Law America, the Devil's Agent

When Link opened his eyes, the first thing he smelled was a faint floral scent on the sheets that didn't belong to him.

That was the lingering scent of perfume left on my pillow after a night of passion.

He snapped out of his daze, twisted his neck, heard his cervical vertebrae cracking, and then let out a long breath.

The wake-up service didn't work today, not because I forgot to set it up, but because...

He turned his head away.

Elena was curled up on the other side of the bed, sleeping peacefully, her long golden-brown hair spread out on the pillow, her breathing steady and gentle.

The capable and assertive prosecutor from yesterday's courtroom has vanished without a trace; now she resembles a docile kitten that has been well-fed.

Link looked at her, and the image of her in bed last night flashed through his mind:

It was exactly the same as her closing statement in court.

Wild, proactive, and even with a degree of aggression he hadn't expected.

He smiled slightly, gently lifted the covers, stepped barefoot onto the carpet, and walked into the bathroom.

The washing and grooming process is the same as usual:

Brush your teeth, shave, take a hot shower.

He dried himself off, straightened his collar in front of the mirror, and then frowned.

  

There are several marks of varying shades on my neck, especially noticeable near my collarbone.

He thought for a moment, then rummaged through his luggage bag in the dressing room and pulled out a dark silk scarf, which he used to barely cover up the marks.

It's not a perfect solution, but it's better than going to a law firm meeting with several conspicuous hickeys.

He was already fully dressed when he came out of the changing room.

Before leaving, he walked to the bedside again, bent down, and gently stroked Elena's cheek with his palm.

Her eyebrows twitched, but she didn't open her eyes.

"I have a team meeting this morning, so I can't take you home. I've already asked the front desk to arrange a hotel car, so you can get up whenever you want."

Elena gave a soft "hmm" and didn't say anything more. She just turned over and pulled the blanket up a little.

Link picked up his car keys and phone from the bedside table, tiptoed into the room, and left.

The morning receptionist in the hotel lobby is still the same girl named Hill.

She noticed that the scarf around Link's neck looked slightly out of place under the indoor lighting, but her professionalism prevented her from interfering. She simply smiled and said:

"Good morning, Mr. Link."

Link returned the greeting, pushed open the hotel's glass door, and waited for the hotel staff to drive the car to the entrance.

With a low growl from the sports car's engine, it merged into the morning rush hour traffic.

……

When I arrived at the law firm and opened the door to my office, all the team members were already there.

Kona leaned against the bookshelf. When she saw Link walk in, her gaze fell on the silk scarf, and she looked puzzled.

"Good morning," Link greeted the others.

"Good morning, team leader."

Benny and Celine greeted each other as usual.

Only Cona's eyes remained fixed on Link.

The atmosphere in the office suddenly became somewhat subtle.

Celine looked up from behind her laptop and broke the silence at the opportune moment:

"Mr. Link, today's team leader meeting will be held at 10:30 in conference room B."

Mary just came by and said she would take you there ahead of time.

Link nodded.

He then went to Mary at the front desk, who smiled and waved to him.

He followed Mary down the corridor toward Conference Room B.

The team leader meeting is a monthly meeting for mid-to-senior level lawyers at Curtiss Law Firm, with participants including the firm's three partners and all team leader lawyers.

Link knew the importance of this meeting when he last received Herman's notification, and today is his first time officially attending.

When the meeting room door was pushed open, there were already quite a few people sitting inside.

Seated on either side of the long conference table were the lead attorneys from Curtis Law Firm, with three people seated at the head of the table—

Dylan McKellen, Jamie Harris, and Quint Curtis.

The Curtiss law firm is named after Quint Curtis, who is over sixty years old and has completely white hair, but still sits upright with a calm and sharp gaze when he sits in the head seat.

Link walked into the conference room, first nodding slightly to the three partners, and then greeting the team leaders and lawyers he had dealt with before.

Herman Brookes extended his hand to him, and the two shook hands.

The other group leaders either nodded at him or cast scrutinizing glances at him.

Among those present, Link was the youngest and least experienced; he was the last group leader to join the group.

He ignored the stares and quietly walked to the empty seat at the end of the conference table and sat down.

The meeting officially began. The agenda proceeded step by step:

Each team leader reported in turn on the number of cases, success rate, client feedback and revenue generated in the past year. The three partners spoke about the firm's financial situation, business restructuring and strategic plans for the coming year.

Link sat at the end of the table, listening attentively without saying a word. He was there today to familiarize himself with the procedures.

When it was his turn, the host, Dylan McKellen, did not ask him to stand up and give his report. He simply glanced at him and then looked around at the entire room.

"Attorney Link hasn't been a team leader for very long, but I think everyone here is familiar with his performance."

Although their numbers are small, each one has a huge influence.

In the Winthrop case, a woman delivered her closing statement in federal court under the threat of gunfire, returning a girl who had been trafficked for nearly twenty years to her biological parents.

This report, as his opening piece, has been repeated countless times in publications and reports by numerous women's protection and human rights organizations.

The Philadelphia General Hospital corruption case uncovered a systematic drug smuggling network from a serial murder case that everyone considered an ironclad case, and the full evidence was disclosed at the press conference.

This was an even more shocking case, a major event that caused a sensation and dominated the headlines.

The impact of these two cases has extended beyond the Philadelphia legal community, attracting attention throughout the state's legal community.

In addition, Attorney Link also secured a long-term legal aid contract for the law firm with the Philadelphia Soldiers Association.

The group leaders nodded in agreement.

Contracts with the Soldiers Association are one of the law firm’s most stable sources of pro bono cases. Although the profits are not high, they are valuable because of their sustainability and social reputation.

Last year, the contract was almost on the verge of being terminated under Robinck's management. It was Link's performance in the Winthrop case that made Klaus decide to renew the contract.

This matter had already been discussed in an internal meeting at the team leader level.

After Dylan finished speaking, Herman took off his glasses, wiped them, and calmly added:

"I watched the entire press conference recording. The arrangement of the chain of evidence, the control of the public opinion rhythm, and the final moment pointing to Morrison were all textbook-level performances."

I am proud and happy that our Curtiss Law Firm has such promising juniors and young talents.

The lawyers below applauded softly. He put his glasses back on and nodded slightly to Link.

Link also nodded in acknowledgment to his senior.

Quint Curtis, the law firm founder in his sixties, sat in the center of the conference table, remaining silent throughout.

He slowly stood up only after everyone had finished expressing their opinions.

When the founder was about to speak, the meeting room immediately fell silent.