Empire of Hate (Empire #3) by Rina Kent

This isn’t a chance I’m going to miss.

Once we’re inside her spacious office, Aspen pours two coffees from the machine, then sits on the dark red leather sofa and motions at me to do the same. “What did you want to talk to me about?”

“I…it’s…”

“I don’t have much time, so if you have a point, please make it so I can go to meet a client.”

“I heard from the other assistants that you’re offering legal advice.”

“Why would you come to me for that? Don’t you work for Daniel?”

How the hell does she even know that? I only started yesterday and Kingsley definitely looked as if he had no clue who I am.

“And if you’re wondering how I know, I make it my business to vet every employee who comes into the firm, no matter how small of a role they play. Now, tell me. Why didn’t you ask Daniel for legal advice?”

“We…don’t get along.”

“I’m still not convinced.”

“We go back and he hates me, so he definitely won’t help me.”

“I see. The fact that he insisted that you work for him makes sense.”

My head jerks up. “W-what? He insisted I work for him?”

“He put his foot to the ground like a child whose toy was taken.”

The information sinks in like acid at the bottom of my stomach. He really meant to torment me from the beginning. I must’ve looked like a clown the first time I stepped into his office.

Aspen crosses her legs with the elegance of a model and the confidence of a queen. “So what do you need the legal advice for?”

“It’s…for custody.”

“Go on.”

“The court mailed me from England because the child’s father is suing for custody when he never even wanted him. I…don’t even have the means to fly to England or leave Jayden alone. And if I do leave him with someone, wouldn’t that be considered neglect? If I don’t show up, can I lose custody?”

She’s not fazed by my word vomit, merely listening with staggering professionalism.

“Slow down and tell me the story from the beginning. I’m not licensed to give legal advice about law in England, but my friends from the London branch will be able to help.”

“You would help me?”

“Isn’t that why you came to me?”

“I did…I just never thought you’d agree to this so easily.”

A distant look crosses her eyes. “I know the feeling of losing a child, and I’ll do my best to keep you from going through the same experience.”

My heart warms. It’s the first time a stranger has ever given me unconditional kindness and I don’t know why that makes me want to cry.

I wish I had the courage to tell her how the whole clusterfuck with Jay’s father started and see if it could help me.

That bastard has taken so much from me, to the point that I have nothing left.

He’s almost worse than Daniel.

Almost.





8





DANIEL





This early morning, I woke up to a continuous ping of messages from my group chat with my friends from England.

We played football together back in secondary school and our lives kind of intertwined together. And by that, I mean they’re the annoying bunch who like interfering in each other’s lives like mothers-in-law on steroids.

Besides, since my best friend married one of the wankers, I was dragged into the middle of their unholy circle of demons.

Not that I’m an angel or anything holy. But there are degrees to that shit, and I’m pretty sure I’m the mildest of the bunch.

Anyway, Ronan and I are usually the heart of the group chat, so the fact that it was pinging while I wasn’t in it was the first red flag.

The second red flag was finding that Knox was wide awake in the middle of the night just to catch their time zone.

What I found was enough to make me lose sleep altogether.

Knox: Remember when Daniel came here not long ago with some announcement about the state of my shagging life?

Ronan: Oh, yeah. Turns out, your dick wasn’t broken, after all.

Aiden: And I was right and you were shagging one person. Next.

Knox: As they say, karma is a bitch and I’m here to expose him.

Xander: Don’t tell me his dick is broken, too? What do they feed you in the States?

Levi: Ouch. I wouldn’t know how to deliver that type of news to Astrid.

Cole: Is it just me who thinks this unorthodox fascination with each other’s dicks is weird and should be frowned upon?

Aiden: Crawl back into your boring life and let us have our fun.

Knox: No, his dick isn’t, in fact, broken. And no, this isn’t fascination, it’s payback time so Daniel will stop being a dick on Viagra. So here’s the trivia moment. Guess who started working as his assistant?

Ronan: One of the blonde hookers you’ve been sending him?

Knox: Something close to that.

Xander: Fuck me, his assistant is really a hooker?

Knox: No, she’s a blonde.

Ronan: Isn’t he allergic to those?

Knox: He is, but this isn’t just any blonde. She’s the original blonde. You know, the one who broke his heart.

Xander: You don’t mean…?

Knox: The name is Nicole Adler.