Chapter 260: The Cookout

After replying to her colleagues, Maya looked at Ellis. “By the way, do you know Zion? He’s Morty’s uncle.”

“Why ask?” Ellis was curious.

“He’s the PIC of Nexus Group. Although he isn’t involved with legal matters, I saw him yesterday at the company, and he seemed dissatisfied with our law firm. He wants to terminate our partnership.”

Nexus Group wanted to work with her law firm, but her firm had no idea about it. They arranged for her to contact Nexus Group and check if they would become their client. Nexus Group was a major client Maya had secured. Now that some issues had arisen, she was thinking about how to resolve them because she was determined to maintain this valuable partnership.

“Honestly, I have no idea,” Ellis said. She wanted to help, but unfortunately, there was nothing she could do.

“Making money is tough!” Maya said with frustration.

“It really is!” Ellis nodded in deep agreement.

After finishing their barbecue, they had just stepped out of the restaurant when Maya received a message from Morty. “Ms. Maya, my uncle wasn’t actually planning to replace your firm yesterday. Don’t worry.”

As soon as she read the message, Maya immediately turned to Ellis and said, “I don’t have to worry about Nexus Group terminating our partnership anymore.”

“Congrats!” Ellis said with a smile.

“Aren’t you curious why?” Maya prompted her.

Hearing that, Ellis played along and asked, “Why?”

Maya showed her Morty’s message. “Look.”

Seeing the familiar profile picture, Ellis didn’t even need to check Maya’s contact name to know it was Morty. The chat history was filled with nothing but work-related conversations between Morty and Maya. Nothing unusual.

She asked, “And?”

“Has Morty ever made any moves on you lately?” Maya asked. It had been a while since Ellis last mentioned Morty, and since he could be considered a serious suitor, she felt the need to check in, especially since her own work relied on his family’s company.

“No,” Ellis pulled out her phone and showed Maya her chat history with Morty.

“He hasn’t contacted you in a month?” Maya’s eyes landed on the date of their last conversation. “That doesn’t seem like someone who’s actively pursuing you.”

“Not everyone is shameless! He probably picked up on my rejection and backed off.” As Ellis spoke, she found herself disgusted with her past self. Easton had rejected her subtly and outright so many times, yet she still insisted on running headfirst into a dead end. And when she finally hit rock bottom, she was left battered and bruised.

Someone like Morty, who recognized the signs and walked away without making a fuss, was much smarter.

“This is for the best. Well, less trouble!” Maya genuinely thought so. After all, Morty was Easton’s childhood friend. That connection was just too awkward.

“Yep,” Ellis nodded. “But I feel like both he and Easton are kinda fake.”

One used action to hint at his feelings while the other expressed their feelings. This made her feel like she was unworthy of sincerity. Another wanted to remarry her. Yet, the two of them had never directly…

But, of course, she did not randomly date a guy just because she’d been hurt.

1:22 PM

Chapter 261: Membership Mystery

She went to Nexus Group.

While coordinating work with Nexus Group’s legal team, they chose to meet in a conference room. Not long after Maya stepped inside, Morty arrived.

She wasn’t surprised. After all, Morty was now in charge of a portion of Nexus Group’s legal affairs. The moment he walked in, Morty frowned. “Why does it smell in here?”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Caleb immediately went to open a window to air out the room. The others exchanged glances, while Maya felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her.

The smell of barbecue on her clothes was inevitable, especially since she was wearing a jacket that easily absorbed odors. Realizing Morty had noticed, Maya gave a slightly apologetic smile. “Sorry, Mr. Morty. I had a barbecue for lunch, and I didn’t get a chance to change.”

“It’s fine.” Morty waved it off before casually asking, “Do you like barbecue, Ms. Maya?”

Since Maya was Ellis’s closest friend, Morty knew he needed to establish a good rapport with her. Understanding her preferences could help him test the waters, and ideally, she could serve as a bridge between him and Ellis.

“It’s alright,” Maya answered honestly, though she wasn’t sure why Morty had shifted the conversation in that direction.

“Next time our company and your firm have a group dinner, we should consider barbecue as an option,” Morty suggested.

“Huh?” Maya blinked in surprise.

Sensing the moment, Caleb smoothly said, “Work discussions don’t always have to be stiff and formal. Sometimes, talking over a meal can boost efficiency.”

After a few more casual exchanges about food, the conversation quickly returned to business.