Page 59 of Linc
Olivia looks confused then a shocked realization passes over her face.
“No, it’s not what you think.Lincoln’s not even here.He doesn’t handle her or her business anymore.”
“Oh, so he’s not here.”I feel a little bummed but then realize that he might have court right now.
“He’s not here because today he sets aside time for his foundation,” Olivia says in a hushed voice.
“Foundation?”I whisper back like we’re trading secrets.
“Yeah, hisfoundation,” she says it again, like I’m supposed to know what this means.
Finally, after giving her thewhat are you talking aboutlook, she must know that I have no idea what she’s talking about.
“Good God, hold on one second.”Olivia fishes out her phone and tells someone that she’s stepping out for a bit.“Come on, we need to get you over to him.Hopefully, it’ll bring him out of his funk.”
“He’s been in a funk?”
“The worst.Ever since you went back home with your dad, Lincoln has been moping around in the worst mood.A true grizzly bear.”
Olivia takes my good elbow and guides me out of the building and into a waiting car with a driver.Once we’re settled in and she gives the driver the address, silence fills the car.
“How’s the arm healing?”Olivia finally asks.
“Good, everything is on track according to the doctor.”
“That’s good.On the legal side, everything is going as planned for the case against Linley.She’s being kept under lock and key until trial.They are trying to have her evaluated but I’m not going to allow them to use the mentally unstable approach.”
“Thank you for taking my case but you have to know that I can’t pay for your services.I’d be more than happy to work out some payment plan up until now but going forward…”
Over the last few weeks Olivia has called and we discussed filing a civil suit against Linley.At the time I was all about seeking justice but the more I think about it the more I realize how expensive this could cost.Linley gets paid millions of dollars for her modeling contracts and could possibly make this case take years in the courts.I realize that this could get very costly and as someone who doesn’t have a ton of money I don’t think I can foot the bill for it.
“I’m doing this pro bono, Everly.I wouldn’t take a single penny from you, even if you tried.This is something that I want to do and plan to see it all the way through.You’ve become a part of our little family and this is what we do for family.”Olivia places a comforting hand on my knee.
“Thank you, Olivia.I seriously wouldn’t even know where to start or how to begin all this court stuff if you hadn’t taken over.”
A short while later, we pull up to an older building that looks to be a warehouse of some sort.
“He really didn’t tell you about this place?”
Shaking my head, I take in the brick exterior as Olivia tells the driver to hang out for a bit.
“It really is his place to tell you but the cat’s out of the bag now, huh.”She shrugs and pockets her phone in her suit jacket.
We start to walk up the few cement steps when she stops me.
“Has Lincoln told you about his childhood?”Olivia asks.
“He’s told me a few things but we never went in depth on it.”
“All I’ll say is this, don’t let the expensive luxury lifestyle fool you.He didn’t grow up this way.After we grew the firm, he started this place but the bigger he got the more this place was neglected.Once you walk in there, you’ll see what I’m talking about.Not many people know about this place on the business side, at least not the upper snooty ones.This is the one place he doesn’t want recognition for.A place he feels like he really makes a difference.”
Now my curiosity is at an all-time high.What’s behind the brick and mortar that he keeps to himself?I start to make my way towards the doors when I hear Olivia call out to me.
“If you need me to come back and get you, call and I’ll come.”She opens the back-car door but turns back to me.“He really is a good man, once you crack his shell.Just give him a chance.He’s been a wreck since all this happened, and I’m hoping you’re here to reconcile and bring back my friend to the man he was after he met you.”
With those parting words, she ducks into the town car and I watch as the driver pulls away.
Steeling a long deep breath, making sure to rid some of the anxiety coursing through my body, I pull on the metal knob of the door and walk in.
