Tessa knocked on Barry’s office door.

“Come in!” Barry called out.

Tessa didn’t beat around the bush. “Mr. Leiston, I want to resign.”

Barry was stunned. “What’s wrong? You just returned after the holidays, and now you’re resigning?”

During their business trip to Noria, Tessa won a bet that secured the firm

Victorious Corporation’s legal representation and advisory contract for the next

ten years.

She was practically his golden ticket now, so there was no way he would let her walk away that easily.

Tessa was blunt and honest. “I have a personal issue with the new partner. I’m not working for her.”

At the end of the day, lawyers at the firm weren’t independent. Their jobs seemed decent enough, but they were nothing more than regular employees.

For every case they handled, the firm took a cut and distributed it among the partners as bonuses.

So no matter how many cases Tessa won, she was just another lawyer making money for the firm.

Back then, none of this would’ve mattered to her. After all, she was only here to train herself and gain experience.

But Jacqueline had now become both a partner at the firm and her boss. That meant every case she handled from now on would be putting money in Jacqueline’s pocket.

Tessa knew Jacqueline would make her life hell. So, there was no way she was sticking around for that.

When Barry learned about their bad blood, he felt caught in the middle.

Jacqueline had invested 80 million dollars in Shelton Law Firm. The sheer wealth of his new partner was enough to send him over the moon.

On top of that, she was the adopted daughter of the Jacobson family. If the firm could use her to build ties with them, they could cement their status as the top law firm in Rivertown.

They might even be able to set their sights on becoming the best firm in the country!

Conversely, Tessa had just secured the biggest contract in the firm’s history. There was no way Barry wanted to lose her either.

Tessa said, “Mr. Leiston, you don’t have to be this troubled. I’ve made up my mind to leave. Over the next few days, I’ll wrap things up and hand everything over to my O colleagues.”

Barry sighed. “Are you sure you don’t

d.

want to reconsider? Shelton Law

Firm is the best in Rivertown. Our salary, benefits, and career

prospects are miles ahead of any other firm. If you walk away now, you won’t find another opportunity like this.”

Tessa shook her head. “No, I’m sure.”

She had already thought it through. Once she resigned, she was going to start her own law firm.

She had acquired sufficient

experience in the past six months. Once her firm was fully established she would leverage her connections and resources to recruit top legal professionals and the brightest law school graduates.

She was confident that she could surpass Shelton Law Firm and take the top spot in Rivertown.

Looking back, she realized she had been too idealistic. She had believed she could succeed on her own without tapping into her family’s resources and connections.

But reality had hit her hard.

In the real world, background, resources, and networks meant everything. Thinking she could succeed without them had been nothing more than a fantasy.

Jacqueline was the adopted daughter of the Jacobson family. With such a powerful rival, Tessa knew her only option was to focus on her career and build her empire.

Three days later, Tessa had wrapped up her work and was ready to officially leave Shelton Law Firm.

Her leaving made Jasmine deeply sad. With red-rimmed eyes, Jasmine asked, “Tessa, are you really leaving?”

Tessa pulled her into a hug and smiled. In a gentle voice, she said, “I’m starting

my own law firm. Once you get your law license, I’d love to have you on my team.”

Jasmine’s sadness vanished in an instant. Her face lit up with excitement. “Really? I’ll definitely join you!”

Tessa patted her shoulder and smiled. “I’ll be waiting for you to become an official lawyer and join us.”