CHAPTER 120: CHAPTER 119: RECONCILIATION

The next morning, Sienna Thornton was about to take Rochelle Linwood to meet the people from DK when the minister knocked and entered, smiling as he said, "Thornton, the DK case has been resolved!"

Sienna Thornton didn’t understand for a moment and asked, "What happened?"

The minister chuckled, found a chair to sit down, and said, "DK and SY discussed overnight and came up with another set of settlement plans. It’s said that both parties are very satisfied. DK now wants to hand over their Greater Coria business to us. The consulting fee is this..."

He held up his index finger.

Sienna Thornton understood but said nothing.

The minister said, "You should go to DK later and remember to bring the consulting contract. Sign it today, lest something unexpected happens."

Sienna Thornton agreed. After seeing the minister off, she waved to Rochelle Linwood, who quickly came in.

"SY itself settled with DK. The previous settlement agreement is no longer valid. Get ready." Sienna Thornton instructed.

Rochelle Linwood responded with a "Yes" but was quite perplexed. It wasn’t until they got in the car that she said, "I initially thought this case would drag on for a year or so. I didn’t expect it to be resolved overnight."

Sienna Thornton was focused on driving and didn’t respond.

Her sunglasses covered most of her face, the exposed lower half expressionless, a stark contrast to the half-joking, half-teasing tone she usually liked to use. These days she was particularly silent and serious.

Given the atmosphere, Rochelle Linwood wisely didn’t say much.

The car stopped in the basement of an office building in the CBD.

Sienna Thornton kept her sunglasses on even after entering the elevator, remaining silent. Before exiting the elevator, she cleared her throat, ruffled her hair, straightened her back, and, taking a long step, walked out.

Rochelle Linwood followed behind her, and they found DK’s temporary office space in one of the units.

The person in charge of DK Greater Coria received them. The other party was an American Chinese, fluent in Chinese, but appeared listless, yawning non-stop, with dark circles under his eyes.

Sienna Thornton initially thought the person might be a drug addict but didn’t expect him to say, "I discussed matters with SY’s Mr. Forrester last night and didn’t get any sleep. Sorry for the embarrassing appearance, Lawyer Thornton."

Sienna Thornton smiled but said nothing, feeling a sinking sensation inside.

Even the DK legal staffer, a man, joked, "Your big boss meeting all night, surely wasn’t just about business."

The person in charge gave an ambiguous look, disregarding the presence of ladies, and laughed lewdly, "What else can two big men do together, of course, they went all the way..." As he spoke, they started discussing which nightclubs in Brimfield had girls with good quality.

Sienna Thornton’s heart kept sinking, settling into a cold, hard place.

After drafting the initial contract and having it reviewed, Sienna Thornton and Rochelle Linwood returned to the law firm.

As soon as the car door shut, Rochelle Linwood couldn’t hold back any longer and exclaimed, "DK really hit the jackpot this time."

Sienna Thornton didn’t utter a word.

DK’s willingness to give up on demanding Simon Forrester’s public apology was because Simon Forrester offered to help them design their new CBD office building in Brimfield and hand over the "Forrester Group’s" domestic online creative business to them.

Such conditions were like a pie falling from the sky for DK, who was preparing to enter the domestic creative market. Of course, they gladly accepted it.

Sienna Thornton felt complicated emotions, a myriad of feelings intertwined.

Simon Forrester and SY could safely navigate this PR crisis, and she felt relieved;

Yet he took on an unwelcome case, leaving her helpless for him;

Due to a personal career crisis, Simon Forrester dragged "Forrester Group’s" online creative business down – how many people in the board because of this held grudges against him, Sienna Thornton didn’t know, but she worried for him;

Moreover, due to social commitments, Simon Forrester sought out women with DK’s Greater Coria person in charge, and she felt disgusted as if she’d swallowed a fly;

Ultimately, Simon Forrester wanted her to go easy on this case – she finally saw him clearly, they could no longer have a future.

The car sped along the road, myriad thoughts filled Sienna Thornton’s mind, yet she didn’t utter a word.

On the other hand, unclear of the reasons, Rochelle Linwood comforted, "Don’t be mad, try to let it go."

Underneath the sunglasses, her perfectly shaped red lips moved slightly, "Angry about what?"

Rochelle Linwood contemplated, "Strictly speaking, DK came for you, and the DK case was resolved by you, but the firm gave DK’s consulting business to the minister. I feel it’s unfair to you."

Sienna Thornton’s gaze remained focused on the road ahead, her hand casually on the steering wheel, as she replied with a smile, "DK must sign with a team; of course, it’d be with the minister. Anyway, I’m part of the team too, it’s the same."

"But the minister didn’t do anything, why should he get the lion’s share?!"

Sienna Thornton took a deep breath, her tone rather helpless, "All law firms worldwide are the same, speaking from experience, there’s no escaping the seniority grind. I’ve already come to terms with it."

Though saying so, she still felt discontent in her heart, only she didn’t show it.

She too wanted to sign her own corporate clients and lead a team. But those were matters for the future.

It was another Friday.

Sienna Thornton’s work schedule was packed today.

The DK and SY reconciliation agreement, DK and Forrester Group’s signing ceremony, all were set in the Forrester Group’s meeting room, as required by the Forrester Group.

Sienna Thornton hadn’t been to the Forrester Group before. She followed the navigation without getting lost but, close to the destination, encountered a major accident, causing the entire main road traffic to be paralyzed, prompting her to quickly make a U-turn.

The car entered the Forrester Group compound with only ten minutes left until the signing ceremony.

Sienna Thornton couldn’t help but feel nervous, her palms slightly sweaty, heart racing.

Rochelle Linwood withdrew her gaze and exclaimed, "No wonder they’re contributing a quarter of the province’s GDP! Look at that towering building..."

Sienna Thornton didn’t respond, found a spot to reverse park the car, got out, took the bag Rochelle Linwood handed over, and walked towards the elevator. While waiting, she noticed Simon Forrester’s black S90 parked next to a row of luxury cars near the elevator.

Simon Forrester’s status in the Forrester Group was evident.

The elevator ascended, and through the shining mirror-like elevator walls, Sienna Thornton examined herself.

A white sleeveless round-neck fitted blouse, its hem tucked into a black knee-length pencil skirt, highlighted her perfect waist-to-hip ratio. The exposed section of her calf was long, slim, proportionate, and straight, with feet donned in elegant lambskin pointed heels.

Her makeup was flawless, long bangs parted three to seven, tied into a medium-height Korean style ponytail, with a few strands falling by her jaw, accentuating her already perfect face shape.

She straightened her back, adjusted her collar, and just as the elevator opened, she drew a deep breath, lowering her chin slightly, and revealed her usual bright and radiant smile.

"Click-click-click..." The sound of high heels echoed powerfully in the corridor, pausing shortly after in front of a large conference room.

Sienna Thornton tightened her grip on her handbag, curled her index finger, and knocked twice lightly.

The moment the door opened, she saw a once-familiar face now seeming strange.

The smile on her lips froze briefly, then she raised it again, "I am Lawyer Sienna Thornton from Vantage."

Simon Forrester slightly lowered his gaze to look at her, his face showing no emotion, making his eyes feel sharp, as if trying to pierce straight into her heart.