The morning had been uneventful—just another day of back-to-back meetings and a growing pile of paperwork. I barely glanced up from the documents in my hand as I walked towards the reception desk, running through my mental checklist of things to do.

Then, a voice cut through the usual silence.

“Excuse me?”

I turned, expecting the usual—someone lost, a client running late, maybe even another solicitor looking to chat. But instead, I was met with a pair of wide, dark eyes and a crumpled piece of paper clutched tightly in her hands.

She looked nervous.

“I’m looking for a lawyer,” she said, her voice carrying that mix of hesitation and urgency I’d heard too many times before. “His office is supposed to be here. Do you know where I can find…” She glanced down at the paper, then back up. “Mr. Callum Hayes?”

I blinked.

Was she serious?

For a moment, I just watched her, waiting for realization to hit. Her gaze flickered over my face, her brows pulling together slightly, like she was putting the pieces together in real time.

And then, there it was. That split second of recognition.

“You’re looking for me,” I said, letting the words settle between us.

A pause. Her fingers tightened around the paper.

“I—I asked someone-they referred you-said you could help me”

Something in the way she said it made me straighten a little.