Page 47 of Silver Fox's Secret Baby

"Sounds good. See you then." I hung up the phone and took a deep breath, steeling myself for the evening ahead. I slipped on a simple black dress hoping I looked like I made an effort but not so much so that Lucas thought I was into him. I let Marie and Henry’s staff know that I was going out and then I ordered a car to drive to the restaurant.

When I arrived, Lucas greeted me with a warm smile. "Thanks for coming out with me again.” He pulled out my chair for me as I took a seat.

"Thank you for the invitation.”

We made small talk over appetizers, discussing work and life in general. I really wanted to talk about my case, but I didn’t want to be rude. In truth, while I wasn’t attracted to Lucas, I appreciated his company. That was until I caught Lucas studying me with a furrowed brow.

“Is something wrong?” I asked.

“You tell me. Have you hired someone to look into your father's fraud?"

I hesitated for a moment but then wondered why I should feel bad about hiring Alex. What did it matter to Lucas? "Yes. Someone from Saint Security has agreed to help me look into it." Then I wondered how he knew. “How did you know?”

His jaw clenched. Annoyance flickered in his eyes. "I was visited by Alex Sterling. I couldn’t tell him much—lawyer-client privilege.” He paused. “I told you I’d look into it.”

I felt a pang of guilt. I understood why Lucas would feel that way. My actions suggested that I didn't think he was doing a good job. Then again, unless he had news for me, nothing had changed since the day I learned of my mother’s will. "Have you learned anything new?"

He shifted in his seat, avoiding my gaze. "Nothing that proves your father scammed your mother.”

In my mind, that justified my hiring Alex.

“It’s possible he didn’t,” Lucas finished. “It’s possible this is all legit.”

It was my turn to feel annoyed. “It’s not. There is no way my mother wouldn’t have left something for me and Pax.”

He shrugged. “Maybe she was in a different mindset—”

“Which is another way of saying she wasn’t in her right mind, which would make anything she signed null and void, right?”

“I’m just saying that it’s possible there is no fraud here.”

“I believe you’re doing your best, Lucas, but I also know you have other clients and so your time working on this is limited. Saint Security is a top investigative firm, and since you haven't been able to find anything that would allow me to contest the will, I accepted their help. You’re not being cut out. I’ll still need you to file the paperwork.”

He sighed heavily, rubbing the back of his neck. "I understand, Samantha. It's just... frustrating. I want to help you, but it seems like I'm not doing enough."

For a moment, I wondered if he was doing enough. I’d paid him, but I wasn’t a high-powered client. And while he was a family lawyer, he wasn’t an investigator. Maybe he didn’t know how to figure out how my father had defrauded my mother.

“I appreciate all you’ve done so far. It can’t hurt to have more help, right?”

He nodded. “Right. Will you let me know what your investigator learns?”

“Yes, of course.”

As we continued our dinner, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more going on regarding my father and my mother’s estate. I needed to find the truth, not only for my own peace of mind but also to ensure that Pax and I could truly move forward.

After dinner, I turned down Lucas’s offer to go to a club and instead returned home. The house was quiet. Checking my watch, it was after nine. Surely, Henry and Pax were back by now.

I saw a light under Henry’s office door and made my way over. I knocked and opened the door when I heard him call, “Come in.”

I hesitated before entering, lingering near the doorway to maintain distance between us. The last thing I needed was for him to kiss me, touch me...

He sat behind his desk, his eyes focused on the papers in front of him, seemingly distant and preoccupied. "How was your date?"

“Fine.” I deliberately didn’t correct him by saying it wasn't a date. Perhaps if he thought it was, it would keep our attraction at bay. "How did your outing with Pax go?"

"Fine," he said curtly, still not looking up from his work. The coolness in his voice made me uneasy, and I wondered what had transpired during their time together.

"Is everything okay?" My gut clenched. Did he suspect the truth? Had he seen something in Pax that made him realize that he was Pax’s father?

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