She had cried when she signed the papers while he acted like she was grieving over a pile of bricks. “He is planning to use this wedding to humiliate you while using your sons as props,” Maxwell added.
“I know what that feels like because my own father did something similar to me when I was a boy.” Maxwell explained that his father had mocked him at a company dinner to make himself look stronger.
“I saw your boys playing with chalk yesterday in the courtyard of your building,” Maxwell said. “One of them was saying that a road has to be level before the trucks can drive on it.”
Cassidy looked at Toby who was currently leveling a bridge made of blocks. “That was Toby,” she said with a shaky voice.
“No child should be used for a man revenge and I want to help you change the story,” Maxwell offered. “I am not offering you charity but I am offering you the truth and the means to protect your dignity.”
He suggested providing a car and appropriate clothing for her and the boys so they would not arrive looking defeated. “I can also make sure the truth about his employment reaches his family before his version does,” he promised.
Cassidy laughed a sharp and bitter laugh because she did not trust men with grand plans. “Why would a billionaire care about what happens to a woman in a tiny apartment?” she asked.
“Because I hate watching a man buy silence with an invitation,” Maxwell answered honestly. “Let me come to your apartment and explain the details in person while your neighbor watches.”
Cassidy checked the hallway and saw her neighbor Mrs. Rossi through the cracked door. “You can come over but if I feel uncomfortable for one second you will leave immediately,” Cassidy warned.
Fifteen minutes later there was a knock at the door and Mrs. Rossi stood in the kitchen with a wooden spoon in her hand. Maxwell Kendrick was taller than Cassidy expected and he wore a charcoal suit that was expensive but not flashy.
He stood in the hallway with his hands visible and did not try to push his way inside. “Mrs. Rossi is here to make sure you behave,” Cassidy said while stepping back.
Maxwell looked at the elderly woman with complete respect and nodded his head. “I understand and I would expect nothing less for Cassidy safety,” he said.