Page 37 of The Monster and the Masochist

“I’m assuming this means I didn’t make partner?” I asked dryly, and both Edmund and Vivian’s expressions became infuriatingly amused.

“Have a seat, Cassandra,” Vivian said, taking a dainty sip from a tea cup she must have poured from Edmund’s personal beverage cart. “We have much to discuss.”

The only seat available was next to Nolan, and my skin crawled with revulsion as I folded myself neatly into the supple leather.

Taking great care to tuck myself as far away from him as possible, I smoothed out my skirt and crossed my feet neatly at the ankles.

“You get home alright?” Nolan asked softly, giving me a tentative smile.

I returned his look with a cool nod, but chose not to respond.

His mouth grew tight at my dismissal, and his brow furrowed in concern.

“Now that you’re both here, we can begin,” Edmund said, leaning on the arm of the opposing couch next to Vivian.

“As you’re both aware, we’ve been working toward acquiring a new celebrity client. Reverend Elias Sterling.”

My eye twitched, but I kept my expression blank as Edmund continued.

“Sterling was following the Steele case closely and was immensely impressed with our firm’s defense. He’s seeking representation in a civil litigation involving allegations of misconduct.”

The monster in my chest growled.

Our firm’s defense? He made it sound like it had been a team effort.

That had been one hundred percent me!

Vivian smiled at Edmund before turning her gaze to us.

“I spent some time last night looking into the allegations,” Nolan drawled, and I allowed myself to glance at him, my heart pounding in my chest. “They’re… extensive.”

I already had an idea of where this was going, and I was not on board.

Edmund nodded. “Yes. It will be a challenging case, but nothing we can’t handle here at Sinclair and Morrissy.”

I narrowed my eyes.

My mother had been a religious nutcase. I had very little interest in representing some evangelical preacher who spent his time indoctrinating the masses with the types of ideologies that had been the reason my siblings and I had spent our childhoods locked up in cages.

“There’s a difference between a challenge and a losing case,” Nolan replied dryly, his gaze darting toward me again.

I kept my face strategically blank.

“Well, we know that ‘losing’ isn’t in either of your vocabularies. Vivian and I would like the two of you to represent him in his upcoming lawsuit.”

It took everything in me not to leap to my feet.

“Excuse me?” I asked tightly.

I looked at Nolan, gauging whether he had anything to do with this, but he looked just as irritated as I did.

Both Edmund and Vivian’s eyes were twinkling with mischief.

“As you know, we’re looking to add a new partner to the firm. The two of you have both shown exemplary success in the past three years. We thought this might be a good opportunity to see the two of you work as a team. Depending on how this case goes, Vivian will have what we need to make a final decision.”

Nolan had been right.

Rage.