Scarlett Vanderburg's POV

I wack the ball back against the ball back to Quinn harder than it was sent to me trying to keep it in the line, but at a speed he can't hit it. It does what I need to, and I win the round, but as always he has to argue with me.

"That was out of the line."

"No it wasn't, it was definitely in."

We could both stand there arguing for days, it was the exact reason we had started recording our play sessions. Tennis sessions were part of our Tuesday and Thursday routine, then on Sunday afternoon we went and played golf with our dad's, the other days of the week we did other things if we had the time to, but it was more for the hanging out aspect of it. I grab my phone off the stand and replay the last few seconds of the game, showing the ball was in fact in the line and I won the round.

"Want to play another round." I shake my head. "What, scared I'll annihilate you?"

"Of course not, who had just won three rounds in a row." I point out, grabbing my racket and moving towards our bags. I gulped down as much water as I could, then took off my cap and poured the water over my hair. "I have a meeting with a big client and I have to look as professional as possible."

"You always look professional, it's like your brand." He rolls his eyes but also picks up his things following me out the court. We walk together in the sunshine heading towards the gym building, inside we don't stop at any equipment or classes, heading straight to our respective showers. "We'll still have breakfast together, right?"

"Of course, I need to have some coffee."

"You're addicted to that stuff, Lettie."

I roll my eyes watching him walk away, like I don't already know that.

Half an hour later we're still opposite each other on the grass of the golf course, since it was still just past seven o'clock it wasn't in use, so we wouldn't be hit by any stray balls. We had a breakfast spread around us, coffee and a different assortment of pastries and sandwiches.

"So what's this about a new case?"

I shrug, but he looks at me expectantly. "For some rich dude, he's a couple of years older than us and damn good at his job from what I heard, but had some sort of problems within his company."

"Are you worried about working for him?" I shake my head. It wasn't him that was the problem. "So, what's wrong with the Lettie bug?"

Quinn had this way of getting me to open up about the things I didn't want to burden my parents with, we had hit it off right after we met and now seven years later, still and inseparable as the day we met.

"All four of them work there."

"Your siblings?" I nod. "How do four siblings all get accepted to work at one company?"

That was such a Quinn thing to notice, I couldn't help but burst out into laughter.

"I don't know, I think Kaitlyn started working there first and pulled strings to get the others in as well." He nodded along, getting the answer he wanted then leaned up on his elbows, his dirty blond hair getting tousled in the wind.

"Are you scared to confront them?"

"No."

"Scared of them."

"Not even a little bit."

"Scared that your sacrifice will all be for nothing, and they will still hate you even after you gave up what seemed like everything at the time for them?"

"You know what, a bit. I'm scared that if they treat me like they used to I'll retreat into the shell of a person I used to be and everything I work for comes troubling down when I break. Everything at this moment of my life is centred around my job and my job is literally being the most confident person, if I don't believe what I'm saying then I throw the case. I don't want that to happen, I just want to forget it all."

"I think you need this, though, the closure." His blue eyes meet my grey ones. "I think you need to show them that you are so much better than they could ever be, that you are a kick-ass lawyer who makes seven figures or more a month. Someone who gives away most of her profit to charity and builds animal shelters. Someone who cares about other people more than their sorry excuse for human beings ever can."

"How do you always know what to say?"

"What can I say, it's a gift."

♦

I debate multiple times on the outfit to wear, this is one of my bigger clients in my career with a case more complex than I have dealt with before. Calix Radcliff, from what I've heard he's practically emotionless, he runs his company with an iron fist and there is no room for anything less than perfection. If this man doesn't like what I'm doing, he could probably destroy my career.

I do a twirl in the mirror finally finding something I like, a grey suit and black turtleneck, I pair it with a pair of black heels and understated gold jewellery as well as a black watch. I straighten my hair pin straight and pin it back behind my ears, so it doesn't get into my face. Running my fingers through my ends, I decide I need to book a hair appointment, my ends are in thorough need of a cut.

"Morning Demi." I greet my assistant who greets me back smiling, handing me my schedule for the day and steaming hot cups of coffee.

"Miss Montcroix has asked if you can help her with a case." Demi tells me, glancing at the clock on the opposite wall of my desk, I see I still have twenty minutes until my meeting, enough time to go through some things with Imogen.

"If Mr Radcliff gets here before I get back, direct him to my office and call me please." I instruct, Imogen's office was a couple floors below me since she wasn't yet a partner, but it wouldn't take me long to get back. I take the elevator down and walk to the row of smaller offices and knock once on the door before letting myself in. I stare at the gorgeous dark skinned girl who is smiling at her phone. "Who's got you smiling like that?"

She looks up, caught off guard, not having heard me enter. "No one."

Like I believe that, but I'll let her have her secrets.

"What's up, I have a big meeting with a client in a couple of minutes."

"With whom."

"Calix Radcliff." I say, grabbing the files from her, seeing a calculating look on her face, but I don't have time to address it, so I just repeat my earlier question. "So what's up?"

"Can you help me with this? I'm stumped and can't figure out what to do next." I read her case file and helped her find her next move.

"Miss Vanderburg." Demi comes racing through the doors. "Mr Radcliff is here, in your office."

"Thank you, Demi." I don't run to my office, choosing to walk like I normally do. If I ran I would only make it with a few extra seconds and I would probably look messed up. I take the elevator back up to the top floor and walk into my office greeting Calix Radcliff politely who stands up to greet me.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." He was gorgeous, the epitome of dark and handsome. He had very dark hair slicked back with a piece falling in front of his eyes and even darker obsidian eyes that I could probably see my reflection in if I was close enough. He had a strong chiselled jaw that seemed like it was kept clenched and flawless skin. Calix wore a black three-piece suit looking extremely put together and even though I knew I wasn't underdressed it felt like it with how his eyes were burning into me.

I finally meet his eyes, and he scrutinises me with a blank look. "It's no problem, I just got here."

I wonder if he was just being polite, since it seemed like he wanted to say something. And even though I was extremely intimidated at the moment and felt like I was about to faint, I still smiled politely at him and moved around my desk standing behind my desk opposite him to where he was standing on the other side.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr Radcliff. I have heard some great things about you." He nods his head in acknowledgement, looking like he was thinking about something important.

"Likewise Miss Vanderburg."

Why did that make my pulse quicken?

I take a seat, and he follows suit, I pick up his files, reading through them quickly just to recollect my thoughts.

"Tell me about your case." I pause for a second before continuing. "About Andrew Fields."

♦

"How was your meeting?" Quinn asks over FaceTime later that night. "What's that look?"

"I don't know what it was, how the hell do I even describe it. I'm pretty sure Calix Radcliff hates my guts. He had a stoic face the whole time, he was polite, but I didn't know there was something off."

"Are you sure he hates you?" Quinn asks with amusement lining his tone and I nod, fully convinced. I glance around the files on my bed, trying to decide where to start.

"But he shouldn't be too hard on a client, he seemed to take what I said into consideration and went along with my ideas, talking about how I'm going to need to plant people into his company. Can you help me with that?"

"Of course." The Atkins family had a tonne of connections all around the world,, so he helped me with a lot of things. In return, I dealt with all their legal problems, which were quite a lot when you dealt with troubled kids. "Send me the details."

"Who are you talking to, daddy?" I hear a voice in the background, and then a small body comes into the frame. "Aunt Lettie!" The voice shrieks excitedly.

"Rhett." I say back with just as much excitement. Everett Hayes Atkins was Quinn's son and my godson, and hands down one of my favourite people on the planet. His mother and I were friends as well when we were younger, but she wasn't ready to be a mother, we could all see it,, so we weren't surprised when one day she just left, leaving Quinn to be a single dad. The little man was a copy of his father for everything from his blonde hair which is still a light blonde to his navy blue eyes, he was the most intelligent child and was spoiled rotten by me. "What's up baby?"

"M'not a baby, Aunt Lettie. I'm almost four." His arms were crossed, and he was staring at me with an adamant expression.

"I'm sorry, big boy." I apologise smiling at him, I adored that kid.

"S'okay." He nodded solemnly,, and I wanted to burst out laughing. "When are you going to come visit me?"

I saw Quinn every Friday night for a hangout session, but those didn't include Rhett who went to his grandparent's for the night. But I always made time to see him through the week, and I babysat for Quinn often.

"Soon bud."

"Promise?."

"Promise." He nods accepting the answer, "Love you baby boy."

He lets go of the baby part and gins at me, blonde curls falling around his face. "Love you too, Aunt Lettie."

"Love ya, Lettie Bug." Quinn smiles, picking up his son. "Call me if you need anything else."

"Thanks, I love you too." I blew kisses at both of them when the screen went dark.

CALIX IS HERE!!!!

Also Everett is my baby so you guys have to love him since you will be seeing many appearances of him. Also what do you think of Quinn?

Next chapter is a little glimpse into the siblings lives so stay tuned for that

Let me know any thoughts and opinions of upcoming chapters, please vote and comment and I will see you next chapter.

Ara <3