Bound by law

Chapter 19: Big News

The next morning, Estelle practically burst into the apartment, a huge grin plastered across her face. She had barely stepped through the door when Mia looked up from her spot on the couch, coffee in hand, and raised an eyebrow at Estelle's obvious excitement.

"Whoa," Mia said, sitting up a little straighter. "What's with the energy, Miss Brooks? You look like you just won the lottery."

Estelle bounced on her feet, her hands shaking from the excitement. "Mia! You're not going to believe it!"

Mia's grin grew. "Oh, I love a good 'you won't believe it' story. Spill."

Estelle took a deep breath, hardly able to contain herself. "Remember when you told me to apply for Miss Scarlett's law firm?"

Mia's eyes widened, her grin turning mischievous. "Yeah?"

"Well, guess what?" Estelle squealed, unable to hold it back any longer. "I GOT ACCEPTED!"

Mia's jaw dropped, her coffee cup almost slipping from her hands. "NO WAY! Are you serious?!"

Estelle nodded furiously, waving her phone in the air like a trophy. "I just got the email this morning. I'm officially in. Miss Scarlett wants me as one of her interns!"

Mia shot up from the couch and practically tackled Estelle in a hug, bouncing up and down with her. "Oh my god! Estelle, that's HUGE! This is amazing!"

Estelle laughed, hugging Mia back just as tightly. "I know! I couldn't believe it when I saw the email. I didn't think it would happen so quickly, but here we are!"

Mia pulled back, her face flushed with excitement. "You totally deserve this. Miss Scarlett's firm is one of the best! She's gonna love you. Oh my god, Estelle, you're going to kill it there!"

"I'm just... so excited and nervous," Estelle admitted, running a hand through her hair. "This is such a big opportunity, and after everything with Celeste's firm, I just—this feels like a fresh start."

Mia grinned, practically glowing with pride for her best friend. "You're gonna kill it. You've been working your butt off for this. And this is just the beginning. Who cares about Thorne's firm when you've got Scarlett's?"

Estelle's smile faltered for a moment at the mention of Celeste. She had been doing her best to focus on her future and not think about her professor, but a small part of her couldn't help but wonder how Celeste would react when she found out about her new internship. Would she be angry? Disappointed? Or would she not care at all?

Mia noticed the brief flicker of doubt in Estelle's expression and nudged her playfully. "Don't even think about it. This is your moment. Forget about Thorne for now. You did this all on your own, and you should be proud."

Estelle nodded, shaking off the lingering thoughts of Celeste. "You're right. This is about me, and I'm not going to let anyone take this away from me."

Mia grinned, giving her another quick hug. "Exactly! Now, we need to celebrate. Tonight. I'll plan something—drinks, dancing, the works. You deserve it."

Estelle laughed. "You always know how to throw a party, Mia."

"You bet I do," Mia said with a wink. "Tonight's gonna be all about you. We're going big."

As the day went on, Estelle couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and relief. She had spent so much time worrying about what Celeste thought, about whether or not she would get another chance at Thorne's law firm, that she hadn't fully realized how freeing it would feel to have a fresh start. Scarlett's law firm was prestigious, and being selected as an intern there meant she had proven herself—without the complications of her strained relationship with Celeste.

Later that afternoon, as Estelle sat at her desk preparing for the next round of classes, she couldn't help but feel a slight pang of anticipation. Celeste still didn't know about her new internship, and while she wasn't obligated to tell her, she knew it was only a matter of time before word got around.

But as she looked at the acceptance email again, a small smile tugged at the corners of her lips. No matter how Celeste reacted, this was her moment. Her future. And nothing could take that away.