Chapter 97 Eddie Roft Part 1

Only taking the time to catch his breath, drink some water and grab a snack, Xavier was on the move most of the day, and even with his great stamina, it was hard not to feel fatigued.

At that point, he was basically dragging his feet along from how heavy they felt, but he still kept going and had managed to visit quite a lot of the places and people that he had listed out with Zack.

However, despite that, he was yet to accomplish even one of his objectives.

Of course, Xavier wasn't satisfied with how much he had managed to get done in the day, but it was just luck with what he was doing, and he wanted to be thorough and completely sure before recruiting anybody.

Especially when it came to the logistics team that he was building around Zack.

They were there to support him and aid the gang from afar, and although quite early, he wanted to recruit a lawyer and accountant that had official licenses to represent them.

Zack's knowledge and skills could only go so far officially, and even if Zack were to find loopholes for such things, he would merely be digging himself a deeper hole in the grand scheme of things.

Xavier was by no means planning on spending any time in prison or allowing anyone that joined him to do so either, so it was best to be prepared from the jump.

And to do so, he wanted a lawyer and accountant that could fit in with the crew and build with them from the bottom.

But doing so proved to be harder than expected.

-

Reaching the end of the list of lawyer candidates, Xavier recognised one that had such an interesting and eventful past that it had stuck with him after hearing about it.

And since Xavier still had other things to do, he decided that they would be the last person he would scout and check out.

With that in mind, he headed over to where Zack had recorded that he would be able to find the man he was looking for, which wasn't the most pleasant of places.

-

At first glance, the man he approached appeared to be all over the place, and his office was in an unusual alleyway, but it seemed to be the only place he could afford.

Even the way he dressed was far from presentable, or what one would expect from a lawyer as he lay back in his chair, on the verge of falling asleep.

However, just from his gaze alone, Xavier could tell that he had great potential as a lawyer.

Which was a weird thing to say, but Xavier trusted his instincts and from the look in the man's eyes, he could tell that he was crafty and very perceptive, while the man also seemed to read quite a lot from Xavier, after looking him in the eye.

And after they spoke between themselves for a short while, both had a clear idea of what the person they were speaking to was like.

Xavier came off as capable and ambitious.

Meanwhile, Eddie, who was the supposed lawyer, came off as someone that had given up and was intentionally not seeking to reach his full potential.

Which led to Xavier's next question.

-

"Why?" he asked.

"Why what?"

"You know what I'm asking. Why do you act like a fool and stay in this shitty lawyer's office when you passed the bar with flying colours and had offers from all the big law firms?"

Eddie was surprised that Xavier knew so much about him and was starting to get a better idea of what Xavier wanted, but as soon as he caught on, he tried to end their conversation there and then.

"I am not planning on working for anybody or joining anybody's firm. Large corporations are not for me. I'd much rather live like a bum," he said before getting up.

However, a simple glare from Xavier caused his legs to feel weak.

"Sit back down and hear me out first."

Eddie couldn't refuse as he stumbled back into his chair and realised just how much he had underestimated the youth before him.

"Do I look like I'm scouting you from a big company? No. I'm scouting you for something greater than that, where your skills will be truly put to use. And for how long are you going to allow your past to hold you back?"

For someone you just met to be speaking to you like that, it was hard to keep calm, and yet, Eddie eased his nerves and spoke comfortably.

After being intimidated into sitting back down, his hands were jittering and his legs shaking, but as if he had flipped a switch in his mind, he gained complete composure.

Which Xavier noticed and was impressed by.

"So, you've done your research on me. Well done. But if you've done your research properly, you'd know that I've given up on myself and the law. Now I just use this office as a bedroom and work part-time at a convenience store. So whatever it is you want from me, I'm sorry, but I can't help you."

"Is that so? Just because the law failed you and you weren't able to overcome your circumstances, you gave up on yourself. How pathetic?"

Xavier's comment seemed to get to Eddie, who slammed his hands on his desk, causing most of what was on it to fall to the ground, but Xavier didn't even flinch.

"You know nothing! How could you understand what it's like to watch your mother kill herself?! How could you understand what it's like to lose your older brother, who overcame that and became a righteous lawyer, to prosecute those that forced my mother into that state? And if he had died peacefully, that would have been one thing. But after working independently to help the less fortunate, he suddenly died of a drug overdose, even though he's never taken a drug in his life?!"

It seemed as though Eddie has lost it as he continued rambling on about his life.

"The law is useless and I don't give a shit about anything anymore. I only wanted to become a lawyer in the first place because of my brother, but they took him from me. So, you can't judge me and don't understand how..."

"But I do understand. You think you're the only one with struggles huh?! Everyone has their own problems in life and even if you feel as though yours are the worst and that the world is out to get you, it isn't," Xavier yelled at him.

"Instead of trying to live in your brother's memory and find a way to avenge his supposed accidental death and surpass him, you became someone he would be ashamed of. And what about your daughter and her mother? Are you going to leave your daughter to experience the same loss as you?"

Eddie, who had lost all composure, bellowed at Xavier, "Who are you to judge me and don't bring them into this?!"

"Why should I not? After the loss you suffered, you gave up on everything and left the mother of your child to fend for herself in this cruel world. How long has it been since you've last seen her or at least helped her out with some money? What's the point of even living if you're going to live like this?"

"..."

Silence followed Xavier's rant, and Eddie didn't know what to say as the man wept at his desk.

And Xavier let the man cry and knew that it was rare that people could actually open up and be vulnerable with someone, so it was best to let it all out, as he sat there patiently.

-

Xavier had been intrigued by Eddie Roft and everything that Zack had been able to gather about him.

Despite being a young prospect and receiving offers from all the biggest law firms, he gave up on his dream of being a lawyer and all the money, influence and fame that would have come with it after his brother passed away.

His father had been a victim of loan sharks and was in extreme debt, but after dying of sickness due to overworking himself, that debt was passed onto his wife who, with 2 sons, couldn't handle the pressure.

She ended up killing herself in front of her youngest son while her eldest son, who had just turned 18, was out working, and that traumatised Eddie.

However, with counselling and the support of his older brother who was able to become his legal guardian, he moved on and looked up to his brother, who after becoming a lawyer was able to send all the loan sharks involved in what happened to his parents to prison.

And since then, Eddie had been bright, and despite seeing his brother less and less, he wanted to follow in his footsteps and make him proud.

It reached a point where he barely saw his brother anymore, but he made sure to call him every day and his brother would tell him small things about what he was working on and how he was seeking to take down some powerful figures that were corrupt.

And in that time, Eddie had fallen in love with someone he had dated from university and throughout law school.

By the time he graduated law school, she had gotten pregnant, and he proposed to her, wanting to live out the rest of his life with her.

With his prospects and after passing the bar, his great future was almost guaranteed, and he didn't worry about money becoming an issue and wanted to give his daughter and fiance the best lives possible.

But then his brother died, and his life came crashing down...