Suing My Ex, the Don Chapter 03
The sudden reappearance of these ghosts from my past completely robbed me of my sleep. When I finally drifted off, my nightmares were haunted by the thugs Isabella had hired years ago to completely erase me from the map.
The next morning, I walked into the law firm dragging a massive headache. The second I stepped through the door, my colleagues stared at me with a bizarre, tense look.
“Grace, we have a major situation. First thing this morning, the De Luca Group officially released a press statement announcing you as their lead defense counsel.”
“They claimed the victims’ allegations are malicious extortion. They said since the Justice Legal Aid Alliance only accepts righteous cases, your agreement to defend them proves the De Luca family’s innocence. ”
“The internet is completely turning on you. They’re calling you a soulless, cash-grabbing attorney… ”
She handed me her phone, and the screen was flooded with thousands of hate comments. The De Luca statement hadn’t just painted a target on my back; it had placed the entire firm on a roasting spit. I opened my inbox—99+ unread emails. The voice messages from the lead representative of the victims were filled with pure betrayal and fury.
[Attorney Reed, we trusted you with our core evidence, and you turn out to be a double agent for the De Luca cartel? Did you really sell your soul for a check? ]
My face completely hardened. Alexander was still the same arrogant narcissist, firmly believing I would roll over to protect his bottom line.
My voice echoed sharply across the entire bullpen, “Meghan, draft an immediate public statement from the firm. Announce that I am officially representing the victims as their lead prosecution counsel against the De Luca Group. Block all incoming calls from the De Luca family and cut off every communication channel. And book me a one-way ticket to Pittsburgh. I’m going to personally visit every single victim for an in-person deposition.”
The public arena exploded the second our counter-statement hit the wire. It had been a very long time since any attorney possessed the nerve to go to war with the De Luca legal machine.
I buried myself in Pittsburgh, working through the night to build an airtight case. Late one evening, my phone illuminated the dark room.
[Grace, you need to get back to the office right now. The firm is collapsing.]
When I returned, the lobby was completely surrounded by reporters and corporate suits. Alexander was standing there, looking absolutely smug and perfectly composed. A thick stack of documents sat on the center of the conference table.
The senior partner’s face was completely gray as he spoke in a low, shaking voice. “The proprietary, core algorithms for the Atlantic Holdings litigation have been leaked.”
My heart violently sank. That was the firm’s most critical litigation of the fiscal year—a case my team had bled over for six long months, set for trial in exactly two weeks. A breach of that magnitude didn’t just mean a total loss in court; it exposed the firm to a catastrophic three-hundred-million-dollar malpractice lawsuit.
Alexander took a slow step toward me, a condescending smirk tugging at his lips. “Grace, if you sign the De Luca retainer right now, I will personally make this entire problem disappear. Otherwise, no matter how brilliant you think you are, this firm will go under, and your legal career is permanently dead.”
He leaned in closer, dropping his voice into a patronizing whisper, “Just be a good girl and stop throwing a tantrum. I know I wronged you in the past, and I promise I will make it up to you later.”
I didn’t give him a single breath of attention. Instead, I turned my eyes to Meghan, who was standing in absolute, trembling silence. Aside from myself, she was the only associate with administrative access to those secure servers.
Panic completely overtook her, and tears began to stream down her face. “Grace, please don’t hate me… my father desperately needs the capital for his surgery… besides, going up against the De Lucas is suicide. I did this to force you to make the right choice… ”
This wasn’t even Meghan’s case. I had seen raw talent in her, breaking firm protocols to mentor her and grant her security clearance to our most sensitive data. And my investment was repaid with absolute betrayal.
A dry, self-deprecating laugh cut through my throat. Grace Reed, you managed to step into the exact same trap twice. First with Isabella , and now with Meghan.
“Alexander, do you honestly believe I stay at this firm because I need its protection?”
Before the bewildered eyes of the entire room, I unclipped my corporate badge and tossed it onto the glass table.
“No. I stayed here because this firm gave me a hand when I was at my absolute lowest, which means I will never allow you to drag them down into the mud to get to me.”
I looked at the senior partners, my voice completely flat and calm. “Due to a severe breach of data security under my supervision, I am officially submitting my immediate resignation. I will personally absorb all liabilities and damages.”
Alexander’s smug face completely shattered into rage. “Grace Reed! ”
I took one final look at the firm’s logo. “Stripped of this building, I am still Grace Reed, the attorney who has never lost a trial. Mr. De Luca, I will see you in federal court.”
