cooperate on all points.
Edward said, “If you trust me, you can leave this case to me.”
Ariel gave a faint smile. “I trust your professionalism, Mr. Graham.”
After saying that, she looked at him and asked directly, “But I need to ask, Mr. Graham, you do know who Nancy and Sarah are, don’t you?”
Edward met her gaze evenly. “Are you asking whether I’m willing to risk offending Mr. Larkin by taking this case?”
Ariel pressed her lips together. It was a necessary consideration.
Edward gathered the documents from the table before answering slowly, “I’m not worried. Mr.
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Larkin won’t mind. This is simply a professional agreement between you and me.”
He seemed completely unfazed, and Ariel noted that he really didn’t appear to care about Nancy’s connection to Jayson.
That gave her some relief.
If Edward had shown even the slightest hesitation, she would have reconsidered entirely.
When their meeting wrapped up, Edward stood and nodded. “Ms. Walker, let’s keep in close contact. If you get any new evidence, let me know right away.”
“Alright. Thank you, Mr. Graham.”
Once she saw Edward out, Ariel finally let out a breath. With his abilities, things should go relatively smoothly. Still, she was prepared for a long fight.
That afternoon, Ariel learned something new.
Sarah’s contract with Westvale Gallery had been terminated, and she now faced a massive penalty for breach of contract.
It was an inside scoop brought to her by Cecilia.
However, Ariel felt that such a penalty probably wasn’t a big deal to Nancy and Sarah. Based on past experience, Jayson would take care of it for them.
That wasn’t what concerned her.
All she cared about was winning the lawsuit and making sure Sarah and Nancy paid the price.
After all, Nancy had been enjoying the wealth Sarah provided, never once feeling guilty, even though she knew the truth. She was the biggest beneficiary, and that meant she was far from
innocent.
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