Leo had been thinking. He was glad to see, though, that his wife had someone watching her back in this place. “Could you let Jessica at the front desk know that we’re starting our meeting now and should not be disturbed further?”
Brandon nodded and backed out of the room. His disgruntled mumbling could be heard as he shut the door behind him.
Bria finally looked back at Leo. He caught her gaze and held it, and they stood there for a long moment. Finally, she took a deep breath and turned her attention to André Cordeiro.
“Why don’t you and I sit here?” she said to him, pointing at the side of the table nearest them and putting down her pad of paper. Leo moved to the other side and Josephine joined him. He set his briefcase down on the floor by his feet.
He had to give Nadia credit for one thing; even if she hadn’t intended it, her little show had managed to deflect a lot of the tension between their clients, at least for a few minutes. But as they all sat down across from one another, much of it seemed to flood right back. André’s expression darkened with a desperate hunger that he couldn’t quite mask as he watched his wife, and she leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms and legs in a defensive position, probably to hide her nervousness and anguish.
These two were still very much in love. They were hurt, angry, and disillusioned, each of them, but it was so obvious that they were looking for any excuse to overcome it and get back together. He was surprised Bria hadn’t seen it herself. Then again, maybe she had, but the prospect of making a good impression at her new firm with a high-profile case was more important to her now than helping two people in pain resolve their problems—and yes, he realized André and Josephine weren’t the only two people in the room with problems.
Leo poured Josephine a glass of water. “My client would like to begin by asserting her claim for an equal division of the marital assets,” he said.
Bria jumped right in after him, tapping the eraser end of her pencil on the table for emphasis. “Your client is certainly entitled to her share of the marital assets…less my client’s excluded property as set out in the prenuptial agreement that your client signed.” She leaned her elbows on the table. “Unless your client is going to try to allege that she signed no such agreement.”
Leo smiled. He was already enjoying this. After everything that had happened, he’d been worried for a while that she’d lost her fire. “Of course not. Mrs. Cordeiro knows exactly what she signed before marrying Mr. Cordeiro. And just like Mr. Cordeiro, she is aware of how the terms of such agreement may be violated.”
Bria’s expression narrowed. “What is it you’re suggesting, Mr. Markham?”
“Why don’t you let your client answer that?” he said, leaning back and leveling his gaze on André, whose face had gone red like he was going to pop a gasket.
“I haven’t been unfaithful to my wife!” André roared.
Bria put her hand on her client’s arm. They’d obviously talked about this. Bria would have warned him that Leo’s job was to try to rattle his cage, and she would have advised him not to engage no matter how upset he got. Leo smiled. Cordeiro probably should have listened to her.
It didn’t even occur to him to go easy on Bria. She might want to win this case desperately, but he understood her well enough to know that unless the win was earned, she wouldn’t be satisfied by it.
“Mr. Cordeiro isn’t required to respond to that, or your inappropriate insinuations regarding his actions. We challenge you and your client to provide proof of your claims if you intend on challenging the prenuptial agreement. Otherwise, we’ll be proceeding as the contract dictates.”
He loved it when she talked legalese to him and couldn’t keep the smile off his face. She noticed, and her cheeks pinkened. She swallowed and glanced away, but her gaze snapped back
Brandon nodded and backed out of the room. His disgruntled mumbling could be heard as he shut the door behind him.
Bria finally looked back at Leo. He caught her gaze and held it, and they stood there for a long moment. Finally, she took a deep breath and turned her attention to André Cordeiro.
“Why don’t you and I sit here?” she said to him, pointing at the side of the table nearest them and putting down her pad of paper. Leo moved to the other side and Josephine joined him. He set his briefcase down on the floor by his feet.
He had to give Nadia credit for one thing; even if she hadn’t intended it, her little show had managed to deflect a lot of the tension between their clients, at least for a few minutes. But as they all sat down across from one another, much of it seemed to flood right back. André’s expression darkened with a desperate hunger that he couldn’t quite mask as he watched his wife, and she leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms and legs in a defensive position, probably to hide her nervousness and anguish.
These two were still very much in love. They were hurt, angry, and disillusioned, each of them, but it was so obvious that they were looking for any excuse to overcome it and get back together. He was surprised Bria hadn’t seen it herself. Then again, maybe she had, but the prospect of making a good impression at her new firm with a high-profile case was more important to her now than helping two people in pain resolve their problems—and yes, he realized André and Josephine weren’t the only two people in the room with problems.
Leo poured Josephine a glass of water. “My client would like to begin by asserting her claim for an equal division of the marital assets,” he said.
Bria jumped right in after him, tapping the eraser end of her pencil on the table for emphasis. “Your client is certainly entitled to her share of the marital assets…less my client’s excluded property as set out in the prenuptial agreement that your client signed.” She leaned her elbows on the table. “Unless your client is going to try to allege that she signed no such agreement.”
Leo smiled. He was already enjoying this. After everything that had happened, he’d been worried for a while that she’d lost her fire. “Of course not. Mrs. Cordeiro knows exactly what she signed before marrying Mr. Cordeiro. And just like Mr. Cordeiro, she is aware of how the terms of such agreement may be violated.”
Bria’s expression narrowed. “What is it you’re suggesting, Mr. Markham?”
“Why don’t you let your client answer that?” he said, leaning back and leveling his gaze on André, whose face had gone red like he was going to pop a gasket.
“I haven’t been unfaithful to my wife!” André roared.
Bria put her hand on her client’s arm. They’d obviously talked about this. Bria would have warned him that Leo’s job was to try to rattle his cage, and she would have advised him not to engage no matter how upset he got. Leo smiled. Cordeiro probably should have listened to her.
It didn’t even occur to him to go easy on Bria. She might want to win this case desperately, but he understood her well enough to know that unless the win was earned, she wouldn’t be satisfied by it.
“Mr. Cordeiro isn’t required to respond to that, or your inappropriate insinuations regarding his actions. We challenge you and your client to provide proof of your claims if you intend on challenging the prenuptial agreement. Otherwise, we’ll be proceeding as the contract dictates.”
He loved it when she talked legalese to him and couldn’t keep the smile off his face. She noticed, and her cheeks pinkened. She swallowed and glanced away, but her gaze snapped back
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