Seeing Joseph mention Vivica and then suddenly fall quiet, his face carrying a subtle, almost wistful smile, Raymond's curiosity was instantly piqued.
"Vivica was lucky to find you. I heard from Chaim that your parents have been incredibly good to them too, absolutely spoiling them."
Raymond paused, then added sincerely, "Mr. Baird, thank you for everything."
Joseph raised an eyebrow, shooting him a thoroughly unimpressed look. "I dote on my wife and son. What do you have to thank me for?"
"Your son?" Raymond caught the word, looking slightly puzzled.
Joseph froze, realizing he had just slipped up and revealed the truth.
However, it was an easy cover-up.
"Vivica and I are married. If Chaim isn't my son, what else would he be?"
Raymond chuckled. "Right, exactly. Of course he's your son."
When the two men arrived at the hospital, Hillary was sitting by Hayes's bed.
Having finally found her daughter and lifted the heaviest weight from her heart, Hillary's health had noticeably improved.
And now, hearing that Sullivan and Sean Chase had been arrested with a mountain of evidence stacked against them just waiting for sentencing, the couple was practically glowing with joy.
"Raymond, Mr. Baird, you have no idea. The news broke first thing this morning. So many of the old company executives have been calling to ask if it's true, along with former business partners. My phone hasn't stopped ringing all morning!"
Hillary felt an overwhelming sense of vindication, her words rushing out with breathless excitement.
Though Hayes was paralyzed and couldn't move his legs, he weakly raised a hand, his voice thick with emotion. "It's all thanks to Mr. Baird. We spent years helpless against them, and the moment he stepped in, they were taken down."
Joseph was used to receiving praise. Usually, when he won a major case, his clients would put him on a pedestal.
But being praised by his father-in-law was a first, and it actually made him feel a little bashful.
"You're giving me too much credit. Honestly, the only reason we were able to put those two away so quickly is because of Mr. Smith."
Joseph was usually arrogant and unapologetic. Whenever someone complimented him, he took it as a given—because he knew he earned it.
But in front of his in-laws, he adopted a rare sense of humility.
Besides, it was the truth.
"If Mr. Smith hadn't had his men track down the brothers' lackeys and force them to talk, we wouldn't have gotten any of the critical evidence we needed."
Joseph turned and gestured toward Raymond, handing him the credit.
"No, no..." Raymond quickly waved it off.
"I just happened to catch the guys. You're the one who figured out how to make them crack. Negotiation is your territory. And the way you handled everything at the police station last night and this morning? Nobody could have navigated that better than you."

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