Tessa nodded and said, "Pleasee in."


    She waited for Lester to enter her office before asking, "Are you here to discuss the Helio case with me? I was about to look for you, actually. The case is a challenging one, so I wanted to get your opinion on it."


    Helio was a biotechnologypany, and the president was Samuel''ste friend. Tessa had only opened herw firm for business recently, but Helio had already entrusted several cases to her. Amongst the cases was one that was ratherplicated. There wasn''t enough evidence, so they would be taking a huge risk if they escted the case to court.


    However, Lester shook his head. "I''m not here for the Helio case."


    She lifted her gaze and looked at him in confusion. "Why are you here, then?"


    "You''ve been looking troubledtely."


    Tessa was stunned for a moment before she asked, "You can tell?"


    "Yeah," he answered with a smile. "You''re always distracted recently. You''re practically carrying a sign over your head that says ''I''m troubled''."


    "Is it really that obvious?" she asked while pressing her lips together.


    "It''s that obvious," he replied.


    "Fine." Tessa lowered her eyes before she said in a mncholic voice, "Something happened at home recently."


    Lester''s eyes darkened. His tone was dripping with concern when he asked, "Can I ask what happened?"


    Tessa pondered his question for a moment before she decided to share.


    "Something happened to my younger sister. Her mental state is unstable, so I''m really worried about her."


    "I know the best psychiatrist in the country," Lester said. "Perhaps I can give you a hand."


    Tessa shook her head. "There''s no need for now. We already have a live-in psychiatrist who''s taking care of her. We''ll see if her treatment shows any results, and I''ll contact you if it doesn''t work out. Thank you, Mr. Cooper."


    Lester''s gaze was gentle when he said, "There''s no need to thank me."


    His tone turned teasing as he joked with Tessa, "After all, I''m one of your partners, so I''m also one of the


    bosses of this firm. If your poor''


    condition affects your work, I''m the one who will suffer a loss if you lose a case. We won''t be able to collect the rest of the fee from the client if that happens!"


    Tessa was aware that he was joking with her. She fixed a smile on her face and countered, "Don''t worry, Mr. Cooper. I''ll never allow you to suffer any losses. I know you''re worried, but you shouldn''t doubt my professional capabilities."


    She picked up a verdict sheet and brandished it at Lester. "Have a look for yourself. I just received another winning verdict. The court has ruled in favor of all our ims, and we''ve just received a 15,000 dors legal fee from the client."


    Lester''s eyes crinkled into crescents. He was smiling when he said, "Very impressive, Ms. Yates."


    Tessa was also in better spirits, so she decided to tease him in return. "Rest easy, you won''t have to worry about a thing if you work with me."


    Amusement sparkled in Lester''s eyes. His tone was gentle when he replied, "Okay."


    Soon, it was time for the work day to


    end. The staff of thew firm left one after the other. Tessa stayed behind to finish organizing her documents before she closed the to


    der office and switched off


    lights in the building. She then started making her way out of the firm.


    Lester''s voice came echoing toward her. "Ms. Yates."


    Tessa turned to look at him and asked, "Is something the matter?"


    Lester strolled toward her. He was wearing a pair of gold-framed sses, and Tessa could see the smile in his attractive eyes.


    "Didn''t you want to discuss the Helio case with me? A new Lospian restaurant opened nearby recently, and I was told by a friend that the food is quite good. Would you like to join me for dinner while we discuss the case?"


    Tessa was stunned for a moment before she agreed. "That''s fine with me."


    Although she was officially off the clock, Tessa didn''t mind discussing work with Lester. After all, she wasn''t working for someone else. Thew firm belonged to her, and she was also working on the Helio case. She was quite grateful that Lester was willing to sacrifice his free time to discuss it with her.


    "Let me treat you to this meal, Mr. Cooper. It''s my thanks for analyzing the case


    with me," Tessa offered with a smile.


    "Sounds good to me," Lester epted easily.


    Tessa pressed the button to call the elevator to their floor while Lester stood


    quietly next to her as they waited.