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CHAPTER 4: REMINISCING ABOUT OLD TIMES

Marcus POV

After playing a few rounds of pool with Mateo, he and I are now sitting outside by the swimming pool drinking a few beers. “I know you were cheating.” Mateo says as he looks at me. “I don’t cheat at anything. You are just pissed that I am a better pool player then you are.” I reply. He is angry at me because I just beat him 5 times in a row.

“Then just tell me how you do it?” He asks me. “I just play pool like how my dad taught me.” I say. “Fine then don’t tell me.” He says as he looks back towards the swimming pool. We sit there in silence for a while. My mind wonders off to Gina again. I sometimes wonder how our life together would be like if she hadn’t left me all those years ago. I think about the life that we had planned out when we were teenagers.

I think that we would have been married by now with at least 2 kids like we'd planned when we were dating, she would have her fashion designing company like she had always dreamed off and I would have taken over my dad’s company successfully.

But I guess things don’t turn out like you want them too. I had learned that the hard way. I look over to Mateo and I see that he also lost in thought.

“Have you ever thought about settling down?” I ask him. “I have. I just haven’t met the right girl yet. But until any of that happens, I am just going to concentrate on becoming the best damn lawyer that I can be.” Mateo says as he takes a sip of his beer.

I think back to the time I had met Mateo. He was my roommate at Oxford. Mateo was studying law and I was studying business. His father is a lawyer and he wanted to become a lawyer as well. His father owns the biggest law firm in the city called Karakizos law.

Mateo was party animal just like me. The only difference is he took his studies serious while I didn’t. Mateo’s grades were good and he'd always ace his test even if he partied the previous night. For me it was all about the partying, drugs and girls. All to forget the pain that I had. When my dad died, I fell into a deeper depression. I went from using marijuana to cocaine. The drug use went on for at least two years until one night that I had almost died from an overdose.

Mateo was found me on the floor in our room and he rushed me to the hospital.

FLASHBACK

I wake up in a hospital bed with Mateo standing right next to me. “Dude finally you are awake. I was going out of my mind.” Mateo says. “Why?” I ask him as I try to sit up. “Here let me help you.” He fixes the pillows behind my back before helping me sit up. “You look like shit.” He says. “I feel like shit too.” I reply.

“No you really look like shit.” He says as he hands me his phone. I take it and I see that the phone’s front camera is on. “Damn.” I say as I look at myself. “If it weren’t for me then you would be dead by now.” Mateo says. “I am telling you man that you have got to stop this shit. As of right this second I am telling you that you are going to stop doing drugs and when you leave this hospital, you are going straight to rehab. You got me?” Mateo says as he points his finger at me.

“Look, I appreciate your concern but I don’t need any help okay.” I say. “Yes you do and I'll make you go to rehab. I don’t care if you don’t like it. I have already booked your ass in a rehab centre right here in London.” Mateo says.

I want to protest but he stops me. “No buts. Just think about this. What if you meet Gina again and she walks away from you because of what you'd become. Do you want to be all drugged up when you cross paths with her again? Because let me tell you this right now, she would not be happy with you.” Mateo says as he looks me straight in the eye.

Shit. I know that he is right. "Okay fine I'll go!" I reply.

FLASHBACK ENDS

That was one and a half years ago. I went to rehab for three months after that and then Mateo and I returned to the US where he had gone to work with his father while I just stayed at my own house. I still rarely went into the office. I would just walk through the streets like a homeless guy.

Mateo had finished his bar exam a few months ago and he is now just waiting for the results. Because Mateo is not a qualified lawyer yet, he cannot take on my case by himself.

I have had to appoint another lawyer to my case and the stupid moron says that I have to plead guilty to all charges. “You think I should do what Lawrence had asked me to do? Plead guilty to the charges?” I ask him.

“Hell no. I told you not to listen to that sleaze ball. Don't do that. Like at all. If there is anyone that is going to get you lose it’s me.” He says as he grabs another beer. “You are not even my lawyer.” I say. “Not yet I am not but next week I will be.” Mateo says. “You are so sure that you passed the bar exam.” I tell him. “Yes. When have I ever not aced a simple test?” He asks me.

I take a big sigh. “Never.” I reply. “Bingo. I always pass.” Mateo says. Just then the doorbell rings. I look up at the clock to see that it is already 6pm. “The guy is right on time.” Mateo says as he gets up and walks over to the front door.

He opens the front door and he lets Pavlo come inside. “Hi you must be Mateo Karakizos. I am Pavlo DuPont from Rossi P.I.” Pavlo says as he greets Mateo. “Welcome Mr. DuPont. This right here is the one that we want your help with. This is …” Matteo says but Pavlo cuts him off. “Mr. Castellano it's so nice to see you again after all these years.” Pavlo says in his heavy French accent as he reaches his hand out to greet me.

“It's good to see you too Pavlo.” I reply as I greet him back. I recognize him because I used to see him a lot at Gina’s house. He was working for her father at their firm.

“Now shall we get to work. I'll need to see all of the information about your case.” Pavlo says. “It's all right there on the table.” I say. We all walk over to the dining room table where all the copies of my files are. Pavlo looks through them.

“I was told that your lawyer is Lawrence Smith?” Pavlo asks me. “Yes.” I reply. “He isn't a good choice to have as a lawyer at all. There is something about that guy that I don't like.” Pavlo says. “I told you that guy cannot be trusted.” Mateo says. “Lawrence was the only one who would take my case. No other lawyer in LA will do it. Why doesn’t your dad just take my case?” I ask Mateo because now I am getting frustrated about this whole lawyer thing.

“Because I told him not to.” Matteo says. “What? Why?” I ask him. “I already told him that I was going to be the one to defend you in court.” Mateo says. “At least we have got some time until the next court date. I will help you guys gather more evidence.” Pavlo says. “Thank you so much.” I say to him.

“You should thank me because I was the one that called them.” Matteo grumbles. “Mr. Karakizos you were only the second person to contact us about this case. The first call that we got was from someone who works at the DA’s office.” Pavlo says. “Do you know who it is?” I ask him. I can’t think that someone at the DA’s office would do that because they are the ones who are accusing me.

“The person said that he wishes to remain anonymous. I will have to take these files with me in order to go through them later.” Pavlo says. “Yeah sure you can take them.” I say. “I will be in contact with you as soon as I find something.” Pavlo says as he stands up. “Thank you Pavlo.” I say as I walk him to the door.

“This evidence looks a bit dodgy to me. I will do everything that I can to help you Marcus.” Pavlo says as he walks out the door. “I look forward to hearing from you soon.” I reply. Pavlo nods and then he walks off with the files.

“Fingers crossed that they can help us.” Mateo says.

“Yeah or else I am screwed.” I say.


Later that night Pavlo is at his house going through Marcus’s case files. He notices that there are a few things wrong in those files.

“This case will be a hard case for me to take. I don’t think that I'll be able to do it. But I know just the right person for the job.” Pavlo says. He picks up his phone and he dials Gina’s number.

The phone rings and Gina answers the call.

“Pavlo how are you?” Gina asks him.

“Boss I'm sorry that I am calling this late. But I have case here in LA that I think would be more suitable for you.” Pavlo replies.

“I’m listening.” Gina says.

“I'm afraid that I cannot give you the information over the phone. The evidence is just confidential. I'll have to give it to you in person here in LA.” Pavlo says. He is hoping that she would come to LA and meet with him.

“Okay then. I'll be coming to LA this weekend anyway. I have meetings there with the architects that I am hiring to help me build my LA offices for Rossi Designs. I'll have Glenda contact you to arrange a meeting between us.” Gina says.

“Thank you. I look forward to the meeting.” Pavlo says as he hangs up the phone.

“Now it is just to convince her to take the case. I know that will be the hard part.” Pavlo says

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