Page 5 of Hooked on Mack
With that, he turned on his heel and swept out of the room, leaving me to stare at the empty space where he'd been standing moments before.
“Hey,” Janai whispered, leaning over to give my arm a reassuring squeeze. “You've got this, okay? You're the best lawyer I know, and you've never let me down.”
“Thanks,” I murmured, forcing a smile even as my mind raced with doubts.What if I wasn't good enough to win thiscase? What if I couldn't outsmart Mack? What if I crumbled under the pressure and let everyone down?
As I strode out of the conference room, I tried to push those thoughts to the back of my mind, focusing instead on the task at hand. But no matter how hard I tried to shake them off, the weight of Calvin's words—and the pressure to succeed—hung heavy on my heart, threatening to consume me.
Ready or not, Mack Harrington.Here I come.
3
Mack
It was way too early when I got to the office. I leaned back in my chair, rubbing the fatigue from my eyes. My team and I had been through every detail, leaving no stone unturned. Now, it was time to put our hard work to the test.
“Alright, team,” I called out, clapping my hands together to get everyone's attention. “Today's the day. How are we feeling?”
“Ready to rumble,” Sam replied, cracking his knuckles with a grin. Ellen and Jill nodded, their eyes focused and determined.
“Great. Let's go over everything one last time before we hit the courtroom, okay?” I suggested, and they eagerly gathered around the table, ready to dive into our game plan.
We brainstormed strategies, pinpointing Larissa's potential weak spots and discussing how best to exploit them. We practiced our arguments, refining our lines and delivery to ensure maximum impact. And as we reviewed the evidence one final time, I reminded myself that our teamwork would be the key to staying on track and winning this case.
“Mack, what do you think Larissa will try first?” Jill asked, chewing on the end of her pen.
“Knowing her,” I mused, “she'll probably try to poke holes in Ava's credibility. But we've got this—we know how to counter her attacks.”
“Speaking of which,” Ellen chimed in, “I think we should watch out for any surprises she might throw at us. Larissa has a knack for pulling rabbits out of hats when you least expect it.”
“Good point,” I acknowledged, making a mental note to stay vigilant in court. “But remember, we've got some tricks up our sleeves too.”
With a final nod, we made our way to the courthouse. The moment we entered, the tension between Larissa and I crackled.
“Morning, Mack,” Larissa greeted me with a tight smile.
“Morning. Ready?”
“Always,” she replied, her voice dripping with confidence.
As we faced off in court, the air practically sizzled. Every objection, every rebuttal, every piece of evidence presented was another volley in our battle of wits. And as the day wore on, it became clear that neither of us was willing to back down without a fight.
During a short recess, I caught my breath. This case was proving to be more challenging, but I refused to let doubt creep in. My team and I were prepared for this. We were ready to stand our ground and fight for Ava.
“Mack,” Ellen whispered as we reconvened in the courtroom, “Stay focused, and don't let Larissa's tactics throw you off.”
The trial resumed, and with each passing hour, the stakes grew higher. Larissa continued to press hard, but so did I. After all, I wasn't just fighting for Ava—I was also fighting to prove that when it came to matters of the heart, even the toughest opponents could be outmaneuvered. My team and I would not back down, and we were determined to see this through to the bitter end just like every other case.
“Your Honor,” I began, my voice strong and unwavering, “we have shown beyond a doubt that our client deserves at least half if not more of the husband’s assets.”
“Very well, Mr. Harrington,” the judge replied, her eyes fixed on me. “Proceed.”
I turned to face Larissa, ready for our final showdown.
“While it may be easy to get lost in the details, there's one thing that remains crystal clear: our client, Ava Kennsington, has been wronged. Throughout this process,” I continued, “we have demonstrated that my client's husband, Mark Kennsington, has engaged in infidelity, financial misconduct, and abusive behavior. This is not only unacceptable, but it is downright despicable.”
“Objection!” Larissa called out, rising from her seat. “We have already established that these claims are baseless.”
“Overruled,” the judge responded without hesitation. “Continue, Mr. Harrington.”
