The 69 Days of Autumn With Billionaire

Alannah Coleman was twenty-five years old and carried more responsibility than most people her age. By day, she worked as an intern at one of Sheffield's busiest law firms, hoping to become a qualified solicitor. By night, she worried about student loans, mortgage payments, and keeping a roof over her and her younger sister's heads. Life had forced her to grow up quickly, but it had never taken away her kind heart or her quiet hope for better days. The shrill sound of her alarm broke the silence at half past seven. Alannah groaned softly and pulled the duvet over her head. "Five more minutes," she mumbled. A knock came at her bedroom door almost at once. "You've already had five more minutes," a cheerful voice called out. Alannah smiled despite herself. "I'm awake, Millie." "Liar." "I'm almost awake." Millie peeked inside her bedroom with a grin. "You said that yesterday." "And I still got to work on time." "Barely. Now hurry up before you complain about being late." As Millie headed downstairs, Alannah checked her phone and her smile faded at the notifications: her monthly mortgage payment had cleared, and an email reminded her that another student loan payment was due next week. She quietly locked the phone and rubbed her face. "One day," she whispered, "I'll wake up without checking how much money I've got left." She climbed out of bed and pulled the curtains open. The streets of Sheffield were quiet under a grey morning sky. Their small terraced house was warm, clean, and filled with memories. Taking on a huge mortgage had been a massive risk, but it was the first place that had ever felt like home. Downstairs, the smell of toast greeted her. "Morning," Millie said, popping bread into the toaster. "I made tea." "My favourite person." "I know." As Alannah reached for a cup, a slow drip from the kitchen tap caught her attention. She grabbed a spanner from the drawer and tightened the fitting until the noise stopped. Millie watched her. "Normal people call a plumber." "Normal people can afford one. Fixing it myself is free." "One day you'll be a solicitor and still spend your weekends fixing taps." "As long as it saves money, absolutely." By twenty past eight, Alannah stood in the hallway buttoning her cream colored coat. She could see a faint shadows lingered under her hazel eyes from another late night, but she tucked a loose strand of brown hair behind her ear, grabbed her handbag, and checked the contents for the third time. "Talking to yourself again?" Millie asked, leaning against the kitchen doorframe. "Just making sure I haven't forgotten anything." "You check every morning and still ask if I've seen your keys." Alannah paused. "...Fair point." "I knew you'd admit it." "I admitted nothing." Millie laughed, then took a bite of her toast. "You worked late again, didn't you?" "A little." "You got home after nine, Alannah." "If I don't work hard now, someone else will get the training contract," Alannah said softly. "And then I won't become a solicitor." Millie's tone softened. "You carry everything by yourself." Since their parents had died, every bill had Alannah's name on it. Every decision was hers. Millie stepped closer and wrapped her arms around her. "I'm proud of you, you know." Alannah held her sister tight. "Thank you. Now go pass your history test." "I will. Go impress your fancy lawyers." "They're not my lawyers." "They will be one day." Outside, the cool autumn air greeted her, sending yellow and red leaves tumbling across the pavement. Alannah walked ten minutes to the tram stop, swapped a quick greeting with the ticket inspector, and took a seat on the bench. Opening her notebook, she checked her list for the day: To Do – Thursday 1: Prepare the Wilson inheritance file. 2: Print court papers for Amelia. 3: Call three clients to confirm appointments. 4: Organize the meeting room for 11:00 AM. 5: Draft notes for the Collins property case. 6: Reply to outstanding emails. 7: Pay electricity bill during lunch. 8: Buy milk on the way home. 9: Help Millie revise for the English Test. Alannah’s eyes stopped on the words Pay for the electricity bill during lunch. She already knew exactly how much was left in her bank account. She had worked it out before going to sleep, then checked it again after waking up. If she paid the electricity bill on Friday instead of today, she could leave herself a little more money for the weekend. But if she waited too long, there would be a late fee. She hated late fees. It felt like being punished for already struggling. No, she thought firmly. I'll pay it today. Somehow, I'll make everything fit. I always do. She turned the page and found another list she had written a few months ago. At the top, in slightly bigger writing, were the words Things I'll Do When Life Is Easier. She smiled as she read through them. 1: Take Millie to Scotland. 2: Buy a new sofa. 3: Replace the old kitchen cupboards. 4: Go on a holiday without checking my bank balance every five minutes. 5: Sleep for eight hours. A quiet laugh escaped her lips. "The last one should probably be first." Nobody heard her except an elderly woman sitting nearby, who looked over with a kind smile. "Talking to yourself, dear?" Alannah laughed, slightly embarrassed. "I've been caught." "We all do it." "Good. I was starting to think I was the only one." "Oh, not at all," the woman replied with a chuckle. "Sometimes I'm the only person who agrees with me." That made Alannah laugh even more. It was such a simple joke, but it lightened something inside her. She thanked the woman before looking back at her notebook. See? She thought. Not every conversation has to be important. Sometimes people can make your day a little brighter without even trying. Then a soft chime sounded in the distance as the tram appeared around the corner. People stood up one by one, gathering their bags and moving closer to the edge of the platform. Alannah slipped her notebook back into her handbag and took a deep breath. In a few minutes she would be back at the office, answering phones, sorting files, and trying to prove that she deserved a permanent place there. *** Twenty minutes later, Alannah arrived at Ruth & Partners Solicitors, a modern glass structure standing out against Sheffield's older brick buildings. She pushed through the revolving doors into the familiar bustle of ringing phones and clicking keyboards. "Morning, Alannah," Martin called from reception. "How's Thursday treating you?" "Ask me after lunch," she said with a light chuckle. "I've been awake three hours and already had two bank alerts." "Ouch. Well, at least today still has a chance." She smiled and made her way through the office, greeting colleagues as she passed. At her desk, Lydia Bennett was waiting with two takeaway coffees, looking vibrant in an oversized bright jumper. "Latte for you," Lydia said, handing her a cup. "Lydia, you didn't have to. I still haven't paid you back for earlier this week." "Mention paying me back again and I'm charging interest." Alannah laughed, taking a warm sip. "Very appropriate for a law firm. Thank you." The rich smell of the latte made her smile, even if only for a moment. Around them, the office was becoming busier by the minute. Solicitors hurried between meeting rooms with thick files tucked under their arms, reception phones rang almost without stopping, and the printer in the corner was already working harder than most people. It was only just after eight o'clock, yet the day already felt as though it had been running for hours. Alannah glanced towards the glass office at the end of the floor. The blinds were half open, but she couldn't see Amelia inside. She lowered her voice. "So..." Lydia looked up from her own coffee. "So?" "How's Amelia today?" Lydia let out a long breath that almost sounded dramatic enough for the stage. "Oh... not great." Alannah's smile faded. "That bad?" Lydia nodded. "I'd say somewhere between 'don't interrupt unless the building is on fire' and 'run for your life'." Alannah laughed quietly. "You're joking." "I wish I was." "What happened?" Lydia looked around to make sure no one else was listening before leaning a little closer. "It's the Katherine Hannaford case." "The fraud case?" "The very one." "I thought the hearing wasn't until next month." "It isn't, but that hasn't stopped the newspapers from writing about it every single day." She looked towards Amelia's office. "And every time another article comes out, Amelia gets another dozen phone calls." Alannah frowned. "From reporters?" "Reporters... television producers... radio stations... people claiming they're 'close family friends'..." Lydia made air quotes with her fingers. "Basically anyone who thinks they can get information." Alannah slowly shook her head. "People really have no shame." "They don't." Lydia took a sip of her coffee before continuing. "You should've seen yesterday afternoon. One reporter actually walked into reception pretending to be a client." "No." "Yes." "What happened?" "Martin stopped him before he reached Amelia's office." "I'm not surprised." "He kept saying, 'I only need five minutes with Miss Ruth.'" "And Martin?" Lydia laughed. "Martin folded his arms and said, 'You need the front door more than you need five minutes.'" Alannah couldn't help laughing. "I would've loved to see that." "It was brilliant." But then her smile slowly disappeared again. "But honestly... I feel sorry for Amelia." "So do I." "The whole firm's under pressure." Alannah looked down at her coffee for a moment. She had only read a few headlines about the Katherine Hannaford case, but they had been impossible to miss. Every newspaper seemed to have a different story, and every news channel had another opinion. She couldn't imagine how difficult it must be for Amelia to deal with the legal work while also trying to ignore everything happening outside the courtroom. 'People forget that real lives are behind these stories,' she thought. 'To them, it's entertainment. To us, it's someone's job... and someone's future.' Lydia rested her elbows on the desk. "You know Amelia." Alannah nodded. "She likes everything organized." "Exactly." "And when something is outside her control..." "She works twice as hard." Lydia pointed at her. "See? You know her already." "I've learned from the best." "You have." Lydia smiled. "She was here before six this morning." Alannah blinked. "Six?" "I got here at ten past seven and her office light was already on." "That means she barely went home." "Probably." Lydia sighed. "I gave her a coffee about half an hour ago." "Did she drink it?" "Eventually." "What do you mean 'eventually'?" "She thanked me, put it on her desk... and then completely forgot about it." Alannah gave a small smile. "That sounds like Amelia." "It does." "I'll make sure she eats something today." Lydia laughed softly. "You'll try." "I always try." "Good luck with that." Alannah looked towards Amelia's office once more. The door was closed now, and through the glass she could just make out Amelia moving from one side of the room to the other, even from a distance she looked focused, almost restless. ‘She trusts me,’ Alannah thought quietly. ‘The least I can do is make today a little easier for her.’ She placed her empty coffee cup beside her keyboard, switched on her computer, and opened the first email of the morning. She saw right at the top, flagged with a high-priority red exclamation mark, was an email sent just three minutes ago from Amelia’s personal address. Subject: URGENT: Charlton Estate – Bourton-on-the-Water Alannah, Please drop whatever you are working on and come to my office immediately. Bring the Charlton file if it is on your desk. We have a situation. Alannah’s fingers hovered over the keyboard, her heart giving a sudden, nervous flutter and through the glass partition of the corner office, Alannah slowly closed her inbox, pulled her shoulders back, and took a deep breath. Just keep your head down, she reminded herself, though her hands were slightly trembling as she reached for her notepad. Everything will be fine. But as she stood up and walked toward the closed glass door, she had a strange, sinking feeling that "fine" was about to be left far behind.