Aria’s POV
Francis trusted in deeply. The thought of that made my chest tighten.
I hesitated, my fingers curling around the phone. “Francis... you know I can’t officially return to court. My license was revoked when I was imprisoned.”
I said it plainly. No embellishnt. No sha, it was just fact.
There was silence on the other end.
Then, “Then I’ll appoint another lawyer,” he said after a mont. “Could you accompany them as an intern?”
I bit my lip.
Intern.
My wolf bristled faintly at the word, my pride pricking, but another feeling followed, gratitude. Francis had stood by when the world tore apart. I couldn’t turn away now.
“...Alright,” I said finally.
His relief was subtle but unmistakable. “Good.”
The call ended soon after.
When I arrived, Francis was dressed in white as usual, gold-rimd glasses perched neatly on his nose. They made him look even more scholarly, refined and distant.
“Aria,” he said, smiling gently. “I’ve contacted a lawyer. He’ll be here soon. You can discuss everything together.”
He handed a small tin. “Have so gummies while you wait.”
I froze.
Colorful candy, they were the sa brand I loved.
I used to keep them in my office drawers. They gave quick energy during endless cases, sothing to chew on when hunger was the last thing on my mind. I hadn’t touched them since I stopped practicing.
“You...” I started.
“I noticed them on your desk back then,” he said lightly, waving it off. “And I don’t like sweets. Take them.”
I hesitated, then accepted the tin.
Sothing warm stirred in my chest. My wolf softened.
A knock sounded at the door.
“Co in,” Francis said.
The door opened.
A woman entered, guiding an elderly man with a head full of white hair. Despite his age, his skin was smooth, marked only by faint lines around his eyes.
When the woman saw , her gaze flickered with surprise and recognition, before she quickly looked away, her eyes dropping to the candy tin.
I remained composed.
I vaguely recognized her, she was Francis’s assistant.
“You may leave,” Francis said.
She hesitated. “But... what about this lady?”
Francis’s gaze turned sharp and stormy.
The assistant didn’t wait for a reply.
“Attorney Stephan Morris?” Francis asked.
“That’s ,” the man replied.
Francis handed him the docunts. “This is everything we’ve collected. You’ll be working with her,” he gestured to . “She’ll be accompanying you as an intern legal assistant.”
Attorney Stephan turned toward .
His eyes widened.
“Y-you’re Attorney Aria?” he exclaid.
I felt a familiar flicker of awkwardness. With my history, recognition was unavoidable.
“I’m just here as an intern,” I said calmly.
He looked confused for a second.
Then he broke into a broad, genuine smile. “With Aria on our side, our chances of winning just increased significantly!”
I blinked, surprised.
My wolf tilted its head. This was interesting.
I rubbed the bridge of my nose sheepishly. After everything that had happened, I hadn’t expected respect, let alone praise.
Was he unaware of the storm my na has caused recently in Asterfell?
Francis didn’t look surprised at all by Stephan’s reaction.
Instead, he chuckled softly, the sound calm and knowing. “Yes, that’s her—Aria. Asterfell’s once-renowned young attorney.”
Once.
The word didn’t need to be said aloud. My wolf stirred faintly, neither proud nor ashad, just aware.
Attorney Stephan Morris nodded again and again, almost reverently, reaching out to shake my hand. His eyes were bright, crowded with emotions I couldn’t imdiately read. Awe, nostalgia, maybe even regret. It left him montarily speechless.
I could only offer an awkward smile in return.
Soon, the three of us were seated at my desk, docunts spread out before us. As I scanned through the files Francis had prepared, my mind slipped naturally back into its old rhythm. Legal logic ca as easily as breathing, like muscle mory my wolf never forgot.
This case wasn’t difficult.
The theft of research results was clear-cut. The only real complication lay in the Asterfell’s legal procedures which were more layered and political, but still manageable. Nothing insurmountable.
Whenever Stephan Morris hesitated, brows knitting in confusion, I offered a few quiet suggestions. Just a sentence or two.
Each ti, his eyes lit up.
“Ah—so that’s it!”
His admiration grew more obvious by the minute, to the point that my ears felt warm. I wasn’t used to this kind of attention anymore.
We worked straight through until my stomach gave a small, unmistakable protest.
I was hungry and it was Lunchti.
Francis suggested a nearby restaurant in the shopping district. My wolf agreed imdiately. Hunger made it restless, and I nodded without hesitation.
The restaurant Francis chose was elegant but understated. As we settled into our seats, my peripheral vision caught movent that made my eyes narrow slightly.
Sophia.
She was seated a short distance away, across from a man I recognized almost instantly.
It was Ken, her advisor.
So that’s where he crawled back to, my wolf mused coolly.
I watched them quietly. Ken’s face was twisted with barely restrained anger, punctuated by sharp, mocking laughter. Sophia, on the other hand, wore her usual mask...detached politeness, carefully asured concern. She poured him water, nodded at intervals, playing the attentive listener.
“What’s wrong?” Francis asked softly, following my gaze.
“Nothing,” I replied, lowering my eyes.
He glanced over anyway, catching Sophia’s fleeting look in my direction, but wisely chose not to comnt.
“Attorney Aria, you must try this,” Stephan said brightly, lifting his cutlery. “It’s the restaurant’s signature dish.”
I smiled and took a bite.
“Smooth, not greasy. Fresh and tender,” I said sincerely. “You have excellent taste, Attorney Stephan.”
That was all it took.
He lit up, launching enthusiastically into explanations of every dish on the table. I played along, tasting everything in the order he suggested, responding with genuine appreciation.
For a mont, it felt... normal.
Then shadows fell across the table.
Two figures stopped beside .
Sophia and Ken.
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