Our Love Story: Hard to Guard Against the Sudden Love Strike-Chapter 221 - 219: Partners

After having dinner at the old house and watching TV with Old Master Forrester for a while, Sienna Thornton and Simon Forrester were ready to return to their apartment in the New District.

The car drove out of the old city district and the noise gradually faded behind them. On the overpass of the New District, the stream of traffic was continuous, and tall buildings lined both sides of the road, bustling and radiant.

Sienna Thornton leaned her head against the passenger seat, silently staring at a point on the windshield, which was quite different from her usual lively chatty self.

Simon Forrester noticed that she seemed absent-minded after meeting with Quentin Thorne at the Grant Family’s house in the evening, but he didn’t ask then to avoid Old Master Forrester’s concern. Now seeing her like this again, he asked, "What’s wrong? You seemed exhausted after leaving the Grant Family, were you nervous meeting Dean Thorne?"

Sienna Thornton stared blankly into space, weakly saying, "Not really nervous, just felt my mind was a bit cluttered."

"Cluttered with what?" Simon Forrester freed his right hand to hold hers.

"I feel like I’ve met Dean Thorne before somehow."

"Was it possibly on some journal or online, a picture perhaps? You usually keep up with the legal and judicial news, it’s normal to have seen him." 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Sienna Thornton shook her head, "No... it’s not the feeling of seeing a photo..." but she really couldn’t recall where exactly she might have seen Quentin Thorne.

Simon Forrester glanced at her and quickly returned his gaze to the road, "Thinking about another man in front of me, that makes me unhappy."

"You’re so annoying!" Sienna Thornton tossed his hand away, leaning her body towards the car door, ignoring him.

Simon Forrester chuckled, reaching out to grab her hand again, firmly wrapping his large hand around her small one.

The car drove further, and after getting off the overpass, Sienna Thornton’s phone suddenly rang. She picked it up and quickly answered, "Hi, Lawyer Jefferson?"

Hearing that it was Jane Jefferson, Simon Forrester perked up.

Quickly, Sienna Thornton replied, "Alright, talk tomorrow," and then hung up the call.

Simon Forrester asked, "What did that person want from you?"

Sienna Thornton put her phone back in her bag, saying, "Jane said she quarreled with Partner Reed and wants to resign from Vantage, asked if our partnership firm could consider taking her in."

"No way!" Simon Forrester said decisively.

Sienna Thornton didn’t understand the grudge between him and Jane Jefferson, looked at him oddly for a moment, and asked, "Why not? I’m really short of a civil lawyer now, and Jane coming over would actually be quite good."

"There are civil lawyers everywhere, why insist on her?"

"No, it’s just," Sienna Thornton was a bit anxious, "The other lawyer responsible for criminal cases is already a man. If the civil lawyer is also a man, wouldn’t I be working with two male colleagues alone? Moreover, Jane is very familiar with the civil law system, and she’s competent, plus being a woman, I think she’s truly suitable."

Having said everything in one go, Simon Forrester was left without words to refute.

After a moment of silence, Simon Forrester, still couldn’t help but recount what he had overheard in the lounge at Vantage’s office to Sienna Thornton.

Instead, Sienna Thornton felt relieved after hearing it.

"She joined Vantage a year before I did, is more senior than I am, but because my academic qualifications were higher, I was a Level 3 lawyer right when I joined Vantage, with a higher title than hers. Surely she was displeased. Actually, not just her, many Level 4 lawyers who are more senior than I am were displeased, and speaking ill behind my back was common. I’ve even overheard it several times myself."

Simon Forrester insisted, "Then why would you want someone displeased with you as your partner? Wouldn’t that just bring trouble to yourself?"

"Oh!" Sienna Thornton said helplessly, "She was displeased before because of the mismatch in title and seniority. Now, I’m on the same level as her, both being firm partners with equal shares and responsibilities, her mindset has likely changed! Moreover, honestly, lawyers don’t have much time to be displeased this or that way. We’re usually too busy, and any free moment is for catching our breath, where’s the time for such random thoughts?"

What she said wasn’t without reason, and Simon Forrester found he couldn’t argue with her, begrudgingly saying, "You speak so eloquently, why’d you end up faltering in front of Dean Thorne this afternoon?"

Speaking of Dean Thorne, Sienna Thornton fell into melancholy again.

She didn’t even know what triggered her mind to be this filled with desolation. Thinking of Dean Thorne made her sigh, thinking of Mrs. Thorne also left her heart feeling cold and empty.

If she was hoping to gain Dean Thorne’s approval and that caused her distress, then Mrs. Thorne was just a stranger, what exactly was her heart feeling cold about?

Truly perplexing.

Back home, Simon Forrester first went to shower, while Sienna Thornton was in the study printing out the material of the other partner, Lawyer Rhonda Wagner, partnership agreements, and partnership plan briefing, intending to show Jane Jefferson tomorrow.

After her shower, Sienna Thornton found the room usually lit by a single warm yellow floor lamp suddenly became brightly illuminated.

Simon Forrester sat on the bed, shuffling a deck of cards.

Sienna Thornton ignored him, heading to the vanity to apply her skincare products.

Simon Forrester was deftly shuffling the cards, occasionally glancing at her, "You promised me this afternoon, don’t forget."

"What?" She decided to play dumb.

"Cards! If you lose, I’ll do whatever I want!"

"I’m tired, I want to sleep, not in the mood."

"If you don’t play, I’ll consider it a loss for you."

"... Up to you."

Speaking as such, Sienna Thornton, already applied with essence and a sleeping mask, circled to the other side of the bed, nestled into the duvet ready to sleep.

Simon Forrester had finished shuffling the cards; her non-cooperation killed his gambling enthusiasm completely.

He found it pointless as well, put away the cards, went to wash his hands in the restroom, then got into bed too.

Sienna Thornton was recalling her meeting with Quentin Thorne today, unconsciously Simon Forrester already snuggled behind her.

-

The next day, at ten in the morning, Sienna Thornton arrived at a tea house near Vantage to meet Jane Jefferson with the documents.

Jane read the documents and became even more interested in becoming a partner.

Sienna Thornton and she hit it off, agreeing to have a thorough discussion on the eighth day when the other partner, Lawyer Rhonda Wagner, arrives in Brimfield. If all went well, they’d sign the partnership agreement.

Seeing there was still time, Sienna Thornton went ahead and took Jane Jefferson to walk through the newly renovated site, destined to become the law firm’s office.

Since it was long decided the Forrester Group’s legal affairs would merge into Sienna Thornton’s law firm, Simon Forrester had the office location set near the Forrester Tower.

It was a three-story European-style building, formerly a villa used by the Forrester Group in its early years to entertain guests. Over the years, many ultra-five-star, sea-view hotels were built nearby, and The Forresters simply collected this villa, letting guests stay in nearby hotels instead.

Hence, this quaint exotic building was left unused.

Simon Forrester had renovations done about two months ago, converting the large dining room on the first floor into a large conference room, the European-style living room into a reception room, and the foyer into a reception area, the kitchen into a pantry.

Both the second and third floors had designated meeting rooms, the rest being designed as either large or small offices.

The villa retained most of its original European design, maintaining as much of the villa’s original appearance as possible.

Jane Jefferson toured around, very pleased with the elegant office environment, she immediately chose the office she wanted for herself.