You Had Me At Hello (Book 3 Hello Series)

YHMAH 13 - More Than I Should

Damien

Sunshine and I have been texting back and forth for weeks. To the point where waking up without a message from her feels wrong. Where I catch myself checking my phone between meetings, hoping to see her name light up my screen.

We have plans this weekend—our first real date, no family, no chaos—and I'm not going to let anything screw it up.

Which means I need to get through this case.

I step into the conference room, where my father and the senior partners are already seated, stacks of case files spread across the table. The air is thick with tension—something I've grown used to in high-stakes criminal defense.

"Mr. Johnson, we're fully prepared for trial," my father states as I slide into my seat. "The prosecution's case hinges on circumstantial evidence, and they know it."

I nod, loosening my tie slightly. "Have the lab results on the seized narcotics come in?"

"They're still processing," one of the junior associates chimes in. "But based on preliminary reports, we're looking at a large quantity of an unregulated synthetic opioid. Street value in the millions."

I exhale sharply, flipping open the case file.

Our client, Richard Johnson, is a well-respected businessman who owns a major distribution warehouse on the outskirts of the city. The facility sees hundreds of shipments in and out daily, making it the perfect cover for someone smuggling illegal substances.

The problem? Johnson is in his seventies, with no criminal record. He claims he has no idea about the drugs. His grandson, on the other hand, has a history of associating with the wrong people.

"The prosecution is pushing the narrative that Johnson was the mastermind behind this operation," my father continues. "We need to prove reasonable doubt."

One of the paralegals sets a flash drive on the table. "We obtained additional security footage from the night of the search warrant. Take a look."

The screen flickers to life, showing grainy surveillance footage of the warehouse. Several figures move in and out—mostly young, restless, the kind of street-level dealers I'd expect in a case like this.

Except one.

Unlike the others, this person keeps their face deliberately obscured, moving with practiced awareness. A hood covers their head, shoulders hunched, making sure the cameras never get a clear shot.

I lean forward, something about their movements striking me as... familiar.

Then, right before the footage cuts to black, the figure trips.

For half a second, long blonde hair slips free from beneath the hood, cascading down their back.

I freeze.

My grip tightens around the edge of the table.

No.

That's not possible.

But I know what I saw.

That hair. That build. That way of moving—

It looks exactly like Sunshine.

Sunshine

The mural for the Ladies Society is almost finished, and I have to admit—I'm proud of it.

I still can't believe Olivia arranged this. Not only did she get me the gig, but they paid me in advance. I've never seen a check that big before. Most of it went straight into savings, but the majority? That's going to Saint Mary's.