Chapter 342
Chapter 342:
Without hesitation, Monica agreed to file the suit. Within forty-eight hours, Brendan had been appointed to represent her. She carefully tried to coax his client’s identity from him, but he kept it confidential. Convinced that Brendan’s involvement guaranteed victory, she had been blindsided when Kristine appeared in court with Nathan — a man who hadn’t been seen in legal circles for three years.
At that realization, Monica’s gaze turned cold and calculating.
“Baby.” Steven watched her shifting expression with nervous uncertainty, unable to read her thoughts. “We lost. Whoever has been pulling the strings won’t forgive us. If that recording goes public p>
Monica snapped back to the present and cast a weary glance at him. “I told you to investigate. Did you find out anything p>
Steven hesitated. Ever since the recording device had surfaced, Monica had been pressing him to trace the origins of the ceramic figurine, hoping it would lead them to whoever was behind all of this.
“Just say it,” she pressed. “After all our years together, there’s no reason to hold back now p>
Steven met her eyes once more before finally admitting, “About the ceramic figurine — it actually belonged to Lincoln p>
Monica’s face changed instantly. “What did you just say p>
Stepping out of the bar, Kristine felt as though she had been given a new lease on life. The streaks left by her earlier tears had already dried on her cheeks.
“I’m heading home,” she said, waving and flashing Asher a bright smile.
W𝗲 𝗎𝗽d𝘢𝘁𝘦 𝘦𝘃e𝘳𝘺 we𝖾𝗄 𝗈𝗇 𝘨а𝘭𝗻о𝗏е𝘭ѕ.cо𝘮
Asher gave a small nod, kept his eyes on her as she walked away, then finally turned to go.
As he wheeled around, he noticed Cameron standing quietly behind him. Though it caught him off guard, his expression remained composed.
“Well, well — it seems our lifelong bachelor is finally falling for someone,” Cameron said with a grin.
Asher fixed him with a frosty look. “Don’t bring that up in front of Kristine p>
Cameron looked mildly taken aback, lifting an eyebrow as he watched Asher wheel himself toward the bar. After a brief pause, he fell into step behind him and took over pushing the chair. “No wonder she soaked your shirt with tears and you barely flinched. You even seemed gentler than usual. Think about it — the last time that actress tried to cry on your shoulder, you told her to leave immediately p>
Asher turned his head with deliberate slowness and fixed Cameron with a blank stare.
His eyes gave nothing away, but Cameron could feel the fury simmering beneath the surface. He swiftly ran two fingers across his lips as if sealing them shut. “Not another word from me. Enjoy your drink.” He turned and walked away without hesitation.
Yet, as he rounded the corner, he couldn’t resist glancing back at Asher sitting alone. A faint, amused smile tugged at his lips. After years of friendship, he had never once seen Asher bring a woman into his world. Even though nothing had been said aloud, Cameron sensed a genuine shift — the man who always kept his distance was finally letting someone in. He found himself wondering, with quiet amusement, what Asher would be like as someone’s partner.
The thought still on his mind, Cameron headed cheerfully toward the exit.
He had taken only a few strides when his expression fell.