Chapter Forty-Nine

Diane stared at Will after she hung up her office phone. He was going through some notes for one of her current cases. Even though it would take some time for him to join the firm officially, she figured she would make some use of him being there already.

"Chris is back from court," she said and could see how the previous anger appeared on Will's face again.

"Then it's time. Want me to go with you?" he offered, his voice contradicting the shown feelings.

"No, I need to do this on my own."

He gave her an encouraging smile which Diane tried to return then she took a huge breath and the pictures in her hand and walked out the office.

She knocked on the glass of Chris's office, but didn't wait for any reply before she entered.

"We need to talk," she said and closed the door behind her.

"Is there something wrong?" Chris either pretended to be unaware of the events or he really had no idea Diane already knew. She didn't even consider the possibility that he could have been innocent, all the evidence pointed in the opposite direction.

"Could you please explain me these?" Diane placed the pictures on his desk and Chris only stared at the top photo for a short moment before he raised his eyes back on Diane.

"I just had some drinks with an old friend," he shrugged.

"An old friend who just happened to ruin our firm's reputation yesterday? What did you two possibly have to talk about after all that?" Diane tried to keep her voice low, hold her anger back, caused by his behavior.

"Are you accusing me of something?" Chris on the other hand didn't even show a hint of uneasiness.

"Why did you meet him?" Diane asked directly this time, hoping for an honest answer.

"What do you want to hear?"

"The truth," she looked him in the eye and tried to make him understand that the game was already over.

"I have a feeling you already know the truth," Chris gave in just like that and bent his head down, "I'm sorry."

It wasn't the first time she accused him of something, his apology reminded her of several similar ones from the past. He'd always thought apologizing would automatically make everything right at once, but it wasn't that easy to forgive this time.

"I just want to know why. Was it revenge? That's why you offered to work for me? Have you been planning this all along?"

"No, I just felt that you didn't really want me here," he sounded hurt and it just made Diane even more angry.

"That is not true."

"Then Will didn't want me here, all the same."

"Don't you dare pin this on him," she raised her voice, "This is your own mess. If you wanted to leave you should have said so, why do this to me? Do you hate me so much?"

"I don't hate you, I could never hate you, I was just angry and their offer was irrefutable," he tried to explain himself, but it was too late for this.

"I hope it was worth it," Diane said and turned around because she already felt some tears in her eyes, she didn't want to show any weakness in front of him.

"Diane," he called her name, but she took a step forward.

"You have one hour to clean out your office," she said decisively and walked out the door.

By the time she entered her office she managed to fight the need to cry yet again. Chris disappointed her so much, but he wasn't worth those tears. She'd thought they would have been able to work together after all those years, but it turned out to be a bad decision hiring him. Luckily for Diane, she always learnt from her mistakes.

"What happened?" Will turned to her.

"He'll be gone in an hour," she said as she walked back to her chair and sat down.

"I'm sorry," he tried to keep an understanding face.

"No, you're not," she smiled, "That's what you've wanted all along," she sounded calm already, what had happened happened, now they had to start concentrating on the bright side of things.

"I get what I want you get what you want, it's basically a win-win."

"What do you mean what I want?"

"Me, in that office on the other end of the corridor, and there's still a week until Christmas, looks like your present arrived early this year."

"Looks like it," she replied with a smile.

At last she felt that this nightmare was over and she knew that there was nothing they wouldn't be able to achieve as long as they're together.