When the police chief heard the name of Victor Donovan's client, the most popular lawyer in the country, he almost didn't believe his ears.
His jaw nearly dropped to the ground, and he struggled to control his surprise from showing on his face.
"Pa-pardon me!" He tried to compose himself,
“Actually, Mr. Donovan, I have been busy with a new case and I think I must have imagined that perp’s name from your mouth. Do you mind repeating yourself?”
Victor Donovan was visibly irritated, but still repeated;
“My client is Matthew Houston."
The chief went silent, trying to understand the unexpected turn of events.
"Is there a problem?"
Donovan asked, his tone sharp.
Clearing his throat, the chief quickly replied,
"No, no problem at all! But, Mr. Donovan, why don't we sit in my office while we wait?"
Donovan glanced at his watch and sighed. "Fine, but I want to make it quick.”
Once they were inside his office and the situation was a little controlled, the chief was a little more relaxed.
“Mr. Donovan, will you have coffee? Or some fruit juice–”
"I want to see my client.” Victor snapped, running out of patience.
The chief cleared his throat awkwardly.
“Actually, I'm not sure you realize Mr. Dovovan, but Matthew Houston can't be released. He is an uncontrolled and possibly unstable man, who might be a threat to society."
Donovan's face hardened.
"I don't think you understand me. Matthew Houston is my client, and I have every intention of securing his release within the next fifteen minutes.”
“But, Mr. Donovan," the chief stammered, "the protocol in these circumstances—"
"I don’t care about your protocol or your circumstances," Donovan interrupted. "Mr. Matthew Houston has the right to bail, and I expect you to grant him that right.”
The chief felt himself getting stuck deeprr and deeper in trouble. He knew Donovan's reputation, and also the consequences of defying him. But he couldn't ignore Micheal Bale, either!
“Mr. Donovan, I'm trying to explain that Mr. Houston—"
Donovan cut him off, his tone icy.
"Chief, maybe you're not aware of who you're dealing with. I've won cases against men far more powerful than a police chief, so I suggest you cooperate before this becomes an even bigger problem for you.”
He leaned forward, staring at the chief.
"I can assure you, if my client isn't released immediately, I will make sure that every media outlet in the country knows how this station handles its prisoners and its visitors. Do you want to explain to the media, why you're violating the rights of an innocent man?"
The chief swallowed hard, feeling a cold sweat trickling down his forehead.
“That won't be necessary, Mr. Donovan.”
The lawyer leaned back as he turned to one of the officers standing by the door.
"Bring Matthew Houston here. He needs to sign the release form."
The officer nodded and hurried out of the room.
A few minutes later, Matthew stumbled into the chief's office, a little unsteady on his feet.
Back inside the interrogation room, he had just been splashed with water some minutes ago, to bring him back to consciousness.
As a result, he was still a little dizzy. His car washer's uniform was stained with sweat and blood in various spots, narrating the story of his suffering in the prison cell.
Victor Donovan took one look at Matthew's injuries and his face darkened with rage.
"Chief, care to explain why my client is in this condition?"
The chief shifted uncomfortably in his plush leather chair.
"Actually, I had to... we had to take certain measures to um… subdue him–”
"Subdue him! He's not a violent criminal, for God's sake. He's just a man who got into an altercation. This is too much!”
The chief raised his hands in a placating gesture.
"Mr. Donovan, you have to understand. We were under immense pressure. The man who brought him here is very influenti–”
“I. Don't. Care. Do you really think that your so-called pressure justifies the abuse of a man in your custody? I am warning you, you have offended the wrong family."
He turned around abruptly and stormed out of the office, pulling out his phone to make a call. The chief watched him go with confusion evident on his face.
He couldn’t understand why such a famous lawyer would be so angry over an insignificant car washer. How important could he really be…?
He turned his head to the other side to look at Matthew, who stood there, swaying slightly, his face a mask of pain and exhaustion.
The chief couldn't understand why such a famous lawyer was so furious over an insignificant car washer. How important could Matthew really be? He looked at Matthew, who clearly didn't seem remarkable at all. If he was truly someone important, why would he have allowed Michael Bale to drag him here and then get beaten up?
The lawyer strode back into the room, ready to take Matthew away.
“Hello, Mr. Houston. I am Victor Donovan, your lawyer."
Saying this, he handed Matthew a fountain pen, presenting the papers and pointing at a few places, asking him silently to sign there.
When Matthew was being brought here, he thought he was in more trouble, but he couldn't believe this… he was getting bail? But who had bailed him out?
The chief's phone rang, interrupting his thoughts. He picked it up, his expression turning to one of panic as he heard the voice on the other end.
“What is this that I'm hearing! How dare you hurt a Houston family member?”
The person on the other side shouted, knowing that the police chief would recognize him without any introduction.
The chief's face went pale. He stood up, stammering,
"Forgive me, councilman Brown! I... I didn't know that—"
"Enough!" the councilman cut him off. "You have made a blunder, and just a simple sorry won't do anything. You are relieved of your duties, effective immediately."
The chief's knees buckled on their own, and he dropped to the floor, his face a mask of terror. He looked at Matthew, his eyes wide with fear.
"Please, Mr. Houston!" he begged, tears streaming down his face. "I didn't know… I swear, I didn't know! Please, please forgive me. I beg you!"
Victor Donovan looked at the police chief with disgust as he groveled in fear and desperation, asking for forgiveness. He gestured for Matthew to step forward, and he did the same, ignoring the pathetic cries of the corrupt chief.The doctor escorted Matthew out with respect, his respectful demeanor seemed very odd to Matthew, especially after the hostile environment they were leaving behind. They collected Mathew’s belongings: a mobile phone and a watch. Matthew looked down at his car washing uniform with complicated emotions before picking up his old watch and mobile phone. He had been fired from his job, and had barely $50 in his account… What was he going to do now? Where was he even going to go? And how was he going to pay this lawyer's fee?!Matthew stepped outside the police station, but before he could ask anything, Mr. Donovan led him towards a sleek, luxury car. "Please, get in." Victor Donovan opened the door for Matthew.He settled into the plush seat, the unfamiliar
As Matthew and Victor entered the opulent reception hall, Max Delacroix's eyes immediately locked onto Matthew's attire. His lip curled in disgust."Good God, what are you wearing?" Max sneered, looking Matthew up and down. "Did you pull those rags out of a dumpster? I've seen homeless people with better fashion sense."Matthew's face flushed with anger. "You have no right to judge a man by his clothes," he retorted, his voice tight with indignation.Without warning, Max roughly shoved Matthew, causing him to stumble off the sofa. "People like you should know their place. On the ground, where you belong."He puffed out his chest with pride as he said the next words. "But if it isn't, then you should also know that I have a close relationship with the Houston family. In fact, I'm here to discuss business and cooperation; although I didn't expect to be disrespected like this! After all, why would someone ask me to sit in the reception hall with a lowly beggar like you?”Max's superiori
The reception hall suddenly became alive with a flutter of murmurs and activity as Lady Houston arrived into the reception hall. She was nearly seventy, but in spite of her advanced age and bent stature, she had a powerful aura. There was determination, strictness and dignity on her wrinkled face, and her presence was enough to command the respect of everyone present there. However, at this moment, she was nearly invisible behind the wall of tall and strong bodyguards that surrounded her, shielding her from everyone's eyes. Max Delacroix, seeing the matriarch approach, eagerly rushed forward to greet her and make a good impression. After all, he was always ready to take advantage of a good opportunity. Pushing through the people around her, Max began."A very good afternoon, Lady Houston. What a blessing to be able to meet you out here—" But Lady Houston completely ignored him, her gaze fixed ahead, like she hadn't even heard him. One of the bodyguards shoved Max aside, clearing
Max's mouth went dry. "Dad, I... I can explain. They overreacted to a simple confusion, I didn't mean to—""Really? That's all you have to say, that you didn't mean it? Max, you idiot! How will I ever die in peace, knowing that a disaster- maker like you is going to be my heir?”Max was stunned into silence. Meanwhile, his father's voice boomed. “Do you have any idea what you've done? All our partners are claiming they can't work with us because you offended the Houston family! If that happens, there won't be anything left for you to inherit, except a mountain of debt!""Dad, I—""Save it!" Lucas Delacroix cut him off angrily. "I have no doubt that your careless actions must have offended someone important. So shut up and listen to me! Go back right now, and beg for forgiveness. I don't care what it takes, go on your knees, grovel, whatever! Do whatever you have to, to make this right. Fix it by tonight, or don't bother coming back!" The call ended abruptly, leaving Max standing th
"What's impossible, Matt?" asked Lady Houston.Matthew just scratched his head. "I just still feel like this is a dream."He felt as if the world around him was turned upside down. He never imagined his life could change this quickly. Lady Houston gently rubbed Matthew's shoulder. "This is real, My Grandson."Matthew was too stunned to accept the fact, like being hit by a tsunami wave that came without warning. "This...this can't be," he whispered, his eyes glued to the bank card his grandmother was holding. Lady Houston smiled faintly, her wrinkled yet stern eyes looking directly into Matthew's. "As the heir to a billion-dollar fortune, it is imperative that you learn to spend your money wisely. Take this in stride, my grandson."With a tremor of his hand, Matthew reached for the card, feeling the weight of responsibility suddenly falling on his shoulders. Lady Houston nodded understandingly, realizing the burden Matthew now had to carry. "You have time to adjust. But remember, thi
Matthew's hands trembled slightly as he aimed the power washer at the mud-splattered sedan in front of him. The roar of the machine drowned out most of the world, but he could still feel his phone, buzzing in the pocket of his uniform. He saw Ashley's name on the screen, heart skipping a beat. She wasn't feeling well this morning, was something wrong? He quickly picked up the call,"Hey sweetie”"Listen, I'm at the mall with my friends and I want to buy a diamond bracelet for myself. Since you never buy me anything anyway, just send me $300 and I'll consider it a well deserved gift." Ashley’s voice snapped on the other side, sounding impatient.There was a frown on Matthew's face, but he still spoke in an upbeat tone,"Okay, sweetie."Before he could finish, the line went dead. Ashley had hung up.With a sigh, he opened his banking app. The balance stared back at him: $200.89. He didn't have enough money to buy her the bracelet.It was just a matter of $300, was he so worthless that
Matthew stood with one hand on the window of the car, his mind swirling with frustration and anger. He had doubted that the voice was Ashley's, and maybe even that underwearHis girlfriend, whom he valued more than the most precious gemstone, was cheating on him shamelessly!As the thought arrived in his mind, Matthew couldn’t hold it in any longer.“Ashley," he called out, his voice trembling with emotion. "How could you do this to me?! You cheated on me! And you even came here with another guy? Why, Ashley! Didn't I love you enough, or did you never love me back?”Ashley stammered, her eyes wide with shock and confusion. "You! How… did you…"But as her gaze fell on the emerald bracelet on her wrist, that Michael had bought her just some minutes ago, her hesitation evaporated. She met Matthew's eyes with a cold sneer as she spoke;"Yes! Yes to both those things. Your love was never enough for me, because just this stupid feeling called love can't give me the lifestyle I deserve. An
At the police station, a crowd of onlookers and policemen had gathered outside the chief's office. After all, Michael Bale had just dragged someone inside, and the air was thick with whispers and murmurs about what was going on. Although, through the closed door, only shouts and abuses could be heard.Inside the office, Michael was pacing furiously, his face red with rage. “This fucking maggot had the audacity to hit me. Me! Mr. Bowen, I'm sure you will teach him a good lesson, because if it was up to me, I would have killed him then and there, and buried his worthless corpse where nobody would ever find him! But I have faith in you—"The police chief, Mr. Bowen, raised his hands in a calming gesture. “Mr. Bale, please be rest assured, everything will happen the way you want. If you want, he will never even see the open sky again."Michael smirked, a cruel glint in his eyes. "Maybe that's what will serve him right. He deserves to rot in jail!" He turned towards Matthew, who was sl