The office complex was a glass framed massive edifice owned by the Texas State Judiciary Corporation. Mr Smith.

Mr Smith's office was on the third deck of the building. I walked in through the entrance.

Hopefully, nobody really cared who came in or who exited, I also didn't care much about saying hi to anyone.

I walked straight to the elevator and pressed the button that led to the third floor. It chimed open and I got in. It closed up, made a click sound, vibrated for some seconds and then stopped vibrating. I stepped out at this point, arriving at the third floor.

Mr Smith's office was the first on the third floor, so I walked in. I thought he would be surprised seeing me walk into his office since he wasn't aware I had arrived in Texas. But he wasn't surprised, maybe he understood I would have to meet him sooner or later.

“Good day Mr Smith”, I greeted as I walked in.

“Hello Miss Zina Jefferson, you decided to pay us a visit today”. He smiled broadly, revealing his brown teeth.

“Are you okay cause your face isn't looking so”. His eyes widened, peering at me as I walked forward, closer to his table.

“Would you offer me a seat”, I mumbled, when I was up close.

“Of course you can”, he jeered and pointed to the armchair directly opposite him.

“You seem to be in a hurry, are you headed somewhere?”, he asked and took off his glasses.

“I was actually heading here”, I smirked.

“Oh! “That's good then”, he bellowed and leaned his back on his chair.

“You don't seem lightened up as you walked in”. “When did you return from Georgia?”, he added.

“Mr Smith I'm here for serious business”. I echoed.

“Let's get to it then”, he sat up straight and placed his elbow on the table.

“What's this business about Miss Jefferson”, the smile on his face gave way to folds forming on his forehead.

“Why did you let my dad sell the factory?”.

“He wanted it”, he replied passively.

“Really, and you agreed to it as his adviser”

“Yeah, cause I didn't have a choice of stopping him”. He sounded so confident as he spoke.

“!Oh”, I snorted and held my breath for a second. I finally released my breath and asked “Who did he sell the factory to?”.

“You should know him, he is Mr Jameson Irish”

“He is a well-known billionaire in the United States”, he added.

“!Oh gosh!, it didn't have to be him?”, I grumbled.

Of course I knew Jameson Irish from high school and worse still we were enemies throughout high school. His family was wealthy, it earned him many friends.

When the popular buddies in school began thronging around him, he became arrogant and felt like he owned the world.

I detested his site then and he knew it. I remember him writing a note to me that read “Don't feel too big, I could buy you”. From then, we became arch enemies.

I couldn't hold my heart from getting weak and shredding into pieces. Tears churned my eyelids as I thought deeply.

Mr Smith tapped the table, snapping out of my misery.

“Miss Jefferson… Miss Jefferson”, he called out.

I lifted my face from the table without saying a word.

“You stopped speaking, do you have any concerns regarding Mr Jameson?”, his eyes bored into my eyes as he spoke.

“Why did it have to be him?”, I mumbled again.

“He was the highest bidder Miss Jefferson”.

“Your father had to sell it off to him, since it was the only way of getting money to pay his mortgage or risk being sent out of his house”.

“If he hadn't sold off the winery, you would have returned to Texas to find your family living in the street”.

“It was his best move Miss Jefferson”, he nodded slightly, watching to see if I would agree with his stance.

“The money gotten from the sale is enough to start up a potential business if used wisely”, he implied.

But his stance wasn't making sense to me, it made me feel less of myself and less of my family as well.

“Mr Smith”, I called out weakly.

“Yes Miss Jefferson”.

“We will have to begin the process of getting the company back”, I boldly asserted.

“And how do we do that”, he bellowed.

“I should ask you that Mr Smith, you represent the law here”, I blared out loud.

“You knew the factory was mine to take over, you didn't inform me of the plans to sell it off”.

“I thought you were responsible for my dad's legal actions regarding his property”, I blared, my eyes almost popping out.

“I'm not responsible to you Miss Jefferson, I'm only responsible for the legal actions of Mr Jim Jefferson, and I offered him my legal advice and protection according to the decision he took”. He spewed.

“I see”, I babbled, as I raised my eyebrows.

“Yes Miss Jefferson”, he snapped in.

“It seems you do not want to help out”, I affirmed.

“Of course I want to help out”, he exclaimed.

“I could talk to your Dad to release a part of the money he got from the sales to you to start up any business of your choice while I offer legal protection”, he jerked his head.

“That's not the kind of help I want”, I emphasized.

“What kind of help do you need?”. “Getting back the wine company?”, he hinted.

“Yes Mr Smith”, I replied softly.

“That isn't possible Miss Jefferson”.

“It is Mr Smith”. I asserted firmly.

“Really”, he scoffed.

“Yes, and you'll see about it”.

The room went silent, the air in the room felt tense, I could see his eyes staring deep at me, wondering what gave me such courage to think that I could do without his help.

He wasn't the only attorney in Texas, so I could do without him even if it means getting an attorney to take up the case.