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Elara wasn’t surprised by Natalie’s reaction. She admired Natalie’s patience for lasting this long. “I see.” 

Natalie sighed. “Aren’t you working at a law firm? Can you introduce me to your firm’s best attorney?” 

“Have you talked this over with Curtis?” Elara asked, curious. 

Natalie nodded. “I have, but he won’t agree. He says I’m heartless, that his mom’s only acting this way because of her illness. But honestly, I can’t take it anymore. 

“Even though we’re financially stable, it’s just the overwhelming negativity, you know? Every time I go home, without doing a single thing, there she is, crying in front of me, saying the most depressing stuff. 

“It’s like my luck has taken a hit. All I run into these days are bad situations. So, can you find me a good attorney? If it comes down to it, I might just have to file for divorce.” 

“Alright,” Elara agreed. 

The next day, Elara went straight to see Hazel at work and told him about Natalie’s case. Hazel agreed to take it on, and Elara arranged a meeting between them. Hazel, a seasoned lawyer with many years at the firm, left Natalie feeling quite reassured. 

Things seemed to be going smoothly. But, on the second day, Elara found out that Hazel had assigned the assistant attorney role for this case to Adair. Hazel was planning to have Adair assist with the case, and Elara wasn’t pleased. 

Natalie’s situation mattered to her, and it wasn’t often she had a chance to get involved in a substantial case. So, without hesitation, she headed straight to Hazel’s office, 

After knocking and receiving permission to enter, she stepped inside to find Adair standing by. 

Dressed in a sharp professional suit with her hair tied back in a high ponytail, Adair glanced at Elara, then turned to Hazel “Well, Hazel, I’ll be on my way.” 

“Go on,” Hazel replied. Once Adair had left, he turned his attention to Elara. “What’s up?” 

“I introduced you to Natalie’s divorce case. I want to work on it,” Elara stated. 

Since she was still in her probationary period, she needed to be involved in a certain number of cases to even have a chance at transitioning to full practice. She wasn’t about to let anyone take this opportunity from her. 

Hazel looked at her and said, “You’ll still receive your bonus for bringing in the case. You’ve been running around nonstop. You must be tired.” 

“I’m not afraid of a little hard work,” she replied. “But if you wont let me work on this, I’ll just have to refer Natalie’s case to someone else.” 

Hazel’s expression shifted, a hint of irritation showing. “And what’s that supposed to mean? Do you think just because you brought me a case, you get to call the shots? 

“Telling me how to run things? It’s a divorce case, not exactly groundbreaking. You’re new here, fresh out of school. What’s with the rush to prove yourself? You should be focusing on learning the basics.” 

“Then why doesn’t Adair need to focus on learning? You’re constantly assigning her to cases. I’m only given menial tasks,” Elara retorted. 

Hazel scoffed. “You’re comparing yourself to Adair? She’s from overseas.” 

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“And so what if she is?” Elara shot back. 

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She knew people like him were everywhere. Those who worshiped anything foreign. The more capable they were, the more they seemed to idolize anything from abroad. It grated on her nerves. 

After all, she’d graduated from Queensun University, which was no small feat either. 

Hazel sighed, seeing her resistance. “I have other things to handle shortly, so let’s wrap this up. If you want to learn, then do as I say. Keep at it daily, and you’ll have your chance eventually. 

“Oh, learn by running errands and fetching coffee, right? If that’s the case, I could hire help from home,” Elara countered. 

Hazel eyed her with an unimpressed look. “And what, a servant makes you special? In Starfield City, wealthy families are a dime a dozen. Who do you think you are?” 

“Then I guess Adair’s family isn’t just wealthy? Is that why you’re bending over backward for her, bowing down to power, not just money?” Elara replied sharply. 

Though she understood the reality of it, it still made her seethe. Hazel stared at her, his face stiff. Her bluntness irked him, though he didn’t feel he was in the wrong. 

“If you had Adair’s connections, you’d be given the same opportunities. Don’t slander her. These are just the complaints of the young and idealistic. Once you mature a bit, you’ll see that what I’m doing is how smart people operate,” Hazel replied. 

He thought back to Ziva, who had once been so confident and unstoppable, a prodigy, really. But in the end, she’d had to face reality. Hazel had no intention of going down that path. 

“If that’s the case, then I’ll find another lawyer to handle the case!” Elara said firmly. As Elara finished speaking, she turned to 

leave. 

“Wait,” Hazel called after her. Elara stopped and looked back at him. 

Hazel had stood up and walked over to her, adopting a tone that was almost paternal. “Do you have any idea why I’m bringing Adair onto this case? She has connections. Even if this case ends up offending the Kerwin family, she can handle it.” 

In this place, people were always afraid of stepping on the wrong toes. Adair’s connections were solid, and Hazel couldn’t afford to ignore that. 

Elara found his explanation almost amusing. “And what makes you think I don’t have connections?” 

If only she were licensed, she’d have considered handling the case herself by now. 

Hazel chuckled at her comment. “What connections could you possibly have, Elara? What? Are you from some powerful family in Starfield City? Around here, money alone doesn’t count for much.” 

“If you’re just not up to the job, then say so.” Elara shot back. “Or is it that you’ve gotten so used to leaning on other people’s connections for your cases? Is that all you’re capable of these days?” 

“Watch your mouth! You think I wasn’t like you once, so full of idealism?” Hazel snapped, “You clearly haven’t experienced the real world yet. Just get out. If you’ve got a problem, find someone else to take the case.” 

Outside of their law firm, very few lawyers would even consider taking on a case like this. The firm’s high status was largely thanks to its owner, Evelyn. The Hawthorne family was untouchable around here. 

Once Hazel got involved in a case, it was off–limits for anyone else. This case was staying with him, no matter what. Exasperated, Elara left Hazel’s office. 

She went to see Cynthia, hoping to learn more about Hazel from her. 

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But Cynthia said, “If you don’t want him handling the case, you might have to find someone outside the firm. Even then, good luck finding anyone. Since Ziva’s loss, hardly anyone’s willing to take on divorce cases for these high–powered families.” 

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Elara frowned, realizing she hadn’t understood just how deeply her mother’s past case had affected this circle. Seeing Elara’s worried expression, Cynthia added, “But there might be another way.” 

“What is it?” Elara asked. 

“Isn’t Adair trying to play the connections game with you? Why not just have your boyfriend say a word? No need to handle all this alone.” Cynthia suggested. 

After years of being Elara’s roommate, Cynthia, along with Quarry, knew all about her relationship with Lysander. Jacqueline was constantly trying to cozy up to Elara, so it wasn’t hard to figure out. 

For a moment, Elara was taken aback. She’d specifically gone through the interview process on her own, wanting to avoid relying on Lysander’s influence. But now, reality was making her question her approach. 

After work, Lysander came to pick her up. Climbing into the car Elara looked at him and said, “I told you not to come pick me up. I can get home on my own.”