The Royal Contract

"I know it was not easy talking about your experience. I am so proud of you for being so brave." She stared at the boy directly in his eyes, establishing eye contact, hoping that the walls he built around him would all crumble down.

After learning the entire story of the boy she had accidentally bumped with at the park, she immediately decided to help him. It was precisely for this reason that she had devoted her life to her pro bono cases.

"Please, Miss Dani, don't send me back to my foster parents. I don't want to go back to that house." Jeremy begged, kneeling before her with his hands clamped together tightly in front of her.

He knew the drill. He was not the only one to experience such injustice. Usually, it was the kids who took the blame for running away. 

It was either they were rotten eggs, naughty kids, or teenagers with an attitude. It was the kids who took the blame for running away. While their foster parents acted like they were saints, only doing some good deeds.

"Let me see what I can do, Jeremy." She knelt in front of the boy and touched his young, innocent face. He was indeed handsome when properly bath and wearing clean clothes.

She did not want to give the boy some false promises. Right now, she knew that she already had bent the law in his favor when she failed to report the boy to the authorities.

She had to uphold the law, even if it was crooked and flawed. It was what she had sworn to do when she became a lawyer. But she would make sure that she would do everything she could to help this boy.

"Please, help me. I am sure once you return me to my foster parents. They will beat me again for running away," This time, he was trembling in fear. He had tried to be brave, but he was still just a boy.

It was his first time to run away from his recent foster family, but he had seen what they did to one of the kids caught running away. He swore once he got out, he would never go back.

But what could he do if social services were turning a blind eye to the wrong things that were happening to kids like him? He was just a kid. Nobody took them seriously and believed what a boy like him said. 

"Don't worry. I will do my best." She pulled the boy in a tight hug, trying to understand what he was going through. 

She could see the fear in his eyes, despite his effort to appear tough. He was a fighter. She could see that, but he was just a young boy who still had no chance against the reality of life.

There were just so many injustices in the world, and the worse ones usually involved a child. She could not let this innocent child become another victim of their rotten system. She had to do something.

"Thanks, Jacky." She said to her friend over the phone when she called her for help.

Jacky, who used to be a part of the foster system, was the first person she could think of who could help her with Jeremy. She had managed to create an alliance with several other foundations who tried to help foster kids to have a better future. 

She assured Jeremy that he would be safe with the temporary home that would shelter him until she found a solution to his problem. Because if she surrendered him to the child service, they would automatically send him back to his family.

"I'll be back to check on you from time to time. You have my number. You can call Alex or me anytime." She could see his hesitation, but she had convinced him this was for the best in the meantime.

If only she could take him and then put him in another home, she would. She would even take him to her apartment, but that was simply impossible.

She had to go through a tedious process, and it would take time. Besides, her busy schedule did not qualify her to take another life under her care.

"Thanks, Miss Dani and Mister Alex, for all your help." He had no choice but to trust her. She had not shown her any reason to doubt her sincerity so far.

Alex took her back to her office after dropping off Jeremy at his new home, at least a temporary place where he would feel safe. It was the best option until she had figured out what she could do for him.

"Do you think I am crazy for doing this?" Dani turned to Alex as he drove her to her work.

Under the law, the foster parents could accuse her of kidnapping. Jeremy was a minor under their care. She could counter it by filing a case against them for child abuse, but she would need more proof against them.

She had to plan her case against them so that abusive foster parents would stop using the system for their interests. In the end, it was the kids who suffered because the law was not enough to protect them.

"No, I think what you are doing is admirable. I believe it is what attracted me to you in the first place." He kept glancing at her at every opportunity. 

He loved that she was trying to help the kid. Under the same position, he would probably do the same. For now, he would be there to support her every decision.

He dropped her off at work, and he proceeded to his. He would like to spend the rest of the day with her, but both of them had obligations they could not ignore.

As soon as he arrived at his office, he called his best friend and asked for a favor. "Marcus, I want you to look into this case." He explained the situation to his friend, narrating to him Jeremy's story.

"Am I doing this for you or Dani?" Marcus could see that this entire scenario had Dani written all over it. 

He did not mind since it was for a good cause. But he could not help but ask, seeing how much his friend would do anything for his future wife. 

Maybe it was what was missing in his life. He needed passion and devotion for the woman he would love, a reason to be insane and act irrationally because of his obsession to see her smile.

"For us both," Alex replied, knowing what he was trying to point out. He only wished that Marcus would finally see the light. That love was not as terrible as it seemed.

He also knew that he had to do something to help Dani. He did not want to meddle with her affairs, but he was also concerned with the boy. The boy deserved a chance for a good home and a regular life. 

He enjoyed playing with him. He could sense that the boy was intelligent.. It would be a waste if he would end up as a casualty of an erroneous practice in their social system.