Chapter 4 Turquoise Pen
Rachel read the message and felt totally puzzled. She didn't follow the legal profession much, so she felt a mix of confusion and curiosity. She decided to search for Benjamin online.
The first thing she saw was a strikingly handsome ID photo.
Scrolling down, she found his bio: Benjamin Wright, 29 years old, from Dawnlight City. He was a senior attorney in Dawnlight City, graduated from University of Dawnlight Law School, and after returning to the country, he founded Azure Sky Law Firm, where he served as the managing attorney. He specialized in civil litigation, criminal litigation, and international financial trade.
Young and successful, he was renowned in the legal field and had never lost a case.
He had a sharp and steady style, often hitting the nail on the head, targeting his opponents' weaknesses precisely.
His nickname was The Wolf.
The implication wsa that once he has his sights set on someone, he would tenaciously go for the jugular, like a wolf.
There were several cases he had handled listed below.
One of them was a divorce case similar to hers, where the husband had an affair and secretly transferred $50 million worth of shared marital property to the mistress, including houses, cars, and jewelry.
The outcome was that the husband left with nothing, the mistress returned all of it, and had to pay the client for emotional distress.
Rachel finished reading and fell silent.
The words on the screen grew blurry as she let out a bitter laugh, her mouth twisting into a grimace.
Her heart and lungs felt like they were being squeezed tightly, making it hard to breathe.
She raised a hand to her chest.
She thought bitterly, 'Well, things have come to this, it's time to make plans.'
She couldn't possibly turn a blind eye to Steven's affair.
These past six years seemed utterly ridiculous now.
Every time she thought about what she had just seen at the gates of Scenic Bay Estates, it felt like she had a dirty rag in her mouth, making her feel nauseous.
Not only did she want a divorce, but she also wanted everything Nancy had taken returned.
Those things were never meant to be hers.
However, a divorce would definitely impact the Martinez family's reputation and interests. Whether the family would intervene was uncertain, but Steven's mother, Heather Wilson, would surely get involved.
Without thorough preparation, it would be hard to achieve her goal.
After all, the Martinez family was highly respected in Dawnlight City, spanning construction, real estate, and technology.
Steven's position was rather awkward; he was his father's illegitimate son, and it wasn't until middle school that the Martinez family brought him and his mother back.
He had always been suppressed by his father's legal wife and her two sons.
But Heather was a resilient and resourceful woman with good looks and skills.
Two years ago, with her help, Steven was appointed CEO of a construction company under the Martinez Group, officially stepping into the family business.
After a long while, Rachel wiped away her tears, pushed down the pain in her heart, took a deep breath, and touched up her makeup to make her eyes look less swollen.
She opened the navigation app and headed to Azure Sky Law Firm.
As expected, she was turned away. The receptionist apologized, "I'm sorry, without an appointment, I can't let you up."
"When will he be available?" Rachel pressed her lips together and asked again.
"I'm really sorry, Mr. Wright's schedule is fully booked. He won't be taking any new cases this year. If you need, I can introduce you to other lawyers in our firm. Would that be alright?"
Rachel was speechless. It made sense for a lawyer of Benjamin's caliber to be extremely busy.
She didn't necessarily need Benjamin, but the message had specifically mentioned him.
She smiled. "Thanks, I'll think about it."
As she left the law firm, wondering what to do next, another message popped up: [Go to Stardust Pawn Shop and buy back the Turquoise Pen. It's a key piece of evidence in a criminal case Benjamin is handling right now.]
Rachel was surprised.
She knew about the Turquoise Pen; it was a limited edition pen released by Golden Feather Pen Works for Valentine's Day this year.
On Valentine's Day, Steven had asked if she liked it. She had, but the pen was limited edition, and they hadn't been able to get one.
Now she was very curious and immediately typed a message: [Who are you? How do you know so much?]
As soon as she sent it, a notification popped up: [Your message failed to send.]
Rachel frowned, her heartbeat inexplicably quickening.
What kind of person couldn't be traced but could receive messages yet not send them?
She couldn't figure it out.
Stardust Pawn Shop was across from the antique market in the northern part of Dawnlight City. The storefront was small, but Rachel found it quickly.
As soon as she entered, the owner came forward to greet her, asking what she needed and introducing the items in the shop. She didn't pay much attention, heading straight to the counter, where she immediately spotted the Turquoise Pen on the second shelf.
She pointed with her slender finger. "Let me see that pen."
The owner quickly put on gloves and handed her the pen.
This pen was special. It had a row of hidden numbers on the cap that could be verified on the Golden Feather Pen Works website to check its authenticity and view or change the owner's basic information.
Rachel examined it briefly and then asked, "How much?"
The owner, a businessman, noticed she was wearing designer clothes and smiled broadly, his eyes gleaming.
"Ma'am, you have a good eye. This pen is a limited edition, absolutely genuine."
"Just tell me the price."
The owner was taken aback but quickly named a price. "One hundred thousand dollars."
"What?"
Rachel stared at him, her gaze unwavering.
The owner felt a bit uneasy under her stare and awkwardly coughed. "If you're serious about buying, I can lower the price. How about eighty thousand dollars?"
After about half a minute of silence, seeing she still didn't speak, the owner patted his chest and assured, "Ma'am, this is a fair price. After all, it wasn't cheap when I acquired it. I can't sell at a loss, can I?"
Rachel said, "Show me the original box for the pen."
The owner scratched his head and confidently said, "The person who pawned it didn't have the box, but the pen is definitely genuine. You can verify it now. If it's fake, I'll pay you ten times the price. Stardust Pawn Shop has been around for over ten years, and we pride ourselves on integrity!"
Rachel didn't doubt the pen's authenticity but said, "Without the box, the price is too high."
The owner understood her implication and gritted his teeth. "Sixty-eight thousand dollars. That's the lowest I can go."
"Fifty thousand dollars, and we'll call it a deal," Rachel said. "If that's acceptable, let's draft a sales contract."
The owner hesitated but then said, "Fifty-six thousand dollars. That's my lucky number."
Rachel didn't argue over a few thousand dollars, nodded, and quickly transferred the money. She watched the owner draft the contract, signed it, and then left Stardust Pawn Shop.