While I didn’t imagine I was the only one who could lead Mr. Desmond’s legal team, not by any stretch of the imagination, I did think that, at this point, I was the one best placed to lead the strategizing. I knew all the various factors in play, backwards and forwards, and felt that I could really help him (and Veronica) come to an equitable agreement, with the least amount of friction. Not the least because I felt I could take her lead lawyer, head-to-head, any day of the week. And twice on Sunday. All humility aside, of course.

However, I needed to tell both Philip and him what was about to happen tonight, and that I now had to focus on something that was more important, was over and above everything else — Aerin and her safety. That was the number one priority for me now. Everything else was a distant second. Even the fate of Mr. Desmond’s case.

This depressed me. I really respected him, as a client. He’d been demanding, at times, but always supportive of my decisions. He’d been a pleasure to work with. Too bad that our relationship was likely ending shortly. But he deserved to know if he couldn’t count on me prioritizing him and his case. Philip would find a way to assign someone else to take the lead, for sure.

This could mean I would have to tell both men about having worked with Allegra.

When I didn’t react, Philip exhaled, and nodded his head. “I understand, Harley, really I do. Let me just go tell Matt to wait because this may take a while …”

I interrupted him and grasped his forearm lightly to stop him from leaving my room. “No, no Philip. I’m sorry if I hesitated just now. Let me go to him and invite him in to join us. Then we can all talk outside, where I was about to take you. That alright?”

He gave me a sympathetic and understanding smile, and drew me into another embrace. “You don’t know how proud I am of you Harley,” he whispered into my ear. And then he released me and stepped back.

“I’ll go and get the cooler in the car,” he said and laughed a little at my surprised look.